diff --git a/documentation/docs/release-notes.md b/documentation/docs/release-notes.md
index f8a6d0fdcc..e82025912a 100644
--- a/documentation/docs/release-notes.md
+++ b/documentation/docs/release-notes.md
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ title: Release notes:
 - Renamed the `SAMLMessageStorage*` classes as `SAMLMessageStore*` (based on `Store`)
 
 **v3.6.0**:
+- Multiple authn context class refs can be set in the SAML protocol support
 
 **v3.5.0**:
 
diff --git a/pac4j-saml/src/main/java/org/pac4j/saml/config/SAML2Configuration.java b/pac4j-saml/src/main/java/org/pac4j/saml/config/SAML2Configuration.java
index 2bc2d60e47..06c4201f7f 100644
--- a/pac4j-saml/src/main/java/org/pac4j/saml/config/SAML2Configuration.java
+++ b/pac4j-saml/src/main/java/org/pac4j/saml/config/SAML2Configuration.java
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ public class SAML2Configuration extends InitializableObject {
 
     private String spLogoutResponseBindingType = SAMLConstants.SAML2_POST_BINDING_URI;
 
-    private String authnContextClassRef = null;
+    private List<String> authnContextClassRefs = null;
 
     private String nameIdPolicyFormat = null;
 
@@ -439,12 +439,12 @@ public void setSpLogoutResponseBindingType(final String spLogoutResponseBindingT
         this.spLogoutResponseBindingType = spLogoutResponseBindingType;
     }
 
-    public String getAuthnContextClassRef() {
-        return authnContextClassRef;
+    public List<String> getAuthnContextClassRefs() {
+        return authnContextClassRefs;
     }
 
-    public void setAuthnContextClassRef(final String authnContextClassRef) {
-        this.authnContextClassRef = authnContextClassRef;
+    public void setAuthnContextClassRefs(final List<String> authnContextClassRefs) {
+        this.authnContextClassRefs = authnContextClassRefs;
     }
 
     public String getNameIdPolicyFormat() {
diff --git a/pac4j-saml/src/main/java/org/pac4j/saml/sso/impl/SAML2AuthnRequestBuilder.java b/pac4j-saml/src/main/java/org/pac4j/saml/sso/impl/SAML2AuthnRequestBuilder.java
index 3da91c43f0..535047171f 100644
--- a/pac4j-saml/src/main/java/org/pac4j/saml/sso/impl/SAML2AuthnRequestBuilder.java
+++ b/pac4j-saml/src/main/java/org/pac4j/saml/sso/impl/SAML2AuthnRequestBuilder.java
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ public class SAML2AuthnRequestBuilder implements SAML2ObjectBuilder<AuthnRequest
 
     private String bindingType;
 
-    private String authnContextClassRef;
+    private List<String> authnContextClassRefs;
 
     private String nameIdPolicyFormat;
     
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ public SAML2AuthnRequestBuilder(final SAML2Configuration cfg) {
         this.forceAuth = cfg.isForceAuth();
         this.comparisonType = getComparisonTypeEnumFromString(cfg.getComparisonType());
         this.bindingType = cfg.getAuthnRequestBindingType();
-        this.authnContextClassRef = cfg.getAuthnContextClassRef();
+        this.authnContextClassRefs = cfg.getAuthnContextClassRefs();
         this.nameIdPolicyFormat = cfg.getNameIdPolicyFormat();
         this.passive = cfg.isPassive();
         this.attributeConsumingServiceIndex = cfg.getAttributeConsumingServiceIndex();
@@ -101,10 +101,9 @@ protected final AuthnRequest buildAuthnRequest(final SAML2MessageContext context
             final RequestedAuthnContext authnContext = new RequestedAuthnContextBuilder().buildObject();
             authnContext.setComparison(comparisonType);
 
-            if (authnContextClassRef != null) {
-                final AuthnContextClassRef classRef = new AuthnContextClassRefBuilder().buildObject();
-                classRef.setAuthnContextClassRef(authnContextClassRef);
-                authnContext.getAuthnContextClassRefs().add(classRef);
+            if (authnContextClassRefs != null && !authnContextClassRefs.isEmpty()) {
+                final List<AuthnContextClassRef> refs = authnContext.getAuthnContextClassRefs();
+                authnContextClassRefs.forEach(r -> refs.add(buildAuthnContextClassRef(r)));
             }
             request.setRequestedAuthnContext(authnContext);
         }
@@ -149,6 +148,12 @@ protected final AuthnRequest buildAuthnRequest(final SAML2MessageContext context
         return request;
     }
 
+    protected AuthnContextClassRef buildAuthnContextClassRef(final String authnContextClassRef) {
+        final AuthnContextClassRef classRef = new AuthnContextClassRefBuilder().buildObject();
+        classRef.setAuthnContextClassRef(authnContextClassRef);
+        return classRef;
+    }
+
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     protected final Issuer getIssuer(final String spEntityId) {
         final SAMLObjectBuilder<Issuer> issuerBuilder = (SAMLObjectBuilder<Issuer>) this.builderFactory
diff --git a/pac4j-saml/src/test/java/org/pac4j/saml/client/RedirectSAML2ClientTests.java b/pac4j-saml/src/test/java/org/pac4j/saml/client/RedirectSAML2ClientTests.java
index f9130c51d6..4b707bcff2 100644
--- a/pac4j-saml/src/test/java/org/pac4j/saml/client/RedirectSAML2ClientTests.java
+++ b/pac4j-saml/src/test/java/org/pac4j/saml/client/RedirectSAML2ClientTests.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InputStreamReader;
 import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
+import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Base64;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.zip.Inflater;
@@ -82,7 +83,8 @@ public void testNameIdPolicyFormat() {
     public void testAuthnContextClassRef() {
         final SAML2Client client = getClient();
         client.getConfiguration().setComparisonType(AuthnContextComparisonTypeEnumeration.EXACT.toString());
-        client.getConfiguration().setAuthnContextClassRef("urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:ac:classes:PasswordProtectedTransport");
+        client.getConfiguration()
+            .setAuthnContextClassRefs(Arrays.asList("urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:ac:classes:PasswordProtectedTransport"));
         final WebContext context = new JEEContext(new MockHttpServletRequest(), new MockHttpServletResponse());
         final FoundAction action = (FoundAction) client.redirect(context);