diff --git a/examples/symbolizers-fill-stroke-graphic.html b/examples/symbolizers-fill-stroke-graphic.html
index 387ac2e313..848512b590 100644
--- a/examples/symbolizers-fill-stroke-graphic.html
+++ b/examples/symbolizers-fill-stroke-graphic.html
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@
                             new OpenLayers.Rule({
                                 symbolizer: {
                                     graphic: false,
-                                    label: "Label for invisible point"
+                                    label: "Label for invisible point",
+                                    labelSelect: true
                                 },
                                 filter: new OpenLayers.Filter.Comparison({
                                     type: "==",
@@ -105,6 +106,13 @@
             vectorLayer.drawFeature(multiFeature);
             map.setCenter(new OpenLayers.LonLat(point.x, point.y), 4);
             vectorLayer.addFeatures([pointFeature, polygonFeature, multiFeature]);
+            var select = new OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature(vectorLayer, {
+                selectStyle: OpenLayers.Util.extend(
+                    {fill: true, stroke: true},
+                    OpenLayers.Feature.Vector.style["select"])
+            });
+            map.addControl(select);
+            select.activate();
         }
     </script>
   </head>
@@ -117,6 +125,8 @@
     <div id="map" class="smallmap"></div>
     <div id="docs">
     This example shows how to use symbolizers with defaults for stroke, fill, and graphic.
+    This also allows to create labels for a feature without the feature rendered. Click on
+    the label in the middle to see selection of features with labelSelect set to true.
     </div>
   </body>
 </html>
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Feature/Vector.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Feature/Vector.js
index ecb7ccb087..d8064bdc30 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Feature/Vector.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Feature/Vector.js
@@ -349,6 +349,8 @@ OpenLayers.Feature.Vector = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Feature, {
  *     alignment. Valid values for horizontal alignment: "l"=left, "c"=center, "r"=right. Valid values for vertical
  *     alignment: "t"=top, "m"=middle, "b"=bottom. Example values: "lt", "cm", "rb". The canvas renderer does not
  *     support vertical alignment, it will always use "b".
+ * labelSelect - {Boolean} If set to true, labels will be selectable using SelectFeature or similar controls.
+ *     Default is false.
  * fontColor - {String} The font color for the label, to be provided like CSS.
  * fontFamily - {String} The font family for the label, to be provided like in CSS.
  * fontSize - {String} The font size for the label, to be provided like in CSS.
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Renderer/SVG.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Renderer/SVG.js
index 640447ebbf..14bc03f6b5 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Renderer/SVG.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Renderer/SVG.js
@@ -673,7 +673,6 @@ OpenLayers.Renderer.SVG = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Renderer.Elements, {
 
         label.setAttributeNS(null, "x", x);
         label.setAttributeNS(null, "y", -y);
-        label.setAttributeNS(null, "pointer-events", "none");
         
         if (style.fontColor) {
             label.setAttributeNS(null, "fill", style.fontColor);
@@ -687,6 +686,15 @@ OpenLayers.Renderer.SVG = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Renderer.Elements, {
         if (style.fontWeight) {
             label.setAttributeNS(null, "font-weight", style.fontWeight);
         }
+        if(style.labelSelect === true) {
+            label.setAttributeNS(null, "pointer-events", "visible");
+            label._featureId = featureId;
+            tspan._featureId = featureId;
+            tspan._geometry = location;
+            tspan._geometryClass = location.CLASS_NAME;
+        } else {
+            label.setAttributeNS(null, "pointer-events", "none");
+        }
         var align = style.labelAlign || "cm";
         label.setAttributeNS(null, "text-anchor",
             OpenLayers.Renderer.SVG.LABEL_ALIGN[align[0]] || "middle");
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Renderer/VML.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Renderer/VML.js
index bf85306a86..874365b351 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Renderer/VML.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Renderer/VML.js
@@ -818,6 +818,12 @@ OpenLayers.Renderer.VML = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Renderer.Elements, {
         if (style.fontWeight) {
             textbox.style.fontWeight = style.fontWeight;
         }
+        if(style.labelSelect === true) {
+            label._featureId = featureId;
+            textbox._featureId = featureId;
+            textbox._geometry = location;
+            textbox._geometryClass = location.CLASS_NAME;
+        }
         textbox.style.whiteSpace = "nowrap";
         // fun with IE: IE7 in standards compliant mode does not display any
         // text with a left inset of 0. So we set this to 1px and subtract one
@@ -836,6 +842,7 @@ OpenLayers.Renderer.VML = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Renderer.Elements, {
             (OpenLayers.Renderer.VML.LABEL_SHIFT[align.substr(1,1)]);
         label.style.left = parseInt(label.style.left)-xshift-1+"px";
         label.style.top = parseInt(label.style.top)+yshift+"px";
+        
     },
 
     /**