diff --git a/api/v3/CustomValue.php b/api/v3/CustomValue.php
index e53b39d88a70..3a855d21f310 100644
--- a/api/v3/CustomValue.php
+++ b/api/v3/CustomValue.php
@@ -149,7 +149,10 @@ function civicrm_api3_custom_value_get($params) {
       if (!empty(substr($id, 7))) {
         $returnVal = substr($id, 7);
       }
-      foreach ((array) $returnVal as $value) {
+      if (!is_array($returnVal)) {
+        $returnVal = explode(',', $returnVal);
+      }
+      foreach ($returnVal as $value) {
         list($c, $i) = CRM_Utils_System::explode('_', $value, 2);
         if ($c == 'custom' && is_numeric($i)) {
           $names['custom_' . $i] = 'custom_' . $i;
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/api/v3/CustomValueTest.php b/tests/phpunit/api/v3/CustomValueTest.php
index 133a9f812add..d50a684e53c3 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/api/v3/CustomValueTest.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/api/v3/CustomValueTest.php
@@ -552,4 +552,72 @@ public function testUpdateCustomGreetings() {
 
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Creates a multi-valued custom field set and creates a contact with mutliple values for it.
+   *
+   * @return array
+   */
+  private function _testGetCustomValueMultiple() {
+    $fieldIDs = $this->CustomGroupMultipleCreateWithFields();
+    $customFieldValues = [];
+    foreach ($fieldIDs['custom_field_id'] as $id) {
+      $customFieldValues["custom_{$id}"] = "field_{$id}_value_1";
+    }
+    $this->assertNotEmpty($customFieldValues);
+    $contactParams = [
+      'first_name' => 'Jane',
+      'last_name' => 'Doe',
+      'contact_type' => 'Individual',
+    ];
+    $contact = $this->callAPISuccess('Contact', 'create', array_merge($contactParams, $customFieldValues));
+    foreach ($fieldIDs['custom_field_id'] as $id) {
+      $customFieldValues["custom_{$id}"] = "field_{$id}_value_2";
+    }
+    $result = $this->callAPISuccess('Contact', 'create', array_merge(['id' => $contact['id']], $customFieldValues));
+    return [
+      $contact['id'],
+      $customFieldValues,
+    ];
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Test that specific custom values can be retrieved while using return with comma separated values as genererated by the api explorer.
+   * ['return' => 'custom_1,custom_2']
+   */
+  public function testGetCustomValueReturnMultipleApiExplorer() {
+    list($cid, $customFieldValues) = $this->_testGetCustomValueMultiple();
+    $result = $this->callAPISuccess('CustomValue', 'get', [
+      'return' => implode(',', array_keys($customFieldValues)),
+      'entity_id' => $cid,
+    ]);
+    $this->assertEquals(count($customFieldValues), $result['count']);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Test that specific custom values can be retrieved while using return with array style syntax.
+   * ['return => ['custom_1', 'custom_2']]
+   */
+  public function testGetCustomValueReturnMultipleArray() {
+    list($cid, $customFieldValues) = $this->_testGetCustomValueMultiple();
+    $result = $this->callAPISuccess('CustomValue', 'get', [
+      'return' => array_keys($customFieldValues),
+      'entity_id' => $cid,
+    ]);
+    $this->assertEquals(count($customFieldValues), $result['count']);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Test that specific custom values can be retrieved while using a list of return parameters.
+   * [['return.custom_1' => '1'], ['return.custom_2' => '1']]
+   */
+  public function testGetCustomValueReturnMultipleList() {
+    list($cid, $customFieldValues) = $this->_testGetCustomValueMultiple();
+    $returnArray = [];
+    foreach ($customFieldValues as $field => $value) {
+      $returnArray["return.{$field}"] = 1;
+    }
+    $result = $this->callAPISuccess('CustomValue', 'get', array_merge($returnArray, ['entity_id' => $cid]));
+    $this->assertEquals(count($customFieldValues), $result['count']);
+  }
+
 }