diff --git a/api/v3/CustomValue.php b/api/v3/CustomValue.php
index e5371f8feaf6..20aa18c51880 100644
--- a/api/v3/CustomValue.php
+++ b/api/v3/CustomValue.php
@@ -145,22 +145,27 @@ function civicrm_api3_custom_value_get($params) {
   unset($params['entity_id'], $params['entity_table']);
   foreach ($params as $id => $param) {
     if ($param && substr($id, 0, 6) == 'return') {
-      $id = substr($id, 7);
-      list($c, $i) = CRM_Utils_System::explode('_', $id, 2);
-      if ($c == 'custom' && is_numeric($i)) {
-        $names['custom_' . $i] = 'custom_' . $i;
-        $id = $i;
+      $returnVal = $param;
+      if (!empty(substr($id, 7))) {
+        $returnVal = substr($id, 7);
       }
-      else {
-        // Lookup names if ID was not supplied
-        list($group, $field) = CRM_Utils_System::explode(':', $id, 2);
-        $id = CRM_Core_BAO_CustomField::getCustomFieldID($field, $group);
-        if (!$id) {
-          continue;
+      foreach ((array) $returnVal as $value) {
+        list($c, $i) = CRM_Utils_System::explode('_', $value, 2);
+        if ($c == 'custom' && is_numeric($i)) {
+          $names['custom_' . $i] = 'custom_' . $i;
+          $fldId = $i;
+        }
+        else {
+          // Lookup names if ID was not supplied
+          list($group, $field) = CRM_Utils_System::explode(':', $value, 2);
+          $fldId = CRM_Core_BAO_CustomField::getCustomFieldID($field, $group);
+          if (!$fldId) {
+            continue;
+          }
+          $names['custom_' . $fldId] = 'custom_' . $i;
         }
-        $names['custom_' . $id] = 'custom_' . $i;
+        $getParams['custom_' . $fldId] = 1;
       }
-      $getParams['custom_' . $id] = 1;
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/api/v3/CustomValueTest.php b/tests/phpunit/api/v3/CustomValueTest.php
index 791eea0344ce..e5b07d477d4b 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/api/v3/CustomValueTest.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/api/v3/CustomValueTest.php
@@ -105,6 +105,8 @@ public function tearDown() {
 
   public function testCreateCustomValue() {
     $this->_populateOptionAndCustomGroup();
+    $this->_customField = $this->customFieldCreate(array('custom_group_id' => $this->ids['string']['custom_group_id']));
+    $this->_customFieldID = $this->_customField['id'];
 
     $customFieldDataType = CRM_Core_BAO_CustomField::dataType();
     $dataToHtmlTypes = CRM_Core_BAO_CustomField::dataToHtml();
@@ -227,9 +229,41 @@ public function _testCustomValue($customField, $sqlOps, $type) {
       }
     }
 
-    $params = array('entity_id' => $contactId, 'custom_' . $customId => $selectedValue);
+    $params = [
+      'entity_id' => $contactId,
+      'custom_' . $customId => $selectedValue,
+      "custom_{$this->_customFieldID}" => "Test String Value for {$this->_customFieldID}",
+    ];
     $this->callAPISuccess('CustomValue', 'create', $params);
 
+    //Test for different return value syntax.
+    $returnValues = [
+      ['return' => "custom_{$customId}"],
+      ['return' => ["custom_{$customId}"]],
+      ["return.custom_{$customId}" => 1],
+      ['return' => ["custom_{$customId}", "custom_{$this->_customFieldID}"]],
+      ["return.custom_{$customId}" => 1, "return.custom_{$this->_customFieldID}" => 1],
+    ];
+    foreach ($returnValues as $key => $val) {
+      $params = array_merge($val, [
+        'entity_id' => $contactId,
+      ]);
+      $customValue = $this->callAPISuccess('CustomValue', 'get', $params);
+      if (is_array($selectedValue)) {
+        $expected = array_values($selectedValue);
+        $this->checkArrayEquals($expected, $customValue['values'][$customId]['latest']);
+      }
+      elseif ($type == 'date') {
+        $this->assertEquals($selectedValue, date('Ymd', strtotime(str_replace('.', '/', $customValue['values'][$customId]['latest']))));
+      }
+      else {
+        $this->assertEquals($selectedValue, $customValue['values'][$customId]['latest']);
+      }
+      if ($key > 2) {
+        $this->assertEquals("Test String Value for {$this->_customFieldID}", $customValue['values'][$this->_customFieldID]['latest']);
+      }
+    }
+
     foreach ($sqlOps as $op) {
       $qillOp = CRM_Utils_Array::value($op, CRM_Core_SelectValues::getSearchBuilderOperators(), $op);
       switch ($op) {