diff --git a/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/cli/CLIManager.java b/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/cli/CLIManager.java
index 21d95a0825..507526df05 100644
--- a/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/cli/CLIManager.java
+++ b/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/cli/CLIManager.java
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ public CLIManager()
         options.addOption( OptionBuilder.withLongOpt( "fail-at-end" ).withDescription( "Only fail the build afterwards; allow all non-impacted builds to continue" ).create( FAIL_AT_END ) );
         options.addOption( OptionBuilder.withLongOpt( "fail-never" ).withDescription( "NEVER fail the build, regardless of project result" ).create( FAIL_NEVER ) );
         options.addOption( OptionBuilder.withLongOpt( "resume-from" ).hasArg().withDescription( "Resume reactor from specified project" ).create( RESUME_FROM ) );
-        options.addOption( OptionBuilder.withLongOpt( "projects" ).withDescription( "Build specified reactor projects instead of all projects. A project can be specified by [groupId]:artifactId or by its relative path." ).hasArg().create( PROJECT_LIST ) );
+        options.addOption( OptionBuilder.withLongOpt( "projects" ).withDescription( "Comma-delimited list of specified reactor projects to build instead of all projects. A project can be specified by [groupId]:artifactId or by its relative path." ).hasArg().create( PROJECT_LIST ) );
         options.addOption( OptionBuilder.withLongOpt( "also-make" ).withDescription( "If project list is specified, also build projects required by the list" ).create( ALSO_MAKE ) );
         options.addOption( OptionBuilder.withLongOpt( "also-make-dependents" ).withDescription( "If project list is specified, also build projects that depend on projects on the list" ).create( ALSO_MAKE_DEPENDENTS ) );
         options.addOption( OptionBuilder.withLongOpt( "log-file" ).hasArg().withDescription( "Log file to where all build output will go." ).create( LOG_FILE ) );
diff --git a/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/cli/MavenCli.java b/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/cli/MavenCli.java
index 336fdf41c6..0f65efe13c 100644
--- a/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/cli/MavenCli.java
+++ b/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/cli/MavenCli.java
@@ -861,9 +861,14 @@ else if ( request.isInteractiveMode() )
 
         if ( commandLine.hasOption( CLIManager.PROJECT_LIST ) )
         {
-            String projectList = commandLine.getOptionValue( CLIManager.PROJECT_LIST );
-            String[] projects = StringUtils.split( projectList, "," );
-            request.setSelectedProjects( Arrays.asList( projects ) );
+            String[] values = commandLine.getOptionValues( CLIManager.PROJECT_LIST );
+            List<String> projects = new ArrayList<String>();
+            for ( int i = 0; i < values.length; i++ )
+            {
+                String[] tmp = StringUtils.split( values[i], "," );
+                projects.addAll( Arrays.asList( tmp ) );
+            }
+            request.setSelectedProjects( projects );
         }
 
         if ( commandLine.hasOption( CLIManager.ALSO_MAKE )