diff --git a/pkg/api/handlers/compat/images_build.go b/pkg/api/handlers/compat/images_build.go
index 207686c05c..19a5338791 100644
--- a/pkg/api/handlers/compat/images_build.go
+++ b/pkg/api/handlers/compat/images_build.go
@@ -738,7 +738,12 @@ func BuildImage(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		UnsetLabels:                    query.UnsetLabels,
 	}
 
-	for _, platformSpec := range query.Platform {
+	platforms := query.Platform
+	if len(platforms) == 1 {
+		// Docker API uses comma sperated platform arg so match this here
+		platforms = strings.Split(query.Platform[0], ",")
+	}
+	for _, platformSpec := range platforms {
 		os, arch, variant, err := parse.Platform(platformSpec)
 		if err != nil {
 			utils.BadRequest(w, "platform", platformSpec, err)
diff --git a/pkg/api/server/register_images.go b/pkg/api/server/register_images.go
index 63284b49cf..c592eec228 100644
--- a/pkg/api/server/register_images.go
+++ b/pkg/api/server/register_images.go
@@ -667,6 +667,7 @@ func (s *APIServer) registerImagesHandlers(r *mux.Router) error {
 	//    default:
 	//    description: |
 	//      Platform format os[/arch[/variant]]
+	//      Can be comma separated list for multi arch builds.
 	//      (As of version 1.xx)
 	//  - in: query
 	//    name: target
diff --git a/test/apiv2/10-images.at b/test/apiv2/10-images.at
index cfed2dc411..8cd7ed2234 100644
--- a/test/apiv2/10-images.at
+++ b/test/apiv2/10-images.at
@@ -274,6 +274,12 @@ else
     _show_ok 1 "compat quiet build"
 fi
 
+# Do not try a real build here to tests the comma separated syntax as emulation
+# is slow and may not work everywhere, checking the error is good enough to know
+# we parsed it correctly on the server I would say
+t POST "/build?q=1&dockerfile=containerfile&platform=linux/amd64,test" $CONTAINERFILE_WITH_ERR_TAR 400 \
+  .message="failed to parse query parameter 'platform': \"test\": invalid platform syntax for --platform=\"test\": \"test\": unknown operating system or architecture: invalid argument"
+
 cleanBuildTest
 
 # compat API vs libpod API event differences: