diff --git a/exist-core/src/main/java/org/exist/xquery/ContextItemDeclaration.java b/exist-core/src/main/java/org/exist/xquery/ContextItemDeclaration.java
index 475c892ba9..8ed2f1d9e0 100644
--- a/exist-core/src/main/java/org/exist/xquery/ContextItemDeclaration.java
+++ b/exist-core/src/main/java/org/exist/xquery/ContextItemDeclaration.java
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@ public void analyze(final AnalyzeContextInfo contextInfo) throws XPathException
 
         if (value.isPresent()) {
             value.get().analyze(contextInfo);
+            if (!value.get().getCardinality().atMostOne()) {
+                throw new XPathException(this, ErrorCodes.XPTY0004, "The context item must be exactly one item");
+            }
+
         }
     }
 
@@ -77,6 +81,14 @@ public Sequence eval(final Sequence contextSequence, final Item contextItem) thr
             }
         } else {
             return value.get().eval(null, null);
+
+//            else {
+//                final Sequence result = value.get().eval(null, null);
+//                if (result.isEmpty() || result.hasMany()){
+//                    throw new XPathException(this, ErrorCodes.XPTY0004,"The context item must be exactly one item");
+//                } else {
+//                    return result;
+//                }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/exist-core/src/test/java/org/exist/xquery/XQueryDeclareContextItemTest.java b/exist-core/src/test/java/org/exist/xquery/XQueryDeclareContextItemTest.java
index 00d1d3d4b9..12b96876d6 100644
--- a/exist-core/src/test/java/org/exist/xquery/XQueryDeclareContextItemTest.java
+++ b/exist-core/src/test/java/org/exist/xquery/XQueryDeclareContextItemTest.java
@@ -79,8 +79,7 @@
 import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.Properties;
 
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
+import static org.junit.Assert.*;
 
 /**
  * Tests for XQuery 3.0's declare context item
@@ -144,6 +143,22 @@ public void declareContextItem() throws EXistException, PermissionDeniedExceptio
         }
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void declareContextItemMoreThanOneItem() throws EXistException, PermissionDeniedException, XPathException, IOException {
+        final String query =
+                "xquery version \"3.0\";\n" +
+                "declare context item := (1,2); \n" +
+                ".";
+
+        final BrokerPool pool = existEmbeddedServer.getBrokerPool();
+        try (final DBBroker broker = pool.getBroker();
+             final XQueryUtil.QueryResult queryResult = XQueryUtil.query(broker, new StringSource(query), false, null, null, null, null, null)) {
+            fail("Expected XQuery error XPTY0004");
+        } catch (final XPathException e){
+            assertEquals(ErrorCodes.XPTY0004, e.getErrorCode());
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * See issue https://github.com/eXist-db/exist/issues/2156
      */