diff --git a/common/lib/capa/capa/responsetypes.py b/common/lib/capa/capa/responsetypes.py
index b9ea3944c0..caefbe0fd0 100644
--- a/common/lib/capa/capa/responsetypes.py
+++ b/common/lib/capa/capa/responsetypes.py
@@ -1086,7 +1086,15 @@ class CustomResponse(LoncapaResponse):
                 # to the same correct/incorrect value
                 if 'ok' in ret:
                     correct = ['correct' if ret['ok'] else 'incorrect'] * len(idset)
-                    self.context['messages'][0] = self.clean_message_html(ret['msg'])
+                    msg = ret.get('msg', None)
+                    msg = self.clean_message_html(msg)
+
+                    # If there is only one input, apply the message to that input
+                    # Otherwise, apply the message to the whole problem
+                    if len(idset) > 1:
+                        self.context['overall_message'] = msg
+                    else:
+                        self.context['messages'][0] = msg
 
                 # Another kind of dictionary the check function can return has
                 # the form:
diff --git a/common/lib/capa/capa/tests/test_responsetypes.py b/common/lib/capa/capa/tests/test_responsetypes.py
index b76854c744..3f88734884 100644
--- a/common/lib/capa/capa/tests/test_responsetypes.py
+++ b/common/lib/capa/capa/tests/test_responsetypes.py
@@ -977,7 +977,7 @@ class CustomResponseTest(ResponseTest):
         msg = correct_map.get_msg('1_2_1')
 
         self.assertEqual(correctness, 'correct')
-        self.assertEqual(msg, "Message text\n")
+        self.assertEqual(msg, "Message text")
 
         # Incorrect answer
         input_dict = {'1_2_1': '0'}
@@ -987,7 +987,7 @@ class CustomResponseTest(ResponseTest):
         msg = correct_map.get_msg('1_2_1')
 
         self.assertEqual(correctness, 'incorrect')
-        self.assertEqual(msg, "Message text\n")
+        self.assertEqual(msg, "Message text")
 
     def test_multiple_inputs_return_one_status(self):
         # When given multiple inputs, the 'answer_given' argument