diff --git a/src/nvim/api/autocmd.c b/src/nvim/api/autocmd.c
index 01f76c762e..99886020e9 100644
--- a/src/nvim/api/autocmd.c
+++ b/src/nvim/api/autocmd.c
@@ -510,9 +510,7 @@ Integer nvim_create_autocmd(uint64_t channel_id, Object event, Dict(create_autoc
 
     int retval;
 
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < patterns.size; i++) {
-      Object pat = patterns.items[i];
-
+    FOREACH_ITEM(patterns, pat, {
       // See: TODO(sctx)
       WITH_SCRIPT_CONTEXT(channel_id, {
         retval = autocmd_register(autocmd_id,
@@ -530,7 +528,7 @@ Integer nvim_create_autocmd(uint64_t channel_id, Object event, Dict(create_autoc
         api_set_error(err, kErrorTypeException, "Failed to set autocmd");
         goto cleanup;
       }
-    }
+    })
   });
 
 
@@ -743,11 +741,8 @@ void nvim_exec_autocmds(Object event, Dict(exec_autocmds) *opts, Error *err)
   bool modeline = true;
 
   buf_T *buf = curbuf;
-  bool set_buf = false;
-
-  char_u *pattern = NULL;
-  bool set_pattern = false;
 
+  Array patterns = ARRAY_DICT_INIT;
   Array event_array = ARRAY_DICT_INIT;
 
   if (!unpack_string_or_array(&event_array, &event, "event", true, err)) {
@@ -787,36 +782,32 @@ void nvim_exec_autocmds(Object event, Dict(exec_autocmds) *opts, Error *err)
     }
 
     buf = find_buffer_by_handle((Buffer)buf_obj.data.integer, err);
-    set_buf = true;
 
     if (ERROR_SET(err)) {
       goto cleanup;
     }
   }
 
-  if (opts->pattern.type != kObjectTypeNil) {
-    if (opts->pattern.type != kObjectTypeString) {
-      api_set_error(err, kErrorTypeValidation, "'pattern' must be a string");
-      goto cleanup;
-    }
+  if (!get_patterns_from_pattern_or_buf(&patterns, opts->pattern, opts->buffer, err)) {
+    goto cleanup;
+  }
 
-    pattern = vim_strsave((char_u *)opts->pattern.data.string.data);
-    set_pattern = true;
+  if (patterns.size == 0) {
+    ADD(patterns, STRING_OBJ(STATIC_CSTR_TO_STRING("")));
   }
 
   modeline = api_object_to_bool(opts->modeline, "modeline", true, err);
 
-  if (set_pattern && set_buf) {
-    api_set_error(err, kErrorTypeValidation, "must not set 'buffer' and 'pattern'");
-    goto cleanup;
-  }
-
   bool did_aucmd = false;
   FOREACH_ITEM(event_array, event_str, {
     GET_ONE_EVENT(event_nr, event_str, cleanup)
 
-    did_aucmd |= apply_autocmds_group(event_nr, pattern, NULL, true, au_group, buf, NULL);
-  })
+    FOREACH_ITEM(patterns, pat, {
+        char_u *fname = opts->buffer.type == kObjectTypeNil ? (char_u *)pat.data.string.data : NULL;
+        did_aucmd |=
+        apply_autocmds_group(event_nr, fname, NULL, true, au_group, buf, NULL);
+        })
+    })
 
   if (did_aucmd && modeline) {
     do_modelines(0);
@@ -824,13 +815,13 @@ void nvim_exec_autocmds(Object event, Dict(exec_autocmds) *opts, Error *err)
 
 cleanup:
   api_free_array(event_array);
-  XFREE_CLEAR(pattern);
+  api_free_array(patterns);
 }
 
 static bool check_autocmd_string_array(Array arr, char *k, Error *err)
 {
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < arr.size; i++) {
-    if (arr.items[i].type != kObjectTypeString) {
+  FOREACH_ITEM(arr, entry, {
+    if (entry.type != kObjectTypeString) {
       api_set_error(err,
                     kErrorTypeValidation,
                     "All entries in '%s' must be strings",
@@ -839,13 +830,13 @@ static bool check_autocmd_string_array(Array arr, char *k, Error *err)
     }
 
     // Disallow newlines in the middle of the line.
-    const String l = arr.items[i].data.string;
+    const String l = entry.data.string;
     if (memchr(l.data, NL, l.size)) {
       api_set_error(err, kErrorTypeValidation,
                     "String cannot contain newlines");
       return false;
     }
-  }
+  })
   return true;
 }
 
@@ -932,8 +923,8 @@ static bool get_patterns_from_pattern_or_buf(Array *patterns, Object pattern, Ob
       }
 
       Array array = v->data.array;
-      for (size_t i = 0; i < array.size; i++) {
-        char_u *pat = (char_u *)array.items[i].data.string.data;
+      FOREACH_ITEM(array, entry, {
+        char_u *pat = (char_u *)entry.data.string.data;
         size_t patlen = aucmd_pattern_length(pat);
         while (patlen) {
           ADD(*patterns, STRING_OBJ(cbuf_to_string((char *)pat, patlen)));
@@ -941,15 +932,15 @@ static bool get_patterns_from_pattern_or_buf(Array *patterns, Object pattern, Ob
           pat = aucmd_next_pattern(pat, patlen);
           patlen = aucmd_pattern_length(pat);
         }
-      }
+      })
     } else {
       api_set_error(err,
                     kErrorTypeValidation,
-                    "'pattern' must be a string");
+                    "'pattern' must be a string or table");
       return false;
     }
   } else if (buffer.type != kObjectTypeNil) {
-    if (buffer.type != kObjectTypeInteger) {
+    if (buffer.type != kObjectTypeInteger && buffer.type != kObjectTypeBuffer) {
       api_set_error(err,
                     kErrorTypeValidation,
                     "'buffer' must be an integer");
diff --git a/test/functional/api/autocmd_spec.lua b/test/functional/api/autocmd_spec.lua
index 50990c41f5..259ed3f961 100644
--- a/test/functional/api/autocmd_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/api/autocmd_spec.lua
@@ -610,6 +610,26 @@ describe('autocmd api', function()
       eq(true, meths.get_var("autocmd_executed"))
     end)
 
+    it("can trigger multiple patterns", function()
+      meths.set_var("autocmd_executed", 0)
+
+      meths.create_autocmd("BufReadPost", {
+        pattern = "*",
+        command = "let g:autocmd_executed += 1",
+      })
+
+      meths.exec_autocmds("BufReadPost", { pattern = { "*.lua", "*.vim" } })
+      eq(2, meths.get_var("autocmd_executed"))
+
+      meths.create_autocmd("BufReadPre", {
+        pattern = { "bar", "foo" },
+        command = "let g:autocmd_executed += 10",
+      })
+
+      meths.exec_autocmds("BufReadPre", { pattern = { "foo", "bar", "baz", "frederick" }})
+      eq(22, meths.get_var("autocmd_executed"))
+    end)
+
     it("can pass the buffer", function()
       meths.set_var("buffer_executed", -1)
       eq(-1, meths.get_var("buffer_executed"))
@@ -666,7 +686,7 @@ describe('autocmd api', function()
       meths.exec_autocmds("CursorHoldI", { buffer = 1 })
       eq('none', meths.get_var("filename_executed"))
 
-      meths.exec_autocmds("CursorHoldI", { buffer = tonumber(meths.get_current_buf()) })
+      meths.exec_autocmds("CursorHoldI", { buffer = meths.get_current_buf() })
       eq('__init__.py', meths.get_var("filename_executed"))
 
       -- Reset filename