diff --git a/src/targeting.js b/src/targeting.js
index 96692376d82..ce519f8add3 100644
--- a/src/targeting.js
+++ b/src/targeting.js
@@ -379,21 +379,18 @@ export function newTargeting(auctionManager) {
   targeting.setTargetingForGPT = function(targetingConfig, customSlotMatching) {
     window.googletag.pubads().getSlots().forEach(slot => {
       Object.keys(targetingConfig).filter(customSlotMatching ? customSlotMatching(slot) : isAdUnitCodeMatchingSlot(slot))
-        .forEach(targetId =>
+        .forEach(targetId => {
           Object.keys(targetingConfig[targetId]).forEach(key => {
-            let valueArr = targetingConfig[targetId][key];
-            if (typeof valueArr === 'string') {
-              valueArr = valueArr.split(',');
+            let value = targetingConfig[targetId][key];
+            if (typeof value === 'string' && value.indexOf(',') !== -1) {
+              // due to the check the array will be formed only if string has ',' else plain string will be assigned as value
+              value = value.split(',');
             }
-            valueArr = (valueArr.length > 1) ? [valueArr] : valueArr;
-            valueArr.map((value) => {
-              utils.logMessage(`Attempting to set key value for slot: ${slot.getSlotElementId()} key: ${key} value: ${value}`);
-              return value;
-            }).forEach(value => {
-              slot.setTargeting(key, value);
-            });
-          })
-        )
+            targetingConfig[targetId][key] = value;
+          });
+          utils.logMessage(`Attempting to set targeting-map for slot: ${slot.getSlotElementId()} with targeting-map:`, targetingConfig[targetId]);
+          slot.updateTargetingFromMap(targetingConfig[targetId])
+        })
     })
   };
 
diff --git a/test/spec/unit/pbjs_api_spec.js b/test/spec/unit/pbjs_api_spec.js
index 199ce699dc8..cc75b95a7ac 100644
--- a/test/spec/unit/pbjs_api_spec.js
+++ b/test/spec/unit/pbjs_api_spec.js
@@ -75,6 +75,10 @@ var Slot = function Slot(elementId, pathId) {
     clearTargeting: function clearTargeting() {
       this.targeting = {};
       return this;
+    },
+
+    updateTargetingFromMap: function updateTargetingFromMap(targetingMap) {
+      Object.keys(targetingMap).forEach(key => this.setTargeting(key, targetingMap[key]))
     }
   };
   slot.spySetTargeting = sinon.spy(slot, 'setTargeting');