diff --git a/docs/accessibility/index.md b/docs/accessibility/index.md
index 5ba13f18..505ae9f8 100644
--- a/docs/accessibility/index.md
+++ b/docs/accessibility/index.md
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ rewritten:
 Modal.setAppElement(document.getElementById('root'));
 ```
 
+Using a selector that matches multiple elements or passing a list of DOM
+elements will hide all of the elements.
+
 If you are already applying the `aria-hidden` attribute to your app content
 through other means, you can pass the `ariaHideApp={false}` prop to your modal
 to avoid getting a warning that your app element is not specified.
diff --git a/specs/Modal.spec.js b/specs/Modal.spec.js
index d13f1fe3..6131db84 100644
--- a/specs/Modal.spec.js
+++ b/specs/Modal.spec.js
@@ -65,6 +65,16 @@ export default () => {
     ReactDOM.unmountComponentAtNode(node);
   });
 
+  it("accepts array of appElement as a prop", () => {
+    const el1 = document.createElement("div");
+    const el2 = document.createElement("div");
+    const node = document.createElement("div");
+    ReactDOM.render(<Modal isOpen={true} appElement={[el1, el2]} />, node);
+    el1.getAttribute("aria-hidden").should.be.eql("true");
+    el2.getAttribute("aria-hidden").should.be.eql("true");
+    ReactDOM.unmountComponentAtNode(node);
+  });
+
   it("renders into the body, not in context", () => {
     const node = document.createElement("div");
     class App extends Component {
@@ -108,6 +118,36 @@ export default () => {
     ReactDOM.unmountComponentAtNode(node);
   });
 
+  // eslint-disable-next-line max-len
+  it("allow setting appElement of type string matching multiple elements", () => {
+    const el1 = document.createElement("div");
+    el1.id = "id1";
+    document.body.appendChild(el1);
+    const el2 = document.createElement("div");
+    el2.id = "id2";
+    document.body.appendChild(el2);
+    const node = document.createElement("div");
+    class App extends Component {
+      render() {
+        return (
+          <div>
+            <Modal isOpen>
+              <span>hello</span>
+            </Modal>
+          </div>
+        );
+      }
+    }
+    const appElement = "#id1, #id2";
+    Modal.setAppElement(appElement);
+    ReactDOM.render(<App />, node);
+    el1.getAttribute("aria-hidden").should.be.eql("true");
+    el2.getAttribute("aria-hidden").should.be.eql("true");
+    ReactDOM.unmountComponentAtNode(node);
+    document.body.removeChild(el1);
+    document.body.removeChild(el2);
+  });
+
   it("default parentSelector should be document.body.", () => {
     const modal = renderModal({ isOpen: true });
     modal.props.parentSelector().should.be.eql(document.body);
diff --git a/src/components/Modal.js b/src/components/Modal.js
index aeaea8dd..cb6bc53d 100644
--- a/src/components/Modal.js
+++ b/src/components/Modal.js
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@ import ReactDOM from "react-dom";
 import PropTypes from "prop-types";
 import ModalPortal from "./ModalPortal";
 import * as ariaAppHider from "../helpers/ariaAppHider";
-import SafeHTMLElement, { canUseDOM } from "../helpers/safeHTMLElement";
+import SafeHTMLElement, {
+  SafeNodeList,
+  SafeHTMLCollection,
+  canUseDOM
+} from "../helpers/safeHTMLElement";
 
 import { polyfill } from "react-lifecycles-compat";
 
@@ -52,7 +56,12 @@ class Modal extends Component {
         beforeClose: PropTypes.string.isRequired
       })
     ]),
-    appElement: PropTypes.instanceOf(SafeHTMLElement),
+    appElement: PropTypes.oneOfType([
+      PropTypes.instanceOf(SafeHTMLElement),
+      PropTypes.instanceOf(SafeHTMLCollection),
+      PropTypes.instanceOf(SafeNodeList),
+      PropTypes.arrayOf(PropTypes.instanceOf(SafeHTMLElement))
+    ]),
     onAfterOpen: PropTypes.func,
     onRequestClose: PropTypes.func,
     closeTimeoutMS: PropTypes.number,
diff --git a/src/components/ModalPortal.js b/src/components/ModalPortal.js
index ca05eb8d..b7ac6cea 100644
--- a/src/components/ModalPortal.js
+++ b/src/components/ModalPortal.js
@@ -4,7 +4,10 @@ import * as focusManager from "../helpers/focusManager";
 import scopeTab from "../helpers/scopeTab";
 import * as ariaAppHider from "../helpers/ariaAppHider";
 import * as classList from "../helpers/classList";
-import SafeHTMLElement from "../helpers/safeHTMLElement";
+import SafeHTMLElement, {
+  SafeHTMLCollection,
+  SafeNodeList
+} from "../helpers/safeHTMLElement";
 import portalOpenInstances from "../helpers/portalOpenInstances";
 import "../helpers/bodyTrap";
 
@@ -43,7 +46,12 @@ export default class ModalPortal extends Component {
     bodyOpenClassName: PropTypes.string,
     htmlOpenClassName: PropTypes.string,
     ariaHideApp: PropTypes.bool,
-    appElement: PropTypes.instanceOf(SafeHTMLElement),
+    appElement: PropTypes.oneOfType([
+      PropTypes.instanceOf(SafeHTMLElement),
+      PropTypes.instanceOf(SafeHTMLCollection),
+      PropTypes.instanceOf(SafeNodeList),
+      PropTypes.arrayOf(PropTypes.instanceOf(SafeHTMLElement))
+    ]),
     onAfterOpen: PropTypes.func,
     onAfterClose: PropTypes.func,
     onRequestClose: PropTypes.func,
diff --git a/src/helpers/ariaAppHider.js b/src/helpers/ariaAppHider.js
index 017b17db..2ee47710 100644
--- a/src/helpers/ariaAppHider.js
+++ b/src/helpers/ariaAppHider.js
@@ -16,14 +16,21 @@ export function setElement(element) {
   if (typeof useElement === "string" && canUseDOM) {
     const el = document.querySelectorAll(useElement);
     assertNodeList(el, useElement);
-    useElement = "length" in el ? el[0] : el;
+    useElement = el;
   }
   globalElement = useElement || globalElement;
   return globalElement;
 }
 
 export function validateElement(appElement) {
-  if (!appElement && !globalElement) {
+  const el = appElement || globalElement;
+  if (el) {
+    return Array.isArray(el) ||
+      el instanceof HTMLCollection ||
+      el instanceof NodeList
+      ? el
+      : [el];
+  } else {
     warning(
       false,
       [
@@ -35,21 +42,19 @@ export function validateElement(appElement) {
       ].join(" ")
     );
 
-    return false;
+    return [];
   }
-
-  return true;
 }
 
 export function hide(appElement) {
-  if (validateElement(appElement)) {
-    (appElement || globalElement).setAttribute("aria-hidden", "true");
+  for (let el of validateElement(appElement)) {
+    el.setAttribute("aria-hidden", "true");
   }
 }
 
 export function show(appElement) {
-  if (validateElement(appElement)) {
-    (appElement || globalElement).removeAttribute("aria-hidden");
+  for (let el of validateElement(appElement)) {
+    el.removeAttribute("aria-hidden");
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/helpers/safeHTMLElement.js b/src/helpers/safeHTMLElement.js
index 5f650887..8ae67884 100644
--- a/src/helpers/safeHTMLElement.js
+++ b/src/helpers/safeHTMLElement.js
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ const EE = ExecutionEnvironment;
 
 const SafeHTMLElement = EE.canUseDOM ? window.HTMLElement : {};
 
+export const SafeHTMLCollection = EE.canUseDOM ? window.HTMLCollection : {};
+
+export const SafeNodeList = EE.canUseDOM ? window.NodeList : {};
+
 export const canUseDOM = EE.canUseDOM;
 
 export default SafeHTMLElement;