diff --git a/Lib/packaging/config.py b/Lib/packaging/config.py
index 366faea..ab026a8 100644
--- a/Lib/packaging/config.py
+++ b/Lib/packaging/config.py
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
     if '.' not in name:
         return
     parts = name.split('.')
-    modname = parts[-1]
     parent = '.'.join(parts[:-1])
     if parent not in packages:
         # we could log a warning instead of raising, but what's the use
@@ -227,13 +226,25 @@
                 self.dist.scripts = [self.dist.scripts]
 
             self.dist.package_data = {}
+            # bookkeeping for the loop below
+            firstline = True
+            prev = None
+
             for line in files.get('package_data', []):
-                data = line.split('=')
-                if len(data) != 2:
-                    raise ValueError('invalid line for package_data: %s '
-                                     '(misses "=")' % line)
-                key, value = data
-                self.dist.package_data[key.strip()] = value.strip()
+                if '=' in line:
+                    # package name -- file globs or specs
+                    key, value = line.split('=')
+                    prev = self.dist.package_data[key.strip()] = value.split()
+                elif firstline:
+                    # invalid continuation on the first line
+                    raise PackagingOptionError(
+                        'malformed package_data first line: %r (misses "=")' %
+                        line)
+                else:
+                    # continuation, add to last seen package name
+                    prev.extend(line.split())
+
+                firstline = False
 
             self.dist.data_files = []
             for data in files.get('data_files', []):
diff --git a/Lib/packaging/tests/test_config.py b/Lib/packaging/tests/test_config.py
index 613d493..0d76b29 100644
--- a/Lib/packaging/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/Lib/packaging/tests/test_config.py
@@ -66,11 +66,15 @@
   bin/taunt
 
 package_data =
-  cheese = data/templates/*
+  cheese = data/templates/* doc/*
+      doc/images/*.png
+
 
 extra_files = %(extra-files)s
 
 # Replaces MANIFEST.in
+# FIXME no, it's extra_files
+# (but sdist_extra is a better name, should use it)
 sdist_extra =
   include THANKS HACKING
   recursive-include examples *.txt *.py
@@ -96,6 +100,17 @@
 sub_commands = foo
 """
 
+SETUP_CFG_PKGDATA_BUGGY_1 = """
+[files]
+package_data = foo.*
+"""
+
+SETUP_CFG_PKGDATA_BUGGY_2 = """
+[files]
+package_data =
+    foo.*
+"""
+
 # Can not be merged with SETUP_CFG else install_dist
 # command will fail when trying to compile C sources
 # TODO use a DummyCommand to mock build_ext
@@ -276,13 +291,14 @@
 
         self.assertEqual(dist.packages, ['one', 'two', 'three'])
         self.assertEqual(dist.py_modules, ['haven'])
-        self.assertEqual(dist.package_data, {'cheese': 'data/templates/*'})
-        self.assertEqual(
+        self.assertEqual(dist.package_data,
+                         {'cheese': ['data/templates/*', 'doc/*',
+                                     'doc/images/*.png']})
+        self.assertEqual(dist.data_files,
             {'bm/b1.gif': '{icon}/b1.gif',
              'bm/b2.gif': '{icon}/b2.gif',
              'Cfg/data.CFG': '{config}/baBar/data.CFG',
-             'init_script': '{script}/JunGle/init_script'},
-             dist.data_files)
+             'init_script': '{script}/JunGle/init_script'})
 
         self.assertEqual(dist.package_dir, 'src')
 
@@ -293,8 +309,8 @@
         # this file would be __main__.Foo when run as "python test_config.py".
         # The name FooBarBazTest should be unique enough to prevent
         # collisions.
-        self.assertEqual('FooBarBazTest',
-                         dist.get_command_obj('foo').__class__.__name__)
+        self.assertEqual(dist.get_command_obj('foo').__class__.__name__,
+                         'FooBarBazTest')
 
         # did the README got loaded ?
         self.assertEqual(dist.metadata['description'], 'yeah')
@@ -304,6 +320,13 @@
         d = new_compiler(compiler='d')
         self.assertEqual(d.description, 'D Compiler')
 
+        # check error reporting for invalid package_data value
+        self.write_file('setup.cfg', SETUP_CFG_PKGDATA_BUGGY_1)
+        self.assertRaises(PackagingOptionError, self.get_dist)
+
+        self.write_file('setup.cfg', SETUP_CFG_PKGDATA_BUGGY_2)
+        self.assertRaises(PackagingOptionError, self.get_dist)
+
     def test_multiple_description_file(self):
         self.write_setup({'description-file': 'README  CHANGES'})
         self.write_file('README', 'yeah')
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 72a943d..91972bf 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -466,6 +466,8 @@
 Library
 -------
 
+- Issue #11805: package_data in setup.cfg should allow more than one value.
+
 - Issue #13901: Prevent test_distutils failures on OS X with --enable-shared.
 
 - Issue #13676: Handle strings with embedded zeros correctly in sqlite3.