diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d1e23cfb..c8adcf4a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -356,6 +356,7 @@ For example, this is a JSON version of an emitted RuntimeContainer struct:
 * *`groupBy $containers $fieldPath`*: Groups an array of `RuntimeContainer` instances based on the values of a field path expression `$fieldPath`. A field path expression is a dot-delimited list of map keys or struct member names specifying the path from container to a nested value, which must be a string. Returns a map from the value of the field path expression to an array of containers having that value. Containers that do not have a value for the field path in question are omitted.
 * *`groupByKeys $containers $fieldPath`*: Returns the same as `groupBy` but only returns the keys of the map.
 * *`groupByMulti $containers $fieldPath $sep`*: Like `groupBy`, but the string value specified by `$fieldPath` is first split by `$sep` into a list of strings. A container whose `$fieldPath` value contains a list of strings will show up in the map output under each of those strings.
+* *`groupByMultiKeyValuePairs $containers $fieldPath $listSep $kvpSep [$defaultKey]`*: Like `groupByMulti`, but the string value specified by `$fieldPath` is split by `splitKeyValuePairs` into a list of key value pairs. The container grouping is done based on the keys.A container will show up in the map output under each of the keys.
 * *`groupByLabel $containers $label`*: Returns the same as `groupBy` but grouping by the given label's value.
 * *`hasPrefix $prefix $string`*: Returns whether `$prefix` is a prefix of `$string`.
 * *`hasSuffix $suffix $string`*: Returns whether `$suffix` is a suffix of `$string`.
@@ -368,6 +369,8 @@ For example, this is a JSON version of an emitted RuntimeContainer struct:
 * *`sha1 $string`*: Returns the hexadecimal representation of the SHA1 hash of `$string`.
 * *`split $string $sep`*: Splits `$string` into a slice of substrings delimited by `$sep`. Alias for [`strings.Split`](http://golang.org/pkg/strings/#Split)
 * *`splitN $string $sep $count`*: Splits `$string` into a slice of substrings delimited by `$sep`, with number of substrings returned determined by `$count`. Alias for [`strings.SplitN`](https://golang.org/pkg/strings/#SplitN)
+* *`splitKeyValuePairs $string $listSep $kvpSep [$defaultKey]`*: Splits `$string` into a slice of substrings delimited by `$listSep`, each substring is then splitted by `$kvpSep`, the result is a map of key value pairs. `$defaultKey` is used for substrings which do not contain `$kvpSep` and therfore the substring cannot be splitted into a key value pair.
+E.g `$string` = `key1=value1,value2`, first the string is splitted by e.g `$listSep` = `,`, which results in two strings `key1=value1` and `value2`. In a next step each string is splitted by e.g. `$kvpSep`= `=`: first string is splitted into `key1` and `value1`. The second string does not contain the `$kvpSep` = `=`: If `$defaultKey` is omitted or empty the string is splitted into `value1` as key and `value1` as value. If `$defaultKey` is set the string is splitted into value of`$defaultKey` as key and `value1`.
 * *`trimPrefix $prefix $string`*: If `$prefix` is a prefix of `$string`, return `$string` with `$prefix` trimmed from the beginning. Otherwise, return `$string` unchanged.
 * *`trimSuffix $suffix $string`*: If `$suffix` is a suffix of `$string`, return `$string` with `$suffix` trimmed from the end. Otherwise, return `$string` unchanged.
 * *`trim $string`*: Removes whitespace from both sides of `$string`.
diff --git a/template.go b/template.go
index 793396d5..34e74fa2 100644
--- a/template.go
+++ b/template.go
@@ -79,6 +79,49 @@ func generalizedGroupByKey(funcName string, entries interface{}, key string, add
 	return generalizedGroupBy(funcName, entries, getKey, addEntry)
 }
 
+// splitKeyValuePairs splits a input string into a map of key value pairs, first string is split by listSep into list items, then each list item is split by kvpSep into key value pair
+// if a list item does not contai the kvpSep a defaultKey can be provided, where these values are grouped, or if omitted these values are used as key and value
+func splitKeyValuePairs(input string, listSep string, kvpSep string, defaultKey ...string) map[string]string {
+	keyValuePairs := strings.Split(input, listSep)
+
+	output := map[string]string{}
+	for _, kvp := range keyValuePairs {
+		var key string
+		var value string
+		if strings.Contains(kvp, kvpSep) {
+			splitted := strings.Split(kvp, kvpSep)
+			key = splitted[0]
+			value = splitted[1]
+		} else if len(defaultKey) == 0 || defaultKey[0] == "" {
+			// no key found, no default key specified
+			key = kvp
+			value = kvp
+		} else {
+			// no key found, use default key specified instead
+			key = defaultKey[0]
+			value = kvp
+		}
+
+		output[key] = value
+	}
+
+	return output
+}
+
+// groupByMultiKeyValuePairs similar to groupByMulti, but the key value ist split into a list (delimited by listSep) of key value pairs (seperated by kvpSep: <key>kvpSep<value, e.g key1=value1>)
+// An array or slice entry will show up in the output map under all of the list key value pair keys
+func groupByMultiKeyValuePairs(entries interface{}, key, listSep string, kvpSep string, defaultKey string) (map[string][]interface{}, error) {
+	return generalizedGroupByKey("groupByMultiKeyValuePairs", entries, key, func(groups map[string][]interface{}, value interface{}, v interface{}) {
+
+		keyValuePairs := splitKeyValuePairs(value.(string), listSep, kvpSep, defaultKey)
+		for key := range keyValuePairs {
+			groups[key] = append(groups[key], v)
+		}
+	})
+}
+
+// groupByMulti groups a generic array or slice by the path property keys value, where the path value is first split by sep into a list of key strings.
+// An array or slice entry will show up in the output map under all of the list keys
 func groupByMulti(entries interface{}, key, sep string) (map[string][]interface{}, error) {
 	return generalizedGroupByKey("groupByMulti", entries, key, func(groups map[string][]interface{}, value interface{}, v interface{}) {
 		items := strings.Split(value.(string), sep)
@@ -420,43 +463,45 @@ func when(condition bool, trueValue, falseValue interface{}) interface{} {
 
 func newTemplate(name string) *template.Template {
 	tmpl := template.New(name).Funcs(template.FuncMap{
-		"closest":                arrayClosest,
-		"coalesce":               coalesce,
-		"contains":               contains,
-		"dict":                   dict,
-		"dir":                    dirList,
-		"exists":                 exists,
-		"first":                  arrayFirst,
-		"groupBy":                groupBy,
-		"groupByKeys":            groupByKeys,
-		"groupByMulti":           groupByMulti,
-		"groupByLabel":           groupByLabel,
-		"hasPrefix":              hasPrefix,
-		"hasSuffix":              hasSuffix,
-		"json":                   marshalJson,
-		"intersect":              intersect,
-		"keys":                   keys,
-		"last":                   arrayLast,
-		"replace":                strings.Replace,
-		"parseBool":              strconv.ParseBool,
-		"parseJson":              unmarshalJson,
-		"queryEscape":            url.QueryEscape,
-		"sha1":                   hashSha1,
-		"split":                  strings.Split,
-		"splitN":                 strings.SplitN,
-		"trimPrefix":             trimPrefix,
-		"trimSuffix":             trimSuffix,
-		"trim":                   trim,
-		"when":                   when,
-		"where":                  where,
-		"whereNot":               whereNot,
-		"whereExist":             whereExist,
-		"whereNotExist":          whereNotExist,
-		"whereAny":               whereAny,
-		"whereAll":               whereAll,
-		"whereLabelExists":       whereLabelExists,
-		"whereLabelDoesNotExist": whereLabelDoesNotExist,
-		"whereLabelValueMatches": whereLabelValueMatches,
+		"closest":                   arrayClosest,
+		"coalesce":                  coalesce,
+		"contains":                  contains,
+		"dict":                      dict,
+		"dir":                       dirList,
+		"exists":                    exists,
+		"first":                     arrayFirst,
+		"groupBy":                   groupBy,
+		"groupByKeys":               groupByKeys,
+		"groupByMulti":              groupByMulti,
+		"groupByMultiKeyValuePairs": groupByMultiKeyValuePairs,
+		"groupByLabel":              groupByLabel,
+		"hasPrefix":                 hasPrefix,
+		"hasSuffix":                 hasSuffix,
+		"json":                      marshalJson,
+		"intersect":                 intersect,
+		"keys":                      keys,
+		"last":                      arrayLast,
+		"replace":                   strings.Replace,
+		"parseBool":                 strconv.ParseBool,
+		"parseJson":                 unmarshalJson,
+		"queryEscape":               url.QueryEscape,
+		"sha1":                      hashSha1,
+		"split":                     strings.Split,
+		"splitN":                    strings.SplitN,
+		"splitKeyValuePairs":        splitKeyValuePairs,
+		"trimPrefix":                trimPrefix,
+		"trimSuffix":                trimSuffix,
+		"trim":                      trim,
+		"when":                      when,
+		"where":                     where,
+		"whereNot":                  whereNot,
+		"whereExist":                whereExist,
+		"whereNotExist":             whereNotExist,
+		"whereAny":                  whereAny,
+		"whereAll":                  whereAll,
+		"whereLabelExists":          whereLabelExists,
+		"whereLabelDoesNotExist":    whereLabelDoesNotExist,
+		"whereLabelValueMatches":    whereLabelValueMatches,
 	})
 	return tmpl
 }
diff --git a/template_test.go b/template_test.go
index 71501ada..751900b1 100644
--- a/template_test.go
+++ b/template_test.go
@@ -286,6 +286,73 @@ func TestGroupByMulti(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestGroupByMultiKeyValuePairs(t *testing.T) {
+	containers := []*RuntimeContainer{
+		&RuntimeContainer{
+			Env: map[string]string{
+				"VIRTUAL_PORT": "443:3000,3000:3000",
+			},
+			ID: "1",
+		},
+		&RuntimeContainer{
+			Env: map[string]string{
+				"VIRTUAL_PORT": "1111,250:360",
+			},
+			ID: "2",
+		},
+		&RuntimeContainer{
+			Env: map[string]string{
+				"VIRTUAL_PORT": "123",
+			},
+			ID: "3",
+		},
+	}
+
+	groups, _ := groupByMultiKeyValuePairs(containers, "Env.VIRTUAL_PORT", ",", ":", "445")
+	if len(groups) != 4 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 4 got %d", len(groups))
+	}
+
+	if len(groups["445"]) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 2 got %d", len(groups["445"]))
+	}
+
+	if len(groups["443"]) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 1 got %d", len(groups["443"]))
+	}
+	if groups["445"][1].(RuntimeContainer).ID != "3" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 1 got %s", groups["445"][0].(RuntimeContainer).ID)
+	}
+	if len(groups["3000"]) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expect 1 got %d", len(groups["3000"]))
+	}
+	if groups["250"][0].(RuntimeContainer).ID != "2" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 1 got %s", groups["250"][0].(RuntimeContainer).ID)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSplitKeyValuePairs1(t *testing.T) {
+	list := splitKeyValuePairs("key=value,1=2,test", ",", "=")
+
+	if len(list) != 3 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 3 got %d", len(list))
+	}
+	if list["test"] != "test" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected value 'test' got '%s'", list["test"])
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSplitKeyValuePairs2(t *testing.T) {
+	list := splitKeyValuePairs("key:value/1:2/test", "/", ":")
+
+	if len(list) != 3 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 3 got %d", len(list))
+	}
+	if list["test"] != "test" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected value 'test' got '%s'", list["test"])
+	}
+}
+
 func TestWhere(t *testing.T) {
 	containers := []*RuntimeContainer{
 		&RuntimeContainer{