diff --git a/src/app/components/api/translationkeys.ts b/src/app/components/api/translationkeys.ts
index 6472681e872..2c93a0ea02e 100644
--- a/src/app/components/api/translationkeys.ts
+++ b/src/app/components/api/translationkeys.ts
@@ -43,4 +43,5 @@ export class TranslationKeys {
     public static readonly EMPTY_FILTER_MESSAGE = 'emptyFilterMessage';
     public static readonly SHOW_FILTER_MENU = 'Show Filter Menu';
     public static readonly HIDE_FILTER_MENU = 'Hide Filter Menu';
+    public static readonly SELECTION_MESSAGE = '{0} items selected';
 }
diff --git a/src/app/components/multiselect/multiselect.ts b/src/app/components/multiselect/multiselect.ts
index 92cf0ecaa5d..4dd21258214 100755
--- a/src/app/components/multiselect/multiselect.ts
+++ b/src/app/components/multiselect/multiselect.ts
@@ -1407,12 +1407,13 @@ export class MultiSelect implements OnInit, AfterViewInit, AfterContentInit, Aft
 
     getSelectedItemsLabel() {
         let pattern = /{(.*?)}/;
+        let message = this.selectedItemsLabel ? this.selectedItemsLabel : this.config.getTranslation(TranslationKeys.SELECTION_MESSAGE);
 
-        if (pattern.test(this.selectedItemsLabel)) {
-            return this.selectedItemsLabel.replace(this.selectedItemsLabel.match(pattern)[0], this.modelValue().length + '');
+        if (pattern.test(message)) {
+            return message.replace(message.match(pattern)[0], this.modelValue().length + '');
         }
 
-        return this.selectedItemsLabel;
+        return message;
     }
 
     getOptionLabel(option: any) {