diff --git a/src/utils.jl b/src/utils.jl
index c6cafdb00..7628e1394 100644
--- a/src/utils.jl
+++ b/src/utils.jl
@@ -315,9 +315,21 @@ julia> Symbolics.coeff(3x + 2y, y)
 
 julia> Symbolics.coeff(x^2 + y, x^2)
 1
+
+julia> Symbolics.coeff(2*x*y + y, x*y)
+2
 ```
 """
 function coeff(p, sym=nothing)
+    # if `sym` is a product, iteratively compute the coefficient w.r.t. each term in `sym`
+    if iscall(value(sym)) && operation(value(sym)) === (*)
+        for t in arguments(value(sym))
+            @assert !(t isa Number) "`coeff(p, sym)` does not allow `sym` containing numerical factors"
+            p = coeff(p, t)
+        end
+        return p
+    end
+            
     p, sym = value(p), value(sym)
 
     if isequal(sym, 1)
diff --git a/test/coeff.jl b/test/coeff.jl
index 5ae4b71bd..8bef7f22f 100644
--- a/test/coeff.jl
+++ b/test/coeff.jl
@@ -54,3 +54,8 @@ e = x*y^2 + 2x + y^3*x^3
 @test isequal(coeff(x / 5, x), 1//5)
 @test isequal(coeff(x / y, x), 1/y)
 @test isequal(coeff(x * 5y / (1 + y + z) , x), 5y / (1 + y + z))
+
+# issue #1041 - coefficient of cross term in multivariate polynomial
+@test isequal(coeff(2*x*y + y, x*y), 2)
+@test isequal(coeff(2*x^2*y + y, x^2*y), 2)
+@test_throws AssertionError coeff(2*x*y + y, 2*x*y) # numerical factors not allowed in second argument of `coeff`