diff --git a/docs/topics/documenting-your-api.md b/docs/topics/documenting-your-api.md
index d57f9d6e43..574d50ad7d 100644
--- a/docs/topics/documenting-your-api.md
+++ b/docs/topics/documenting-your-api.md
@@ -90,6 +90,28 @@ When using viewsets, you should use the relevant action names as delimiters.
         Create a new user instance.
         """
 
+Custom actions on viewsets can also be documented in a similar way using the method names
+as delimiters or by attaching the documentation to action mapping methods.
+    
+    class UserViewSet(viewsets.ModelViewset):
+        ...
+        
+        @action(detail=False, methods=['get', 'post'])
+        def some_action(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
+            """
+            get:
+            A description of the get method on the custom action.
+    
+            post:
+            A description of the post method on the custom action.
+            """
+
+        @some_action.mapping.put
+        def put_some_action():
+            """
+            A description of the put method on the custom action.
+            """
+
 
 ### `documentation` API Reference
 
diff --git a/rest_framework/schemas/inspectors.py b/rest_framework/schemas/inspectors.py
index b90f60e084..02a38f3511 100644
--- a/rest_framework/schemas/inspectors.py
+++ b/rest_framework/schemas/inspectors.py
@@ -247,9 +247,11 @@ def get_description(self, path, method):
         method_docstring = getattr(view, method_name, None).__doc__
         if method_docstring:
             # An explicit docstring on the method or action.
-            return formatting.dedent(smart_text(method_docstring))
+            return self._get_description_section(view, method.lower(), formatting.dedent(smart_text(method_docstring)))
+        else:
+            return self._get_description_section(view, getattr(view, 'action', method.lower()), view.get_view_description())
 
-        description = view.get_view_description()
+    def _get_description_section(self, view, header, description):
         lines = [line for line in description.splitlines()]
         current_section = ''
         sections = {'': ''}
@@ -263,7 +265,6 @@ def get_description(self, path, method):
 
         # TODO: SCHEMA_COERCE_METHOD_NAMES appears here and in `SchemaGenerator.get_keys`
         coerce_method_names = api_settings.SCHEMA_COERCE_METHOD_NAMES
-        header = getattr(view, 'action', method.lower())
         if header in sections:
             return sections[header].strip()
         if header in coerce_method_names:
diff --git a/tests/test_schemas.py b/tests/test_schemas.py
index 6d7091da2a..ad2e34a4ba 100644
--- a/tests/test_schemas.py
+++ b/tests/test_schemas.py
@@ -114,6 +114,24 @@ def get_serializer(self, *args, **kwargs):
         assert self.action
         return super(ExampleViewSet, self).get_serializer(*args, **kwargs)
 
+    @action(methods=['get', 'post'], detail=False)
+    def documented_custom_action(self, request):
+        """
+        get:
+        A description of the get method on the custom action.
+
+        post:
+        A description of the post method on the custom action.
+        """
+        pass
+
+    @documented_custom_action.mapping.put
+    def put_documented_custom_action(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
+        """
+        A description of the put method on the custom action from mapping.
+        """
+        pass
+
 
 if coreapi:
     schema_view = get_schema_view(title='Example API')
@@ -161,6 +179,13 @@ def test_anonymous_request(self):
                             description='Custom description.',
                         )
                     },
+                    'documented_custom_action': {
+                        'read': coreapi.Link(
+                            url='/example/documented_custom_action/',
+                            action='get',
+                            description='A description of the get method on the custom action.',
+                        )
+                    },
                     'read': coreapi.Link(
                         url='/example/{id}/',
                         action='get',
@@ -263,6 +288,33 @@ def test_authenticated_request(self):
                             description='Deletion description.',
                         ),
                     },
+                    'documented_custom_action': {
+                        'read': coreapi.Link(
+                            url='/example/documented_custom_action/',
+                            action='get',
+                            description='A description of the get method on the custom action.',
+                        ),
+                        'create': coreapi.Link(
+                            url='/example/documented_custom_action/',
+                            action='post',
+                            description='A description of the post method on the custom action.',
+                            encoding='application/json',
+                            fields=[
+                                coreapi.Field('a', required=True, location='form', schema=coreschema.String(title='A', description='A field description')),
+                                coreapi.Field('b', required=False, location='form', schema=coreschema.String(title='B'))
+                            ]
+                        ),
+                        'update': coreapi.Link(
+                            url='/example/documented_custom_action/',
+                            action='put',
+                            description='A description of the put method on the custom action from mapping.',
+                            encoding='application/json',
+                            fields=[
+                                coreapi.Field('a', required=True, location='form', schema=coreschema.String(title='A', description='A field description')),
+                                coreapi.Field('b', required=False, location='form', schema=coreschema.String(title='B'))
+                            ]
+                        ),
+                    },
                     'update': coreapi.Link(
                         url='/example/{id}/',
                         action='put',
@@ -548,6 +600,13 @@ def test_schema_for_regular_views(self):
                             description='Custom description.',
                         )
                     },
+                    'documented_custom_action': {
+                        'read': coreapi.Link(
+                            url='/example1/documented_custom_action/',
+                            action='get',
+                            description='A description of the get method on the custom action.',
+                        ),
+                    },
                     'read': coreapi.Link(
                         url='/example1/{id}/',
                         action='get',