diff --git a/availability/condition/profile/classes/condition.php b/availability/condition/profile/classes/condition.php
index 4d22e4e507c..27e92352853 100644
--- a/availability/condition/profile/classes/condition.php
+++ b/availability/condition/profile/classes/condition.php
@@ -292,14 +292,23 @@ class condition extends \core_availability\condition {
      * Gets data about custom profile fields. Cached statically in current
      * request.
      *
+     * This only includes fields which can be tested by the system (those whose
+     * data is cached in $USER object) - basically doesn't include textarea type
+     * fields.
+     *
      * @return array Array of records indexed by shortname
      */
     public static function get_custom_profile_fields() {
-        global $DB;
+        global $DB, $CFG;
 
         if (self::$customprofilefields === null) {
-            self::$customprofilefields = $DB->get_records('user_info_field', null,
-                    'id ASC', 'shortname, id, name, defaultdata');
+            // Get fields and store them indexed by shortname.
+            require_once($CFG->dirroot . '/user/profile/lib.php');
+            $fields = profile_get_custom_fields(true);
+            self::$customprofilefields = array();
+            foreach ($fields as $field) {
+                self::$customprofilefields[$field->shortname] = $field;
+            }
         }
         return self::$customprofilefields;
     }
diff --git a/availability/condition/profile/tests/condition_test.php b/availability/condition/profile/tests/condition_test.php
index d81d9518667..8b2619adc74 100644
--- a/availability/condition/profile/tests/condition_test.php
+++ b/availability/condition/profile/tests/condition_test.php
@@ -317,6 +317,29 @@ class availability_profile_condition_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
         $this->assertTrue($cond->is_available(false, $info, true, $user->id));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Tests what happens with custom fields that are text areas. These should
+     * not be offered in the menu because their data is not included in user
+     * object
+     */
+    public function test_custom_textarea_field() {
+        global $USER, $SITE, $DB;
+        $this->setAdminUser();
+        $info = new \core_availability\mock_info();
+
+        // Add custom textarea type.
+        $DB->insert_record('user_info_field', array(
+                'shortname' => 'longtext', 'name' => 'Long text', 'categoryid' => 1,
+                'datatype' => 'textarea'));
+        $customfield = $DB->get_record('user_info_field',
+                array('shortname' => 'longtext'));
+
+        // The list of fields should include the text field added in setUp(),
+        // but should not include the textarea field added just now.
+        $fields = condition::get_custom_profile_fields();
+        $this->assertEquals(array('frogtype'), array_keys($fields));
+    }
+
     /**
      * Sets the custom profile field used for testing.
      *
diff --git a/user/profile/lib.php b/user/profile/lib.php
index d8b93b7837a..5a040aa609d 100644
--- a/user/profile/lib.php
+++ b/user/profile/lib.php
@@ -572,6 +572,42 @@ function profile_user_record($userid) {
     return $usercustomfields;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Obtains a list of all available custom profile fields, indexed by id.
+ *
+ * Some profile fields are not included in the user object data (see
+ * profile_user_record function above). Optionally, you can obtain only those
+ * fields that are included in the user object.
+ *
+ * To be clear, this function returns the available fields, and does not
+ * return the field values for a particular user.
+ *
+ * @param bool $onlyinuserobject True if you only want the ones in $USER
+ * @return array Array of field objects from database (indexed by id)
+ * @since Moodle 2.7.1
+ */
+function profile_get_custom_fields($onlyinuserobject = false) {
+    global $DB, $CFG;
+
+    // Get all the fields.
+    $fields = $DB->get_records('user_info_field', null, 'id ASC');
+
+    // If only doing the user object ones, unset the rest.
+    if ($onlyinuserobject) {
+        foreach ($fields as $id => $field) {
+            require_once($CFG->dirroot . '/user/profile/field/' .
+                    $field->datatype . '/field.class.php');
+            $newfield = 'profile_field_' . $field->datatype;
+            $formfield = new $newfield();
+            if (!$formfield->is_user_object_data()) {
+                unset($fields[$id]);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return $fields;
+}
+
 /**
  * Load custom profile fields into user object
  *
diff --git a/user/profile/tests/profilelib_test.php b/user/profile/tests/profilelib_test.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ad4e2887732
--- /dev/null
+++ b/user/profile/tests/profilelib_test.php
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+<?php
+// This file is part of Moodle - http://moodle.org/
+//
+// Moodle is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// Moodle is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+// GNU General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+// along with Moodle.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+/**
+ * Unit tests for user/profile/lib.php.
+ *
+ * @package core_user
+ * @copyright 2014 The Open University
+ * @licensehttp://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
+ */
+
+defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
+
+global $CFG;
+require_once($CFG->dirroot . '/user/profile/lib.php');
+
+/**
+ * Unit tests for user/profile/lib.php.
+ *
+ * @package core_user
+ * @copyright 2014 The Open University
+ * @licensehttp://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
+ */
+class core_user_profilelib_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
+    /**
+     * Tests profile_get_custom_fields function and checks it is consistent
+     * with profile_user_record.
+     */
+    public function test_get_custom_fields() {
+        global $DB;
+
+        $this->resetAfterTest();
+        $user = $this->getDataGenerator()->create_user();
+
+        // Check function with no custom fields.
+        $this->assertEquals(array(), profile_get_custom_fields());
+
+        // Check that profile_user_record returns same (no) fields.
+        $this->assertEquals(array(), array_keys((array)profile_user_record($user->id)));
+
+        // Add a custom field of textarea type.
+        $id1 = $DB->insert_record('user_info_field', array(
+                'shortname' => 'frogdesc', 'name' => 'Description of frog', 'categoryid' => 1,
+                'datatype' => 'textarea'));
+
+        // Check the field is returned.
+        $result = profile_get_custom_fields();
+        $this->assertEquals(array($id1), array_keys($result));
+        $this->assertEquals('frogdesc', $result[$id1]->shortname);
+
+        // Textarea types are not included in user data though, so if we
+        // use the 'only in user data' parameter, there is still nothing.
+        $this->assertEquals(array(), profile_get_custom_fields(true));
+
+        // Check that profile_user_record returns same (no) fields.
+        $this->assertEquals(array(), array_keys((array)profile_user_record($user->id)));
+
+        // Add another custom field, this time of normal text type.
+        $id2 = $DB->insert_record('user_info_field', array(
+                'shortname' => 'frogname', 'name' => 'Name of frog', 'categoryid' => 1,
+                'datatype' => 'text'));
+
+        // Check both are returned using normal option.
+        $result = profile_get_custom_fields();
+        $this->assertEquals(array($id1, $id2), array_keys($result));
+        $this->assertEquals('frogname', $result[$id2]->shortname);
+
+        // And check that only the one is returned the other way.
+        $result = profile_get_custom_fields(true);
+        $this->assertEquals(array($id2), array_keys($result));
+
+        // Check profile_user_record returns same field.
+        $this->assertEquals(array('frogname'), array_keys((array)profile_user_record($user->id)));
+    }
+}