diff --git a/formula/source/core/api/FormulaCompiler.cxx b/formula/source/core/api/FormulaCompiler.cxx
index da1769d13b17..f243aab357f7 100644
--- a/formula/source/core/api/FormulaCompiler.cxx
+++ b/formula/source/core/api/FormulaCompiler.cxx
@@ -2746,6 +2746,13 @@ void FormulaCompiler::ForceArrayOperator( FormulaTokenRef const & rCurr )
             else
                 rCurr->SetInForceArray( formula::ParamClass::SuppressedReferenceOrForceArray);
         }
+
+        // Propagate a ForceArrayReturn to caller if the called function
+        // returns one and the caller so far does not have a stronger array
+        // mode set.
+        if (pCurrentFactorToken->GetInForceArray() == ParamClass::Unknown
+                && GetForceArrayParameter( rCurr.get(), SAL_MAX_UINT16) == ParamClass::ForceArrayReturn)
+            pCurrentFactorToken->SetInForceArray( ParamClass::ForceArrayReturn);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/formula/source/core/api/token.cxx b/formula/source/core/api/token.cxx
index aa3dbec8c8ef..a80897c280fb 100644
--- a/formula/source/core/api/token.cxx
+++ b/formula/source/core/api/token.cxx
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ bool FormulaToken::IsInForceArray() const
 {
     ParamClass eParam = GetInForceArray();
     return eParam == ParamClass::ForceArray || eParam == ParamClass::ReferenceOrForceArray
-        || eParam == ParamClass::ReferenceOrRefArray;
+        || eParam == ParamClass::ReferenceOrRefArray || eParam == ParamClass::ForceArrayReturn;
 }
 
 bool FormulaToken::operator==( const FormulaToken& rToken ) const
diff --git a/formula/source/ui/dlg/formula.cxx b/formula/source/ui/dlg/formula.cxx
index adfe4e210f2d..d1052c3a4142 100644
--- a/formula/source/ui/dlg/formula.cxx
+++ b/formula/source/ui/dlg/formula.cxx
@@ -757,6 +757,7 @@ void FormulaDlg_Impl::MakeTree( StructPage* _pTree, SvTreeListEntry* pParent, co
                             case ParamClass::ForceArray:
                             case ParamClass::ReferenceOrForceArray:
                             case ParamClass::SuppressedReferenceOrForceArray:
+                            case ParamClass::ForceArrayReturn:
                                 ;   // nothing, only as array/matrix
                             // no default to get compiler warning
                         }
diff --git a/include/formula/paramclass.hxx b/include/formula/paramclass.hxx
index a1e564819457..30773c35e016 100644
--- a/include/formula/paramclass.hxx
+++ b/include/formula/paramclass.hxx
@@ -67,7 +67,12 @@ namespace formula
             Reference in JumpMatrix context should use the result matrix
             instead of the array of references. Never used as initial parameter
             classification. */
-        SuppressedReferenceOrForceArray
+        SuppressedReferenceOrForceArray,
+
+        /** A function return forces the caller into array mode for this one
+            call, making it behave like it had ForceArray but not propagated to
+            any further operators in the same parameter. */
+        ForceArrayReturn
     };
 }
 
diff --git a/sc/source/core/tool/parclass.cxx b/sc/source/core/tool/parclass.cxx
index 4d1672bbd079..ce6c9094cc71 100644
--- a/sc/source/core/tool/parclass.cxx
+++ b/sc/source/core/tool/parclass.cxx
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ const ScParameterClassification::RawData ScParameterClassification::pRawData[] =
     { ocForecast_ETS_STA, {{ ForceArray, ForceArray, ForceArray, Value, Value, Value        }, 0, Value }},
     { ocForecast_ETS_STM, {{ ForceArray, ForceArray, ForceArray, Value, Value, Value        }, 0, Value }},
     { ocFormula,         {{ Reference                                            }, 0, Value }},
-    { ocFrequency,       {{ ReferenceOrForceArray, ReferenceOrForceArray         }, 0, Value }},
+    { ocFrequency,       {{ ReferenceOrForceArray, ReferenceOrForceArray         }, 0, ForceArrayReturn }},
     { ocGCD,             {{ Reference                                            }, 1, Value }},
     { ocGeoMean,         {{ Reference                                            }, 1, Value }},
     { ocGreater,         {{ Array, Array                                         }, 0, Value }},