diff --git a/testing/marionette/driver.js b/testing/marionette/driver.js
index 1cde22f81cbe..64a587554e1b 100644
--- a/testing/marionette/driver.js
+++ b/testing/marionette/driver.js
@@ -2172,7 +2172,7 @@ GeckoDriver.prototype.isElementSelected = function(cmd, resp) {
       break;
 
     case Context.CONTENT:
-      resp.value = yield this.listener.isElementSelected({id: id});
+      resp.value = yield this.listener.isElementSelected(id);
       break;
   }
 };
diff --git a/testing/marionette/listener.js b/testing/marionette/listener.js
index e459ac2cf8e4..d1b0eb4a0bbc 100644
--- a/testing/marionette/listener.js
+++ b/testing/marionette/listener.js
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@ let isElementEnabledFn = dispatch(isElementEnabled);
 let getCurrentUrlFn = dispatch(getCurrentUrl);
 let findElementContentFn = dispatch(findElementContent);
 let findElementsContentFn = dispatch(findElementsContent);
+let isElementSelectedFn = dispatch(isElementSelected);
 
 /**
  * Start all message listeners
@@ -241,7 +242,7 @@ function startListeners() {
   addMessageListenerId("Marionette:getElementSize", getElementSizeFn);  // deprecated
   addMessageListenerId("Marionette:getElementRect", getElementRectFn);
   addMessageListenerId("Marionette:isElementEnabled", isElementEnabledFn);
-  addMessageListenerId("Marionette:isElementSelected", isElementSelected);
+  addMessageListenerId("Marionette:isElementSelected", isElementSelectedFn);
   addMessageListenerId("Marionette:sendKeysToElement", sendKeysToElement);
   addMessageListenerId("Marionette:getElementLocation", getElementLocation); //deprecated
   addMessageListenerId("Marionette:clearElement", clearElement);
@@ -346,7 +347,7 @@ function deleteSession(msg) {
   removeMessageListenerId("Marionette:getElementSize", getElementSizeFn); // deprecated
   removeMessageListenerId("Marionette:getElementRect", getElementRectFn);
   removeMessageListenerId("Marionette:isElementEnabled", isElementEnabledFn);
-  removeMessageListenerId("Marionette:isElementSelected", isElementSelected);
+  removeMessageListenerId("Marionette:isElementSelected", isElementSelectedFn);
   removeMessageListenerId("Marionette:sendKeysToElement", sendKeysToElement);
   removeMessageListenerId("Marionette:getElementLocation", getElementLocation);
   removeMessageListenerId("Marionette:clearElement", clearElement);
@@ -1589,18 +1590,16 @@ function isElementEnabled(id) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Check if element is selected
+ * Determines if the referenced element is selected or not.
+ *
+ * This operation only makes sense on input elements of the Checkbox-
+ * and Radio Button states, or option elements.
  */
-function isElementSelected(msg) {
-  let command_id = msg.json.command_id;
-  try {
-    let el = elementManager.getKnownElement(msg.json.id, curFrame);
+function isElementSelected(id) {
+  let el = elementManager.getKnownElement(id, curFrame);
     let selected = utils.isElementSelected(el);
     checkSelectedAccessibility(accessibility.getAccessibleObject(el), selected);
-    sendResponse({value: selected}, command_id);
-  } catch (e) {
-    sendError(e, command_id);
-  }
+  return selected;
 }
 
 /**