diff --git a/skimage/feature/peak.py b/skimage/feature/peak.py
index d8e54dd6..57eb3bb7 100644
--- a/skimage/feature/peak.py
+++ b/skimage/feature/peak.py
@@ -95,9 +95,9 @@ def peak_local_max(image, min_distance=10, threshold='deprecated',
     # get coordinates of peaks
     coordinates = np.transpose(image_t.nonzero())
 
-    if len(coordinates) > num_peaks:
-        intensities = image[tuple(coordinates.T)]
+    if coordinates.shape[0] > num_peaks:
+        intensities = image[coordinates[:, 0], coordinates[:, 1]]
         idx_maxsort = np.argsort(intensities)[::-1]
-        coordinates = coordinates[idx_maxsort][:2]
+        coordinates = coordinates[idx_maxsort][:num_peaks]
 
     return coordinates
diff --git a/skimage/feature/tests/test_peak.py b/skimage/feature/tests/test_peak.py
index eaedc84f..13457781 100644
--- a/skimage/feature/tests/test_peak.py
+++ b/skimage/feature/tests/test_peak.py
@@ -51,15 +51,23 @@ def test_flat_peak():
 
 
 def test_num_peaks():
-    image = np.zeros((3, 7), dtype=np.uint8)
+    image = np.zeros((7, 7), dtype=np.uint8)
     image[1, 1] = 10
     image[1, 3] = 11
     image[1, 5] = 12
-    assert len(peak.peak_local_max(image, min_distance=1)) == 3
+    image[3, 5] = 8
+    image[5, 3] = 7
+    assert len(peak.peak_local_max(image, min_distance=1)) == 5
     peaks_limited = peak.peak_local_max(image, min_distance=1, num_peaks=2)
     assert len(peaks_limited) == 2
     assert (1, 3) in peaks_limited
     assert (1, 5) in peaks_limited
+    peaks_limited = peak.peak_local_max(image, min_distance=1, num_peaks=4)
+    assert len(peaks_limited) == 4
+    assert (1, 3) in peaks_limited
+    assert (1, 5) in peaks_limited
+    assert (1, 1) in peaks_limited
+    assert (3, 5) in peaks_limited
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':