diff --git a/autoload/vimtex/cite.vim b/autoload/vimtex/cite.vim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6a9e4f39b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/autoload/vimtex/cite.vim
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+" VimTeX - LaTeX plugin for Vim
+"
+" Maintainer: Karl Yngve Lervåg
+" Email:      karl.yngve@gmail.com
+"
+
+function! vimtex#cite#get_key(...) abort " {{{1
+  let l:cmd = a:0 > 0 ? a:1 : vimtex#cmd#get_current()
+  if empty(l:cmd)
+        \ || l:cmd.name[1:] !~# g:vimtex#re#cite_cmd
+        \ || len(l:cmd.args) < 1
+        \ || len(l:cmd.args) > 2
+    return ''
+  endif
+
+  let l:current_word = a:0 > 1 ? a:2 : expand('<cword>')
+  let l:cites = l:cmd.args->map({_, x -> x.text})->join(',')->split(',\s*')
+
+  return index(l:cites, l:current_word) >= 0
+        \ ? l:current_word
+        \ : l:cites[0]
+endfunction
+
+" }}}1
+function! vimtex#cite#get_key_at(line, col) abort " {{{1
+  let l:pos_saved = vimtex#pos#get_cursor()
+
+  call vimtex#pos#set_cursor(a:line, a:col)
+  let l:key = vimtex#cite#get_key()
+  call vimtex#pos#set_cursor(l:pos_saved)
+
+  return l:key
+endfunction
+
+" }}}1
diff --git a/autoload/vimtex/context/cite.vim b/autoload/vimtex/context/cite.vim
index 7be33114da..ae751ce2b5 100644
--- a/autoload/vimtex/context/cite.vim
+++ b/autoload/vimtex/context/cite.vim
@@ -12,34 +12,10 @@ endfunction
 
 let s:handler = {
       \ 'name': 'citation handler',
-      \ 're': '\v%(%(\a*cite|Cite)\a*|bibentry|%(text|block|%(for|hy)\w+)cquote)',
       \}
 function! s:handler.match(cmd, word) abort dict " {{{1
-  if a:cmd.name[1:] !~# self.re
-    return v:false
-  endif
-
-  if len(a:cmd.args) < 1 || len(a:cmd.args) > 2
-    return v:false
-  endif
-
-  let l:text = a:cmd.args[0].text
-  if len(a:cmd.args) == 2
-    let l:text .= ',' .. a:cmd.args[1].text
-  endif
-
-  let self.cites = split(l:text, ',\s*')
-  if index(self.cites, a:word) >= 0
-    let self.selected = a:word
-  else
-    let self.selected = self.cites[0]
-  endif
-
-  if empty(self.selected)
-    return v:false
-  endif
-
-  return v:true
+  let self.selected = vimtex#cite#get_key(a:cmd, a:word)
+  return !empty(self.selected)
 endfunction
 
 " }}}1
diff --git a/autoload/vimtex/re.vim b/autoload/vimtex/re.vim
index 2b47cc2c9e..c9a2e16489 100644
--- a/autoload/vimtex/re.vim
+++ b/autoload/vimtex/re.vim
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ let g:vimtex#re#tex_include = g:vimtex#re#tex_input_root
       \ . '|' . g:vimtex#re#tex_input . '\zs[^\}]*\ze\}?'
       \ . '|' . g:vimtex#re#tex_input_package
 
+let g:vimtex#re#cite_cmd = '\v%(%(\a*cite|Cite)\a*|bibentry|%(text|block|%(for|hy)\w+)cquote)'
+
 " {{{1 Completion regexes
 let g:vimtex#re#neocomplete =
       \ '\v\\%('
diff --git a/test/test-cite/Makefile b/test/test-cite/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..65eacd672b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test-cite/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+MYVIM ?= nvim --clean --headless
+
+INMAKE := 1
+export INMAKE
+
+TESTS := $(wildcard test*.vim)
+TESTS := $(TESTS:.vim=)
+
+.PHONY: test $(TESTS)
+
+test: $(TESTS)
+
+$(TESTS):
+	@$(MYVIM) -u $@.vim
diff --git a/test/test-cite/test-cite.vim b/test/test-cite/test-cite.vim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6a1dfa290c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test-cite/test-cite.vim
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+set nocompatible
+let &rtp = '../..,' . &rtp
+filetype plugin indent on
+syntax enable
+
+set nomore
+
+nnoremap q :qall!<cr>
+
+silent edit ../test-context-cite/test-cites.tex
+
+if empty($INMAKE) | finish | endif
+
+call assert_equal("Hemingway1940", vimtex#cite#get_key_at(11, 35))
+call assert_equal("wilcox.e:2021", vimtex#cite#get_key_at(14, 56))
+
+call vimtex#test#finished()