diff --git a/lib/helpers/populate/assignRawDocsToIdStructure.js b/lib/helpers/populate/assignRawDocsToIdStructure.js
index bb3d988a68e..b84f7131ca2 100644
--- a/lib/helpers/populate/assignRawDocsToIdStructure.js
+++ b/lib/helpers/populate/assignRawDocsToIdStructure.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
+const modelSymbol = require('../symbols').modelSymbol;
+
 module.exports = assignRawDocsToIdStructure;
 
 /*!
@@ -63,8 +65,10 @@ function assignRawDocsToIdStructure(rawIds, resultDocs, resultOrder, options, re
         } else {
           newOrder.push(doc);
         }
+      } else if (id != null && id[modelSymbol] != null) {
+        newOrder.push(id);
       } else {
-        newOrder.push(nullIfNotFound ? null : id);
+        newOrder.push(options.retainNullValues || nullIfNotFound ? null : id);
       }
     } else {
       // apply findOne behavior - if document in results, assign, else assign null
diff --git a/test/model.populate.test.js b/test/model.populate.test.js
index 5d8750d5c66..eaf72afdbf7 100644
--- a/test/model.populate.test.js
+++ b/test/model.populate.test.js
@@ -8795,6 +8795,9 @@ describe('model: populate:', function() {
         });
         assert.equal(doc.troops.length, 4);
         assert.equal(doc.troops[0], null);
+        assert.equal(doc.troops[1].name, 'Card 2');
+        assert.equal(doc.troops[2].name, 'Card 3');
+        assert.equal(doc.troops[3].name, 'Card 4');
       });
     });
   });