diff --git a/lib/cast.js b/lib/cast.js
index 1cb88406de4..b65c1e3737b 100644
--- a/lib/cast.js
+++ b/lib/cast.js
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ module.exports = function cast(schema, obj, options, context) {
         }
 
         const strict = 'strict' in options ? options.strict : schema.options.strict;
-        const strictQuery = getStrictQuery(options, schema._userProvidedOptions, schema.options);
+        const strictQuery = getStrictQuery(options, schema._userProvidedOptions, schema.options, context);
         if (options.upsert && strict) {
           if (strict === 'throw') {
             throw new StrictModeError(path);
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ function _cast(val, numbertype, context) {
   }
 }
 
-function getStrictQuery(queryOptions, schemaUserProvidedOptions, schemaOptions) {
+function getStrictQuery(queryOptions, schemaUserProvidedOptions, schemaOptions, context) {
   if ('strictQuery' in queryOptions) {
     return queryOptions.strictQuery;
   }
@@ -387,5 +387,18 @@ function getStrictQuery(queryOptions, schemaUserProvidedOptions, schemaOptions)
   if ('strict' in schemaUserProvidedOptions) {
     return schemaUserProvidedOptions.strict;
   }
+  if (
+    context.mongooseCollection &&
+    context.mongooseCollection.conn &&
+    context.mongooseCollection.conn.base &&
+    context.mongooseCollection.conn.base.options) {
+    const mongooseOptions = context.mongooseCollection.conn.base.options;
+    if ('strictQuery' in mongooseOptions) {
+      return mongooseOptions.strictQuery;
+    }
+    if ('strict' in mongooseOptions) {
+      return mongooseOptions.strict;
+    }
+  }
   return schemaOptions.strictQuery;
 }
diff --git a/test/query.test.js b/test/query.test.js
index b56a5e6c3de..a5309ebba40 100644
--- a/test/query.test.js
+++ b/test/query.test.js
@@ -4263,4 +4263,47 @@ describe('Query', function() {
       );
     }, { message: 'Can\'t modify discriminator key "animals.kind" on discriminator model' });
   });
+
+  it('global strictQuery should work if applied after schema creation (gh-12703)', async() => {
+    const m = new mongoose.Mongoose();
+
+    await m.connect(start.uri);
+
+    const schema = new mongoose.Schema({ title: String });
+
+    const Test = m.model('test', schema);
+
+    m.set('strictQuery', false);
+
+    await Test.create({
+      title: 'chimichanga'
+    });
+    await Test.create({
+      title: 'burrito bowl'
+    });
+    await Test.create({
+      title: 'taco supreme'
+    });
+
+    const cond = {
+      $or: [
+        {
+          title: {
+            $regex: 'urri',
+            $options: 'i'
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          name: {
+            $regex: 'urri',
+            $options: 'i'
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+    };
+
+    const found = await Test.find(cond);
+    assert.strictEqual(found.length, 1);
+    assert.strictEqual(found[0].title, 'burrito bowl');
+  });
 });