diff --git a/lib/schema.js b/lib/schema.js
index 70558e06f24..0bd2a8aadcd 100644
--- a/lib/schema.js
+++ b/lib/schema.js
@@ -1250,6 +1250,9 @@ Schema.prototype.interpretAsType = function(path, obj, options) {
         if (options.hasOwnProperty('strict')) {
           childSchemaOptions.strict = options.strict;
         }
+        if (options.hasOwnProperty('strictQuery')) {
+          childSchemaOptions.strictQuery = options.strictQuery;
+        }
 
         if (this._userProvidedOptions.hasOwnProperty('_id')) {
           childSchemaOptions._id = this._userProvidedOptions._id;
diff --git a/test/schema.documentarray.test.js b/test/schema.documentarray.test.js
index 3217e165d88..d9ccb6c1f6b 100644
--- a/test/schema.documentarray.test.js
+++ b/test/schema.documentarray.test.js
@@ -75,6 +75,15 @@ describe('schema.documentarray', function() {
     done();
   });
 
+  it('propagates strictQuery to implicitly created schemas (gh-12796)', function() {
+    const schema = new Schema({
+      arr: [{ name: String }]
+    }, { strictQuery: 'throw' });
+
+    assert.equal(schema.childSchemas.length, 1);
+    assert.equal(schema.childSchemas[0].schema.options.strictQuery, 'throw');
+  });
+
   it('supports set with array of document arrays (gh-7799)', function() {
     const subSchema = new Schema({
       title: String