diff --git a/lib/helpers/document/applyDefaults.js b/lib/helpers/document/applyDefaults.js
index 258e570ec30..7d1b5b02382 100644
--- a/lib/helpers/document/applyDefaults.js
+++ b/lib/helpers/document/applyDefaults.js
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ module.exports = function applyDefaults(doc, fields, exclude, hasIncludedChildre
     const type = doc.$__schema.paths[p];
     const path = type.splitPath();
     const len = path.length;
+    if (path[len - 1] === '$*') {
+      continue;
+    }
     let included = false;
     let doc_ = doc._doc;
     for (let j = 0; j < len; ++j) {
diff --git a/test/types.map.test.js b/test/types.map.test.js
index c6486e507ab..a61850fa9a6 100644
--- a/test/types.map.test.js
+++ b/test/types.map.test.js
@@ -1150,4 +1150,33 @@ describe('Map', function() {
     const doc = await CarModel.findById(car._id);
     assert.deepStrictEqual(doc.owners.get('abc').toObject(), [{ name: 'Bill' }]);
   });
+
+  it('handles loading and modifying map of document arrays (gh-15196)', async function() {
+    const schema = new Schema({
+      name: { type: String, required: true },
+      test_map: {
+        type: Map,
+        of: [{
+          _id: false,
+          num: { type: Number, required: true },
+          bool: { type: Boolean, required: true }
+        }]
+      }
+    });
+    const Test = db.model('Test', schema);
+
+    let doc1 = new Test({ name: 'name1', test_map: new Map() });
+    await doc1.save();
+
+    doc1 = await Test.findOne({ _id: doc1._id });
+
+    doc1.test_map.set('key1', []);
+    await doc1.save();
+
+    doc1 = await Test.findOne({ _id: doc1._id });
+    assert.deepStrictEqual(doc1.toObject().test_map, new Map([['key1', []]]));
+
+    doc1 = await Test.findOne({ _id: doc1._id }).lean();
+    assert.deepStrictEqual(doc1.test_map, { key1: [] });
+  });
 });