diff --git a/lib/modification.js b/lib/modification.js
index cb8e6ae..36db3f6 100644
--- a/lib/modification.js
+++ b/lib/modification.js
@@ -17,6 +17,29 @@ const {
 
 let audit
 
+const _applyTransitionRecursively = (transition, data, d) => {
+  for (const [k, v] of transition.mapping) {
+    if (v.transition) {
+      if (Array.isArray(data[k])) {
+        d[k] = []
+        for (let i = 0; i < data[k].length; i++) {
+          d[k].push({ _op: data[k][i]._op })
+          if (data[k][i]._old) d[k][i]._old = {}
+          _applyTransitionRecursively(v.transition, data[k][i], d[k][i])
+        }
+      } else {
+        d[k] = { _op: data[k]._op }
+        if (data[k]._old) d[k]._old = {}
+        _applyTransitionRecursively(v.transition, data[k], d[k])
+      }
+      continue
+    } else if (v.ref) {
+      if (v.ref[0] in data) d[k] = data[v.ref[0]]
+      if (data._old && v.ref[0] in data._old) d._old[k] = data._old[v.ref[0]]
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 // REVISIT: remove once old database impl is removed
 const _getDataWithAppliedTransitions = (data, req) => {
   let d
@@ -26,10 +49,7 @@ const _getDataWithAppliedTransitions = (data, req) => {
   if (transition) {
     d = { _op: data._op }
     if (data._old) d._old = {}
-    for (const [k, v] of transition.mapping) {
-      if (v.ref[0] in data) d[k] = data[v.ref[0]]
-      if (data._old && v.ref[0] in data._old) d._old[k] = data._old[v.ref[0]]
-    }
+    _applyTransitionRecursively(transition, data, d)
   }
   return d || data
 }