diff --git a/spec/ParseQuery.spec.js b/spec/ParseQuery.spec.js
index da53ca6292..1eec4c3a5f 100644
--- a/spec/ParseQuery.spec.js
+++ b/spec/ParseQuery.spec.js
@@ -2802,6 +2802,53 @@ describe('Parse.Query testing', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it('containedIn with pointers should work with string array', done => {
+    const obj = new Parse.Object('MyClass');
+    const child = new Parse.Object('Child');
+    child.save().then(() => {
+      obj.set('child', child);
+      return obj.save();
+    }).then(() => {
+      const objs = [];
+      for(let i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
+        objs.push(new Parse.Object('MyClass'));
+      }
+      return Parse.Object.saveAll(objs);
+    }).then(() => {
+      const query = new Parse.Query('MyClass');
+      query.containedIn('child', [child.id]);
+      return query.find();
+    }).then((results) => {
+      expect(results.length).toBe(1);
+    }).then(done).catch(done.fail);
+  });
+
+  it('containedIn with pointers should work with string array, with many objects', done => {
+    const objs = [];
+    const children = [];
+    for(let i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
+      const obj = new Parse.Object('MyClass');
+      const child = new Parse.Object('Child');
+      objs.push(obj);
+      children.push(child);
+    }
+    Parse.Object.saveAll(children).then(() => {
+      return Parse.Object.saveAll(objs.map((obj, i) => {
+        obj.set('child', children[i]);
+        return obj;
+      }));
+    }).then(() => {
+      const query = new Parse.Query('MyClass');
+      const subset = children.slice(0, 5).map((child) => {
+        return child.id;
+      });
+      query.containedIn('child', subset);
+      return query.find();
+    }).then((results) => {
+      expect(results.length).toBe(5);
+    }).then(done).catch(done.fail);
+  });
+
   it('include for specific object', function(done){
     var child = new Parse.Object('Child');
     var parent = new Parse.Object('Parent');
diff --git a/src/Adapters/Storage/Mongo/MongoTransform.js b/src/Adapters/Storage/Mongo/MongoTransform.js
index 143df5584a..d745668c80 100644
--- a/src/Adapters/Storage/Mongo/MongoTransform.js
+++ b/src/Adapters/Storage/Mongo/MongoTransform.js
@@ -241,12 +241,13 @@ function transformQueryKeyValue(className, key, value, schema) {
     schema.fields[key] &&
     schema.fields[key].type === 'Pointer';
 
+  const field = schema && schema.fields[key];
   if (expectedTypeIsPointer || !schema && value && value.__type === 'Pointer') {
     key = '_p_' + key;
   }
 
   // Handle query constraints
-  const transformedConstraint = transformConstraint(value, expectedTypeIsArray);
+  const transformedConstraint = transformConstraint(value, field);
   if (transformedConstraint !== CannotTransform) {
     if (transformedConstraint.$text) {
       return {key: '$text', value: transformedConstraint.$text};
@@ -454,7 +455,7 @@ const addLegacyACL = restObject => {
 // cannot perform a transformation
 function CannotTransform() {}
 
-const transformInteriorAtom = atom => {
+const transformInteriorAtom = (atom) => {
   // TODO: check validity harder for the __type-defined types
   if (typeof atom === 'object' && atom && !(atom instanceof Date) && atom.__type === 'Pointer') {
     return {
@@ -480,14 +481,17 @@ const transformInteriorAtom = atom => {
 // or arrays with generic stuff inside.
 // Raises an error if this cannot possibly be valid REST format.
 // Returns CannotTransform if it's just not an atom
-function transformTopLevelAtom(atom) {
+function transformTopLevelAtom(atom, field) {
   switch(typeof atom) {
-  case 'string':
   case 'number':
   case 'boolean':
-    return atom;
   case 'undefined':
     return atom;
+  case 'string':
+    if (field && field.type === 'Pointer') {
+      return `${field.targetClass}$${atom}`;
+    }
+    return atom;
   case 'symbol':
   case 'function':
     throw new Parse.Error(Parse.Error.INVALID_JSON, `cannot transform value: ${atom}`);
@@ -534,13 +538,14 @@ function transformTopLevelAtom(atom) {
 // If it is not a valid constraint but it could be a valid something
 // else, return CannotTransform.
 // inArray is whether this is an array field.
-function transformConstraint(constraint, inArray) {
+function transformConstraint(constraint, field) {
+  const inArray = field && field.type && field.type === 'Array';
   if (typeof constraint !== 'object' || !constraint) {
     return CannotTransform;
   }
   const transformFunction = inArray ? transformInteriorAtom : transformTopLevelAtom;
   const transformer = (atom) => {
-    const result = transformFunction(atom);
+    const result = transformFunction(atom, field);
     if (result === CannotTransform) {
       throw new Parse.Error(Parse.Error.INVALID_JSON, `bad atom: ${JSON.stringify(atom)}`);
     }