diff --git a/lib/model.js b/lib/model.js
index 74d990b68c..1d0a120296 100644
--- a/lib/model.js
+++ b/lib/model.js
@@ -409,7 +409,8 @@ Model.prototype.$__save = async function $__save(options) {
         for (const key in delta[1]['$set']) {
           if (options.pathsToSave.includes(key)) {
             continue;
-          } else if (options.pathsToSave.some(pathToSave => key.slice(0, pathToSave.length) === pathToSave && key.charAt(pathToSave.length) === '.')) {
+          } else if (options.pathsToSave.some(pathToSave => key.slice(0, pathToSave.length) === pathToSave && key.charAt(pathToSave.length) === '.') ||
+            options.pathsToSave.some(pathToSave => pathToSave.slice(0, key.length) === key && pathToSave.charAt(key.length) === '.')) {
             continue;
           } else {
             delete delta[1]['$set'][key];
@@ -631,7 +632,7 @@ Model.prototype.$save = Model.prototype.save;
  * @instance
  */
 
-Model.prototype.$__version = function(where, delta) {
+Model.prototype.$__version = function (where, delta) {
   const key = this.$__schema.options.versionKey;
   if (where === true) {
     // this is an insert
@@ -740,7 +741,7 @@ Model.prototype.$__where = function _where(where) {
 
 Model.prototype.deleteOne = function deleteOne(options) {
   if (typeof options === 'function' ||
-      typeof arguments[1] === 'function') {
+    typeof arguments[1] === 'function') {
     throw new MongooseError('Model.prototype.deleteOne() no longer accepts a callback');
   }
 
@@ -911,7 +912,7 @@ Model.exists = function exists(filter, options) {
  * @api public
  */
 
-Model.discriminator = function(name, schema, options) {
+Model.discriminator = function (name, schema, options) {
   let model;
   if (typeof name === 'function') {
     model = name;
@@ -1042,7 +1043,7 @@ Model.init = function init() {
   }
 
   const conn = this.db;
-  const _ensureIndexes = async() => {
+  const _ensureIndexes = async () => {
     const autoIndex = utils.getOption(
       'autoIndex',
       this.schema.options,
@@ -1054,7 +1055,7 @@ Model.init = function init() {
     }
     return await this.ensureIndexes({ _automatic: true });
   };
-  const _createSearchIndexes = async() => {
+  const _createSearchIndexes = async () => {
     const autoSearchIndex = utils.getOption(
       'autoSearchIndex',
       this.schema.options,
@@ -1067,7 +1068,7 @@ Model.init = function init() {
 
     return await this.createSearchIndexes();
   };
-  const _createCollection = async() => {
+  const _createCollection = async () => {
     let autoCreate = utils.getOption(
       'autoCreate',
       this.schema.options,
@@ -1099,7 +1100,7 @@ Model.init = function init() {
 
   const _catch = this.$init.catch;
   const _this = this;
-  this.$init.catch = function() {
+  this.$init.catch = function () {
     _this.$caught = true;
     return _catch.apply(_this.$init, arguments);
   };
@@ -1620,7 +1621,7 @@ function _ensureIndexes(model, options, callback) {
   let indexError;
 
   options = options || {};
-  const done = function(err) {
+  const done = function (err) {
     if (err && !model.$caught) {
       model.emit('error', err);
     }
@@ -1638,24 +1639,24 @@ function _ensureIndexes(model, options, callback) {
   }
 
   if (!indexes.length) {
-    immediate(function() {
+    immediate(function () {
       done();
     });
     return;
   }
   // Indexes are created one-by-one
 
-  const indexSingleDone = function(err, fields, options, name) {
+  const indexSingleDone = function (err, fields, options, name) {
     model.emit('index-single-done', err, fields, options, name);
   };
-  const indexSingleStart = function(fields, options) {
+  const indexSingleStart = function (fields, options) {
     model.emit('index-single-start', fields, options);
   };
 
   const baseSchema = model.schema._baseSchema;
   const baseSchemaIndexes = baseSchema ? baseSchema.indexes() : [];
 
-  immediate(function() {
+  immediate(function () {
     // If buffering is off, do this manually.
     if (options._automatic && !model.collection.collection) {
       model.collection.addQueue(create, []);
@@ -1668,7 +1669,7 @@ function _ensureIndexes(model, options, callback) {
   function create() {
     if (options._automatic) {
       if (model.schema.options.autoIndex === false ||
-          (model.schema.options.autoIndex == null && model.db.config.autoIndex === false)) {
+        (model.schema.options.autoIndex == null && model.db.config.autoIndex === false)) {
         return done();
       }
     }
@@ -2326,7 +2327,7 @@ Model.$where = function $where() {
  * @api public
  */
 
-Model.findOneAndUpdate = function(conditions, update, options) {
+Model.findOneAndUpdate = function (conditions, update, options) {
   _checkContext(this, 'findOneAndUpdate');
   if (typeof arguments[0] === 'function' || typeof arguments[1] === 'function' || typeof arguments[2] === 'function' || typeof arguments[3] === 'function') {
     throw new MongooseError('Model.findOneAndUpdate() no longer accepts a callback');
@@ -2413,7 +2414,7 @@ Model.findOneAndUpdate = function(conditions, update, options) {
  * @api public
  */
 
-Model.findByIdAndUpdate = function(id, update, options) {
+Model.findByIdAndUpdate = function (id, update, options) {
   _checkContext(this, 'findByIdAndUpdate');
   if (typeof arguments[0] === 'function' || typeof arguments[1] === 'function' || typeof arguments[2] === 'function' || typeof arguments[3] === 'function') {
     throw new MongooseError('Model.findByIdAndUpdate() no longer accepts a callback');
@@ -2466,7 +2467,7 @@ Model.findByIdAndUpdate = function(id, update, options) {
  * @api public
  */
 
-Model.findOneAndDelete = function(conditions, options) {
+Model.findOneAndDelete = function (conditions, options) {
   _checkContext(this, 'findOneAndDelete');
 
   if (typeof arguments[0] === 'function' || typeof arguments[1] === 'function' || typeof arguments[2] === 'function') {
@@ -2503,7 +2504,7 @@ Model.findOneAndDelete = function(conditions, options) {
  * @see mongodb https://www.mongodb.com/docs/manual/reference/command/findAndModify/
  */
 
-Model.findByIdAndDelete = function(id, options) {
+Model.findByIdAndDelete = function (id, options) {
   _checkContext(this, 'findByIdAndDelete');
 
   if (typeof arguments[0] === 'function' || typeof arguments[1] === 'function' || typeof arguments[2] === 'function') {
@@ -2546,7 +2547,7 @@ Model.findByIdAndDelete = function(id, options) {
  * @api public
  */
 
-Model.findOneAndReplace = function(filter, replacement, options) {
+Model.findOneAndReplace = function (filter, replacement, options) {
   _checkContext(this, 'findOneAndReplace');
 
   if (typeof arguments[0] === 'function' || typeof arguments[1] === 'function' || typeof arguments[2] === 'function' || typeof arguments[3] === 'function') {
@@ -2597,7 +2598,7 @@ Model.findOneAndReplace = function(filter, replacement, options) {
 
 Model.create = async function create(doc, options) {
   if (typeof options === 'function' ||
-      typeof arguments[2] === 'function') {
+    typeof arguments[2] === 'function') {
     throw new MongooseError('Model.create() no longer accepts a callback');
   }
 
@@ -2629,12 +2630,12 @@ Model.create = async function create(doc, options) {
     }
 
     if (args.length === 2 &&
-        args[0] != null &&
-        args[1] != null &&
-        args[0].session == null &&
-        last &&
-        getConstructorName(last.session) === 'ClientSession' &&
-        !this.schema.path('session')) {
+      args[0] != null &&
+      args[1] != null &&
+      args[0].session == null &&
+      last &&
+      getConstructorName(last.session) === 'ClientSession' &&
+      !this.schema.path('session')) {
       // Probably means the user is running into the common mistake of trying
       // to use a spread to specify options, see gh-7535
       utils.warn('WARNING: to pass a `session` to `Model.create()` in ' +
@@ -2664,7 +2665,7 @@ Model.create = async function create(doc, options) {
           this;
         if (Model == null) {
           throw new MongooseError(`Discriminator "${doc[discriminatorKey]}" not ` +
-          `found for model "${this.modelName}"`);
+            `found for model "${this.modelName}"`);
         }
         let toSave = doc;
         if (!(toSave instanceof Model)) {
@@ -2689,7 +2690,7 @@ Model.create = async function create(doc, options) {
         this;
       if (Model == null) {
         throw new MongooseError(`Discriminator "${doc[discriminatorKey]}" not ` +
-            `found for model "${this.modelName}"`);
+          `found for model "${this.modelName}"`);
       }
       let toSave = doc;
 
@@ -2710,7 +2711,7 @@ Model.create = async function create(doc, options) {
         this;
       if (Model == null) {
         throw new MongooseError(`Discriminator "${doc[discriminatorKey]}" not ` +
-            `found for model "${this.modelName}"`);
+          `found for model "${this.modelName}"`);
       }
       try {
         let toSave = doc;
@@ -2817,7 +2818,7 @@ Model.insertOne = async function insertOne(doc, options) {
  * @api public
  */
 
-Model.watch = function(pipeline, options) {
+Model.watch = function (pipeline, options) {
   _checkContext(this, 'watch');
 
   options = options || {};
@@ -2873,7 +2874,7 @@ Model.watch = function(pipeline, options) {
  * @api public
  */
 
-Model.startSession = function() {
+Model.startSession = function () {
   _checkContext(this, 'startSession');
 
   return this.db.startSession.apply(this.db, arguments);
@@ -2995,7 +2996,7 @@ Model.insertMany = async function insertMany(arr, options) {
   }
 
   // We filter all failed pre-validations by removing nulls
-  const docAttributes = docs.filter(function(doc) {
+  const docAttributes = docs.filter(function (doc) {
     return doc != null;
   });
   for (let i = 0; i < docAttributes.length; ++i) {
@@ -3033,7 +3034,7 @@ Model.insertMany = async function insertMany(arr, options) {
     }
     return [];
   }
-  const docObjects = lean ? docAttributes : docAttributes.map(function(doc) {
+  const docObjects = lean ? docAttributes : docAttributes.map(function (doc) {
     if (doc.$__schema.options.versionKey) {
       doc[doc.$__schema.options.versionKey] = 0;
     }
@@ -3054,7 +3055,7 @@ Model.insertMany = async function insertMany(arr, options) {
     // `writeErrors` is a property reported by the MongoDB driver,
     // just not if there's only 1 error.
     if (error.writeErrors == null &&
-        (error.result && error.result.result && error.result.result.writeErrors) != null) {
+      (error.result && error.result.result && error.result.result.writeErrors) != null) {
       error.writeErrors = error.result.result.writeErrors;
     }
 
@@ -3281,7 +3282,7 @@ Model.bulkWrite = async function bulkWrite(ops, options) {
   _checkContext(this, 'bulkWrite');
 
   if (typeof options === 'function' ||
-      typeof arguments[2] === 'function') {
+    typeof arguments[2] === 'function') {
     throw new MongooseError('Model.bulkWrite() no longer accepts a callback');
   }
   options = options || {};
@@ -3830,7 +3831,7 @@ Model.buildBulkWriteOperations = function buildBulkWriteOperations(documents, op
  * @api public
  */
 
-Model.hydrate = function(obj, projection, options) {
+Model.hydrate = function (obj, projection, options) {
   _checkContext(this, 'hydrate');
 
   if (options?.virtuals && options?.hydratedPopulatedDocs === false) {
@@ -4004,9 +4005,9 @@ function _update(model, op, conditions, doc, options) {
   options = typeof options === 'function' ? options : clone(options);
 
   const versionKey = model &&
-  model.schema &&
-  model.schema.options &&
-  model.schema.options.versionKey || null;
+    model.schema &&
+    model.schema.options &&
+    model.schema.options.versionKey || null;
   decorateUpdateWithVersionKey(doc, options, versionKey);
 
   return mq[op](conditions, doc, options);
@@ -4341,9 +4342,9 @@ async function _populatePath(model, docs, populateOptions) {
     // to fail. So delay running lean transform until _after_
     // `_assign()`
     if (mod.options &&
-        mod.options.options &&
-        mod.options.options.lean &&
-        mod.options.options.lean.transform) {
+      mod.options.options &&
+      mod.options.options.lean &&
+      mod.options.options.lean.transform) {
       mod.options.options._leanTransform = mod.options.options.lean.transform;
       mod.options.options.lean = true;
     }
@@ -4475,8 +4476,8 @@ function _execPopulateQuery(mod, match, select) {
   // field, that's the client's fault.
   for (const foreignField of mod.foreignField) {
     if (foreignField !== '_id' &&
-        query.selectedInclusively() &&
-        !isPathSelectedInclusive(query._fields, foreignField)) {
+      query.selectedInclusively() &&
+      !isPathSelectedInclusive(query._fields, foreignField)) {
       query.select(foreignField);
     }
   }
@@ -4741,7 +4742,7 @@ Model.compile = function compile(name, schema, collectionName, connection, base)
   model.$__collection = collection;
 
   // Create custom query constructor
-  model.Query = function() {
+  model.Query = function () {
     Query.apply(this, arguments);
   };
   Object.setPrototypeOf(model.Query.prototype, Query.prototype);
@@ -4891,7 +4892,7 @@ Model.__subclass = function subclass(conn, schema, collection) {
   Model.collection = Model.prototype.collection;
   Model.$__collection = Model.collection;
   // Errors handled internally, so ignore
-  Model.init().catch(() => {});
+  Model.init().catch(() => { });
   return Model;
 };
 
@@ -4947,7 +4948,7 @@ Model.recompileSchema = function recompileSchema() {
  * @api public
  */
 
-Model.inspect = function() {
+Model.inspect = function () {
   return `Model { ${this.modelName} }`;
 };
 
diff --git a/test/gh-paths-to-save.test.js b/test/gh-paths-to-save.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7922e7bd18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/gh-paths-to-save.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const start = require('./common');
+const assert = require('assert');
+const mongoose = start.mongoose;
+const Schema = mongoose.Schema;
+
+describe('gh-paths-to-save', function () {
+    let db;
+    let Model;
+
+    before(function () {
+        db = start();
+    });
+
+    after(async function () {
+        await db.close();
+    });
+
+    beforeEach(() => db.deleteModel(/.*/));
+    afterEach(() => db.deleteModel(/.*/));
+    afterEach(() => db.dropDatabase());
+
+    it('should allow saving parent paths of whitelisted paths (gh-issue)', async function () {
+        const schema = new Schema({
+            nested: {
+                a: Number,
+                b: Number
+            }
+        });
+
+        Model = db.model('Test', schema);
+
+        const doc = new Model({ nested: { a: 1, b: 1 } });
+        await doc.save();
+
+        // Modify the parent path
+        doc.nested = { a: 2, b: 2 };
+
+        // Try to save ONLY nested.a
+        // This should allow the update to nested.a to go through, even if it means saving the whole nested object
+        await doc.save({ pathsToSave: ['nested.a'] });
+
+        const found = await Model.findById(doc._id);
+        assert.strictEqual(found.nested.a, 2);
+        assert.strictEqual(found.nested.b, 2);
+    });
+});