diff --git a/lib/helpers/populate/setPopulatedVirtualValue.js b/lib/helpers/populate/setPopulatedVirtualValue.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b99ff798f22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/helpers/populate/setPopulatedVirtualValue.js
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+'use strict';
+
+module.exports = function setPopulatedVirtualValue(populatedVirtuals, name, v, options) {
+  if (options.justOne || options.count) {
+    populatedVirtuals[name] = Array.isArray(v) ?
+      v[0] :
+      v;
+
+    if (typeof populatedVirtuals[name] !== 'object') {
+      populatedVirtuals[name] = options.count ? v : null;
+    }
+  } else {
+    populatedVirtuals[name] = Array.isArray(v) ?
+      v :
+      v == null ? [] : [v];
+
+    populatedVirtuals[name] = populatedVirtuals[name].filter(function(doc) {
+      return doc && typeof doc === 'object';
+    });
+  }
+
+  return populatedVirtuals[name];
+};
diff --git a/lib/schema.js b/lib/schema.js
index 48ca4365bfd..5941b8ebf5e 100644
--- a/lib/schema.js
+++ b/lib/schema.js
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ const handleReadPreferenceAliases = require('./helpers/query/handleReadPreferenc
 const idGetter = require('./helpers/schema/idGetter');
 const merge = require('./helpers/schema/merge');
 const mpath = require('mpath');
+const setPopulatedVirtualValue = require('./helpers/populate/setPopulatedVirtualValue');
 const setupTimestamps = require('./helpers/timestamps/setupTimestamps');
 const utils = require('./utils');
 const validateRef = require('./helpers/populate/validateRef');
@@ -2293,25 +2294,12 @@ Schema.prototype.virtual = function(name, options) {
           this.$$populatedVirtuals = {};
         }
 
-        if (options.justOne || options.count) {
-          this.$$populatedVirtuals[name] = Array.isArray(v) ?
-            v[0] :
-            v;
-
-          if (typeof this.$$populatedVirtuals[name] !== 'object') {
-            this.$$populatedVirtuals[name] = options.count ? v : null;
-          }
-        } else {
-          this.$$populatedVirtuals[name] = Array.isArray(v) ?
-            v :
-            v == null ? [] : [v];
-
-          this.$$populatedVirtuals[name] = this.$$populatedVirtuals[name].filter(function(doc) {
-            return doc && typeof doc === 'object';
-          });
-        }
-
-        return this.$$populatedVirtuals[name];
+        return setPopulatedVirtualValue(
+          this.$$populatedVirtuals,
+          name,
+          v,
+          options
+        );
       });
 
     if (typeof options.get === 'function') {