diff --git a/db/create.go b/db/create.go
index edfab5b6..fa6db0ae 100644
--- a/db/create.go
+++ b/db/create.go
@@ -96,11 +96,12 @@ func (e *executor) fetchCreate(ctx context.Context, stm *sql.CreateStatement, do
 	if doc != nil {
 		vars := data.New()
 		vars.Set(doc.Data(), varKeyParent)
-		vars.Array(varKeyParents)
 		if subs := ctx.Value(ctxKeySubs); subs != nil {
 			if subs, ok := subs.(*data.Doc); ok {
-				vars.Append(subs.Get(varKeyParents).Data(), varKeyParents)
+				vars.Set(subs.Get(varKeyParents).Data(), varKeyParents)
 			}
+		} else {
+			vars.Array(varKeyParents)
 		}
 		vars.Append(doc.Data(), varKeyParents)
 		ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, ctxKeySubs, vars)
diff --git a/db/delete.go b/db/delete.go
index 8327b12e..86862ff4 100644
--- a/db/delete.go
+++ b/db/delete.go
@@ -95,11 +95,12 @@ func (e *executor) fetchDelete(ctx context.Context, stm *sql.DeleteStatement, do
 	if doc != nil {
 		vars := data.New()
 		vars.Set(doc.Data(), varKeyParent)
-		vars.Array(varKeyParents)
 		if subs := ctx.Value(ctxKeySubs); subs != nil {
 			if subs, ok := subs.(*data.Doc); ok {
-				vars.Append(subs.Get(varKeyParents).Data(), varKeyParents)
+				vars.Set(subs.Get(varKeyParents).Data(), varKeyParents)
 			}
+		} else {
+			vars.Array(varKeyParents)
 		}
 		vars.Append(doc.Data(), varKeyParents)
 		ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, ctxKeySubs, vars)
diff --git a/db/insert.go b/db/insert.go
index 894e56fc..d2709d6e 100644
--- a/db/insert.go
+++ b/db/insert.go
@@ -64,11 +64,12 @@ func (e *executor) fetchInsert(ctx context.Context, stm *sql.InsertStatement, do
 	if doc != nil {
 		vars := data.New()
 		vars.Set(doc.Data(), varKeyParent)
-		vars.Array(varKeyParents)
 		if subs := ctx.Value(ctxKeySubs); subs != nil {
 			if subs, ok := subs.(*data.Doc); ok {
-				vars.Append(subs.Get(varKeyParents).Data(), varKeyParents)
+				vars.Set(subs.Get(varKeyParents).Data(), varKeyParents)
 			}
+		} else {
+			vars.Array(varKeyParents)
 		}
 		vars.Append(doc.Data(), varKeyParents)
 		ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, ctxKeySubs, vars)
diff --git a/db/relate.go b/db/relate.go
index 96566cd5..88c72220 100644
--- a/db/relate.go
+++ b/db/relate.go
@@ -88,11 +88,12 @@ func (e *executor) fetchRelate(ctx context.Context, stm *sql.RelateStatement, do
 	if doc != nil {
 		vars := data.New()
 		vars.Set(doc.Data(), varKeyParent)
-		vars.Array(varKeyParents)
 		if subs := ctx.Value(ctxKeySubs); subs != nil {
 			if subs, ok := subs.(*data.Doc); ok {
-				vars.Append(subs.Get(varKeyParents).Data(), varKeyParents)
+				vars.Set(subs.Get(varKeyParents).Data(), varKeyParents)
 			}
+		} else {
+			vars.Array(varKeyParents)
 		}
 		vars.Append(doc.Data(), varKeyParents)
 		ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, ctxKeySubs, vars)
diff --git a/db/select.go b/db/select.go
index 8f4a1024..1bd9ad0d 100644
--- a/db/select.go
+++ b/db/select.go
@@ -96,11 +96,12 @@ func (e *executor) fetchSelect(ctx context.Context, stm *sql.SelectStatement, do
 	if doc != nil {
 		vars := data.New()
 		vars.Set(doc.Data(), varKeyParent)
-		vars.Array(varKeyParents)
 		if subs := ctx.Value(ctxKeySubs); subs != nil {
 			if subs, ok := subs.(*data.Doc); ok {
-				vars.Append(subs.Get(varKeyParents).Data(), varKeyParents)
+				vars.Set(subs.Get(varKeyParents).Data(), varKeyParents)
 			}
+		} else {
+			vars.Array(varKeyParents)
 		}
 		vars.Append(doc.Data(), varKeyParents)
 		ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, ctxKeySubs, vars)
diff --git a/db/update.go b/db/update.go
index c168cc6b..04d5d635 100644
--- a/db/update.go
+++ b/db/update.go
@@ -95,11 +95,12 @@ func (e *executor) fetchUpdate(ctx context.Context, stm *sql.UpdateStatement, do
 	if doc != nil {
 		vars := data.New()
 		vars.Set(doc.Data(), varKeyParent)
-		vars.Array(varKeyParents)
 		if subs := ctx.Value(ctxKeySubs); subs != nil {
 			if subs, ok := subs.(*data.Doc); ok {
-				vars.Append(subs.Get(varKeyParents).Data(), varKeyParents)
+				vars.Set(subs.Get(varKeyParents).Data(), varKeyParents)
 			}
+		} else {
+			vars.Array(varKeyParents)
 		}
 		vars.Append(doc.Data(), varKeyParents)
 		ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, ctxKeySubs, vars)
diff --git a/db/upsert.go b/db/upsert.go
index c5a1ab0c..638b878d 100644
--- a/db/upsert.go
+++ b/db/upsert.go
@@ -64,11 +64,12 @@ func (e *executor) fetchUpsert(ctx context.Context, stm *sql.UpsertStatement, do
 	if doc != nil {
 		vars := data.New()
 		vars.Set(doc.Data(), varKeyParent)
-		vars.Array(varKeyParents)
 		if subs := ctx.Value(ctxKeySubs); subs != nil {
 			if subs, ok := subs.(*data.Doc); ok {
-				vars.Append(subs.Get(varKeyParents).Data(), varKeyParents)
+				vars.Set(subs.Get(varKeyParents).Data(), varKeyParents)
 			}
+		} else {
+			vars.Array(varKeyParents)
 		}
 		vars.Append(doc.Data(), varKeyParents)
 		ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, ctxKeySubs, vars)