diff --git a/lib/service.js b/lib/service.js
index 16eef106..3a8f11ac 100755
--- a/lib/service.js
+++ b/lib/service.js
@@ -12,7 +12,12 @@ class Service extends AdapterService {
     }
 
     super(Object.assign({
-      id: '_id'
+      id: '_id',
+      filters: Object.assign({
+        $populate (value) {
+          return value;
+        }
+      }, options.filters)
     }, options));
 
     this.discriminatorKey = this.Model.schema.options.discriminatorKey;
@@ -43,7 +48,7 @@ class Service extends AdapterService {
     const { filters, query, paginate } = this.filterQuery(params);
     const discriminator = (params.query || {})[this.discriminatorKey] || this.discriminatorKey;
     const model = this.discriminators[discriminator] || this.Model;
-    const q = model.find(_.omit(query, '$populate')).lean(this.lean);
+    const q = model.find(query).lean(this.lean);
 
     // $select uses a specific find syntax, so it has to come first.
     if (Array.isArray(filters.$select)) {
@@ -75,8 +80,8 @@ class Service extends AdapterService {
     }
 
     // Handle $populate
-    if (query.$populate) {
-      q.populate(query.$populate);
+    if (filters.$populate) {
+      q.populate(filters.$populate);
     }
 
     let executeQuery = total => q.exec().then(data => {
@@ -111,11 +116,11 @@ class Service extends AdapterService {
 
     const discriminator = query[this.discriminatorKey] || this.discriminatorKey;
     const model = this.discriminators[discriminator] || this.Model;
-    let modelQuery = model.findOne(_.omit(query, '$populate'));
+    let modelQuery = model.findOne(query);
 
     // Handle $populate
-    if (query.$populate) {
-      modelQuery = modelQuery.populate(query.$populate);
+    if (filters.$populate) {
+      modelQuery = modelQuery.populate(filters.$populate);
     }
 
     // Handle $select
@@ -143,14 +148,22 @@ class Service extends AdapterService {
   _create (_data, params = {}) {
     const discriminator = (params.query || {})[this.discriminatorKey] || this.discriminatorKey;
     const model = this.discriminators[discriminator] || this.Model;
-    const data = Array.isArray(_data) ? _data : [ _data ];
+    const { query: { $populate } = {} } = params;
+    const isMulti = Array.isArray(_data);
+    const data = isMulti ? _data : [ _data ];
 
     return model.create(data, params.mongoose).then(results => {
+      if ($populate) {
+        return Promise.all(results.map(result => this.Model.populate(result, $populate)));
+      }
+
+      return results;
+    }).then(results => {
       if (this.lean) {
         results = results.map(item => (item.toObject ? item.toObject() : item));
       }
 
-      return Array.isArray(_data) ? results : results[0];
+      return isMulti ? results : results[0];
     }).then(select(params, this.id)).catch(errorHandler);
   }
 
@@ -164,7 +177,7 @@ class Service extends AdapterService {
       data = data.toObject();
     }
 
-    const { query } = this.filterQuery(params);
+    const { query, filters } = this.filterQuery(params);
     const options = Object.assign({
       new: true,
       overwrite: this.overwrite,
@@ -186,10 +199,10 @@ class Service extends AdapterService {
 
     const discriminator = query[this.discriminatorKey] || this.discriminatorKey;
     const model = this.discriminators[discriminator] || this.Model;
-    let modelQuery = model.findOneAndUpdate(_.omit(query, '$populate'), data, options);
+    let modelQuery = model.findOneAndUpdate(query, data, options);
 
-    if (query.$populate) {
-      modelQuery = modelQuery.populate(query.$populate);
+    if (filters.$populate) {
+      modelQuery = modelQuery.populate(filters.$populate);
     }
 
     return modelQuery.lean(this.lean).exec()
@@ -252,7 +265,7 @@ class Service extends AdapterService {
           paginate: false,
           query: Object.assign({
             [this.id]: { $in: idList }
-          }, query)
+          }, params.query)
         }) : Object.assign({}, params, {
           paginate: false
         });
@@ -262,7 +275,7 @@ class Service extends AdapterService {
         const discriminator = query[this.discriminatorKey] || this.discriminatorKey;
         const model = this.discriminators[discriminator] || this.Model;
         return model
-          .updateMany(_.omit(query, '$populate'), data, options)
+          .updateMany(query, data, options)
           .lean(this.lean)
           .exec()
           .then(writeResult => {
@@ -283,6 +296,7 @@ class Service extends AdapterService {
     if (params.collation) {
       query.collation = params.collation;
     }
+
     if (id !== null) {
       query[this.id] = id;
 
diff --git a/test/index.test.js b/test/index.test.js
index acad3c6b..b0216445 100644
--- a/test/index.test.js
+++ b/test/index.test.js
@@ -408,6 +408,20 @@ describe('Feathers Mongoose Service', () => {
       expect(data.pets[0].name).to.equal('Rufus');
     });
 
+    it('can $populate with .create (#268)', async () => {
+      const params = {
+        query: {
+          $populate: ['pets']
+        }
+      };
+
+      const user = await people.create({ name: 'Dougler', age: 3, pets: [ _petIds.Rufus ] }, params);
+
+      expect(user.pets[0].name).to.equal('Rufus');
+
+      await people.remove(user._id);
+    });
+
     it('can $push an item onto an array with update', async () => {
       const margeaux = await pets.create({ type: 'cat', name: 'Margeaux' });