// once and for all! db.users.find({'items.pets': {$exists: 1}}, {'items.pets': 1}).forEach(function (user) { _.reduce(user.items.pets, function (m, v, k) { if (!k.indexOf('undefined')) m.push(k); return m; }, []).forEach(function (key) { delete user.items.pets[key]; }); db.users.update({_id: user._id}, { $set: {'items.pets': user.items.pets} }); });