diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index cf01881..fa499b9 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # Changes
 
+## 1.22.2
+
+- fix instantiating properties that include CouchPotato::Persistence (call .json_create instead of .new)
 
 ## 1.22.1
 
diff --git a/lib/couch_potato/persistence/simple_property.rb b/lib/couch_potato/persistence/simple_property.rb
index 8bcf16d..2c3206b 100644
--- a/lib/couch_potato/persistence/simple_property.rb
+++ b/lib/couch_potato/persistence/simple_property.rb
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ def load_attribute_from_document(name)
         end
       end
 
-      def assign_attribute(name, value)
+      def assign_attribute(name, value, from_json: false)
         property = self.class.properties.find_property(name)
-        typecasted_value = type_caster.cast(value, property.type)
+        typecasted_value = type_caster.cast(value, property.type, from_json:)
         send("#{name}_will_change!") unless @skip_dirty_tracking || typecasted_value == send(name)
         instance_variable_set("@#{name}", typecasted_value)
       end
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ def initialize(owner_clazz, name, options = {})
       end
 
       def build(object, json)
-        object.send(:assign_attribute, name, json[name])
+        object.send(:assign_attribute, name, json[name], from_json: true)
       end
 
       def serialize(json, object)
diff --git a/lib/couch_potato/persistence/type_caster.rb b/lib/couch_potato/persistence/type_caster.rb
index cff3aa1..eb01bb0 100644
--- a/lib/couch_potato/persistence/type_caster.rb
+++ b/lib/couch_potato/persistence/type_caster.rb
@@ -6,14 +6,14 @@ module Persistence
     class TypeCaster #:nodoc:
       NUMBER_REGEX = /-?\d*\.?\d*/.freeze
 
-      def cast(value, type)
+      def cast(value, type, from_json: false)
         if type == :boolean
           cast_boolean(value)
         elsif type.instance_of?(Array)
           nested_type = type.first
-          value&.map { |val| cast_native(val, nested_type) }
+          value&.map { |val| cast_native(val, nested_type, from_json:) }
         else
-          cast_native(value, type)
+          cast_native(value, type, from_json:)
         end
       end
 
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ def cast_boolean(value)
         end
       end
 
-      def cast_native(value, type)
+      def cast_native(value, type, from_json:)
         if type && !value.is_a?(type)
 
           if %w[Integer Bignum].include?(type.to_s)
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ def cast_native(value, type)
             value.to_d unless value.blank?
           elsif type == Hash
             value.to_hash unless value.blank?
-          elsif type.ancestors.include?(CouchPotato::Persistence)
+          elsif type.ancestors.include?(CouchPotato::Persistence) && !from_json
             type.new value unless value.blank?
           else
             type.json_create value unless value.blank?
diff --git a/lib/couch_potato/version.rb b/lib/couch_potato/version.rb
index dbe05d9..9665c10 100644
--- a/lib/couch_potato/version.rb
+++ b/lib/couch_potato/version.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 module CouchPotato
-  VERSION = '1.22.1'.freeze
+  VERSION = '1.22.2'.freeze
   RSPEC_VERSION = '4.4.0'.freeze
 end
diff --git a/spec/property_spec.rb b/spec/property_spec.rb
index 62a91cb..cd8828d 100644
--- a/spec/property_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/property_spec.rb
@@ -132,8 +132,8 @@ class SportsWatch < Watch
     expect(w.custom_address[0]).to be_an_instance_of Address2
   end
 
-  it 'initializes an typed array property from an array of hashes' do
-    w = Watch.new(custom_address: [{id: 'a1', city: 'Berlin'}])
+  it 'initializes a typed array property from an array of hashes' do
+    w = Watch.new(custom_address: [{_id: 'a1', city: 'Berlin'}])
 
     expect(w.custom_address.map(&:class)).to eq([Address])
     expect(w.custom_address.map(&:id)).to eq(['a1'])
@@ -198,6 +198,32 @@ def it_should_persist value
     expect(p.ship_address).to be_nil
   end
 
+  it "persists a nested object with non-couch potato attributes delegating to properties" do
+    class PersonWithName
+      include CouchPotato::Persistence
+
+      property :first_name
+      property :last_name
+
+      def name=(value)
+        self.first_name = value.split(' ').first
+        self.last_name = value.split(' ').last
+      end
+    end
+    class PersonContainer
+      include CouchPotato::Persistence
+
+      property :person, type: PersonWithName
+    end
+
+    container = PersonContainer.new(person: {name: 'John Doe'})
+    CouchPotato.database.save_document!(container)
+    container = CouchPotato.database.load_document(container.id)
+
+    expect(container.person.first_name).to eq('John')
+    expect(container.person.last_name).to eq('Doe')
+  end
+
   it "should actually pass the null value down in the JSON document " do
     p = Person.new
     p.ship_address = nil