diff --git a/src/common/datomish/transact/explode.cljc b/src/common/datomish/transact/explode.cljc
index f8cb95a6..d6db0c51 100644
--- a/src/common/datomish/transact/explode.cljc
+++ b/src/common/datomish/transact/explode.cljc
@@ -57,10 +57,11 @@
            (not (db/id-literal? v)))
       ;; Another entity is given as a nested map.
       (if (ds/ref? (db/schema db) straight-a*)
-        (let [other (assoc v (reverse-ref a) eid
-                           ;; TODO: make the new ID have the same part as the original eid.
-                           ;; TODO: make the new ID not show up in the tempids map.  (Does Datomic exposed the new ID this way?)
-                           :db/id (db/id-literal :db.part/user))]
+        (let [other (-> v
+                        (assoc (reverse-ref a) eid)
+                        ;; TODO: make the new ID have the same part as the original eid.
+                        ;; TODO: make the new ID not show up in the tempids map.  (Does Datomic exposed the new ID this way?)
+                        (update :db/id #(or %1 (db/id-literal :db.part/user))))]
           (explode-entity db other))
         (raise "Bad attribute " a ": nested map " v " given but attribute name requires {:db/valueType :db.type/ref} in schema"
                {:error :transact/entity-map-type-ref
diff --git a/test/datomish/db_test.cljc b/test/datomish/db_test.cljc
index 25e0080f..fedc8764 100644
--- a/test/datomish/db_test.cljc
+++ b/test/datomish/db_test.cljc
@@ -506,6 +506,19 @@
             ExceptionInfo #"\{:db/valueType :db.type/ref\}"
             (<? (d/<transact! conn [{:db/id 101 :aka {:name "Petr"}}])))))))
 
+(deftest-db test-explode-maps-with-db-id conn
+  (let [{tx0 :tx} (<? (d/<transact! conn test-schema))]
+    (testing "recursively nested maps with specified :db/id are accepted"
+      (<? (d/<transact! conn [{:db/id 101 :name "Oleg"}]))
+
+      (<? (d/<transact! conn [{:db/id 101 :friends {:db/id 201 :name "Ivan" :friends {:db/id 301 :name "Petr"}}}]))
+      (is (= (<? (<datoms-after (d/db conn) tx0))
+             #{[101 :name "Oleg"]
+               [101 :friends 201]
+               [201 :name "Ivan"]
+               [201 :friends 301 ]
+               [301 :name "Petr"]})))))
+
 (deftest-db test-explode-reverse-refs conn
   (let [{tx0 :tx} (<? (d/<transact! conn test-schema))]
     (testing "reverse refs are accepted"