diff --git a/lib/connection.js b/lib/connection.js
index 0c03f6f5116..a73be3270a6 100644
--- a/lib/connection.js
+++ b/lib/connection.js
@@ -1113,7 +1113,7 @@ Connection.prototype.model = function(name, schema, collection, options) {
     if (!schema.instanceOfSchema) {
       schema = new Schema(schema);
     } else if (!(schema instanceof this.base.Schema)) {
-      schema = this.base.Schema.prototype.clone.call(schema);
+      schema = schema._clone(this.base.Schema);
     }
   }
   if (schema && !schema.instanceOfSchema) {
diff --git a/lib/schema.js b/lib/schema.js
index 8c340562708..f5a08244602 100644
--- a/lib/schema.js
+++ b/lib/schema.js
@@ -321,7 +321,22 @@ Schema.prototype.tree;
  */
 
 Schema.prototype.clone = function() {
-  const s = new this.constructor({}, this._userProvidedOptions);
+  const s = this._clone();
+
+  // Bubble up `init` for backwards compat
+  s.on('init', v => this.emit('init', v));
+
+  return s;
+};
+
+/*!
+ * ignore
+ */
+
+Schema.prototype._clone = function _clone(Constructor) {
+  Constructor = Constructor || (this.base == null ? Schema : this.base.Schema);
+
+  const s = new Constructor({}, this._userProvidedOptions);
   s.base = this.base;
   s.obj = this.obj;
   s.options = utils.clone(this.options);
@@ -358,9 +373,6 @@ Schema.prototype.clone = function() {
 
   s.aliases = Object.assign({}, this.aliases);
 
-  // Bubble up `init` for backwards compat
-  s.on('init', v => this.emit('init', v));
-
   return s;
 };
 
@@ -952,14 +964,12 @@ Schema.prototype.interpretAsType = function(path, obj, options) {
     // new Schema({ path: [new Schema({ ... })] })
     if (cast && cast.instanceOfSchema) {
       if (!(cast instanceof Schema)) {
-        try {
-          cast = Schema.prototype.clone.call(cast);
-        } catch (err) {
-          throw new TypeError('Schema for array path `' + path +
-            '` is from a different, incompatible copy of the Mongoose module. ' +
-            'Please make sure you\'re using the same version ' +
-            'of Mongoose everywhere with `npm list mongoose`.');
-        }
+        throw new TypeError('Schema for array path `' + path +
+          '` is from a different copy of the Mongoose module. ' +
+          'Please make sure you\'re using the same version ' +
+          'of Mongoose everywhere with `npm list mongoose`. If you are still ' +
+          'getting this error, please add `new Schema()` around the path: ' +
+          `${path}: new Schema(...)`);
       }
       return new MongooseTypes.DocumentArray(path, cast, obj);
     }
@@ -967,14 +977,12 @@ Schema.prototype.interpretAsType = function(path, obj, options) {
         cast[options.typeKey] &&
         cast[options.typeKey].instanceOfSchema) {
       if (!(cast[options.typeKey] instanceof Schema)) {
-        try {
-          cast[options.typeKey] = Schema.prototype.clone.call(cast[options.typeKey]);
-        } catch (err) {
-          throw new TypeError('Schema for array path `' + path +
-            '` is from a different, incompatible copy of the Mongoose module. ' +
-            'Please make sure you\'re using the same version ' +
-            'of Mongoose everywhere with `npm list mongoose`.');
-        }
+        throw new TypeError('Schema for array path `' + path +
+          '` is from a different copy of the Mongoose module. ' +
+          'Please make sure you\'re using the same version ' +
+          'of Mongoose everywhere with `npm list mongoose`. If you are still ' +
+          'getting this error, please add `new Schema()` around the path: ' +
+          `${path}: new Schema(...)`);
       }
       return new MongooseTypes.DocumentArray(path, cast[options.typeKey], obj, cast);
     }