diff --git a/packages/db-mongodb/src/utilities/buildJoinAggregation.ts b/packages/db-mongodb/src/utilities/buildJoinAggregation.ts
index b9d08a09e25..50895a0392c 100644
--- a/packages/db-mongodb/src/utilities/buildJoinAggregation.ts
+++ b/packages/db-mongodb/src/utilities/buildJoinAggregation.ts
@@ -151,11 +151,19 @@ export const buildJoinAggregation = async ({
           join.field.localized && adapter.payload.config.localization && locale ? `.${locale}` : ''
         const as = `${versions ? `version.${join.joinPath}` : join.joinPath}${localeSuffix}`
 
+        let foreignField: string
+
+        if (join.getForeignPath) {
+          foreignField = `${join.getForeignPath({ locale })}${polymorphicSuffix}`
+        } else {
+          foreignField = `${join.field.on}${polymorphicSuffix}`
+        }
+
         aggregate.push(
           {
             $lookup: {
               as: `${as}.docs`,
-              foreignField: `${join.field.on}${localeSuffix}${polymorphicSuffix}`,
+              foreignField,
               from: adapter.collections[slug].collection.name,
               localField: versions ? 'parent' : '_id',
               pipeline,
diff --git a/packages/payload/src/collections/config/types.ts b/packages/payload/src/collections/config/types.ts
index 862969d9044..eafa2be926e 100644
--- a/packages/payload/src/collections/config/types.ts
+++ b/packages/payload/src/collections/config/types.ts
@@ -517,6 +517,7 @@ export type SanitizedJoin = {
    * The field configuration defining the join
    */
   field: JoinField
+  getForeignPath?(args: { locale?: TypedLocale }): string
   /**
    * The path of the join field in dot notation
    */
diff --git a/packages/payload/src/fields/config/sanitizeJoinField.ts b/packages/payload/src/fields/config/sanitizeJoinField.ts
index faffaa0d92b..806490dc11e 100644
--- a/packages/payload/src/fields/config/sanitizeJoinField.ts
+++ b/packages/payload/src/fields/config/sanitizeJoinField.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ export const sanitizeJoinField = ({
   const pathSegments = field.on.split('.') // Split the schema path into segments
   let currentSegmentIndex = 0
 
+  let localized = false
   // Traverse fields and match based on the schema path
   traverseFields({
     callback: ({ field, next }) => {
@@ -48,6 +49,27 @@ export const sanitizeJoinField = ({
       const currentSegment = pathSegments[currentSegmentIndex]
       // match field on path segments
       if ('name' in field && field.name === currentSegment) {
+        if ('localized' in field && field.localized) {
+          localized = true
+          const fieldIndex = currentSegmentIndex
+
+          join.getForeignPath = ({ locale }) => {
+            return pathSegments.reduce((acc, segment, index) => {
+              let result = `${acc}${segment}`
+
+              if (index === fieldIndex) {
+                result = `${result}.${locale}`
+              }
+
+              if (index !== pathSegments.length - 1) {
+                result = `${result}.`
+              }
+
+              return result
+            }, '')
+          }
+        }
+
         // Check if this is the last segment in the path
         if (
           (currentSegmentIndex === pathSegments.length - 1 &&
@@ -78,7 +100,8 @@ export const sanitizeJoinField = ({
   join.targetField = joinRelationship
 
   // override the join field localized property to use whatever the relationship field has
-  field.localized = joinRelationship.localized
+  // or if it's nested to a localized array / blocks / tabs / group
+  field.localized = localized
   // override the join field hasMany property to use whatever the relationship field has
   field.hasMany = joinRelationship.hasMany
 
diff --git a/packages/payload/src/utilities/traverseFields.ts b/packages/payload/src/utilities/traverseFields.ts
index 1bda56c2745..4061c04d6c3 100644
--- a/packages/payload/src/utilities/traverseFields.ts
+++ b/packages/payload/src/utilities/traverseFields.ts
@@ -109,15 +109,36 @@ export const traverseFields = ({
     if (field.type === 'tabs' && 'tabs' in field) {
       for (const tab of field.tabs) {
         let tabRef = ref
+
+        if (skip) {
+          return false
+        }
+
         if ('name' in tab && tab.name) {
           if (!ref[tab.name] || typeof ref[tab.name] !== 'object') {
             if (fillEmpty) {
-              ref[tab.name] = {}
+              if (tab.localized) {
+                ref[tab.name] = { en: {} }
+              } else {
+                ref[tab.name] = {}
+              }
             } else {
               continue
             }
           }
 
+          if (
+            callback &&
+            callback({
+              field: { ...tab, type: 'tab' },
+              next,
+              parentRef: currentParentRef,
+              ref: tabRef,
+            })
+          ) {
+            return true
+          }
+
           tabRef = tabRef[tab.name]
 
           if (tab.localized) {
@@ -132,29 +153,34 @@ export const traverseFields = ({
                 })
               }
             }
-            continue
+          }
+        } else {
+          if (
+            callback &&
+            callback({
+              field: { ...tab, type: 'tab' },
+              next,
+              parentRef: currentParentRef,
+              ref: tabRef,
+            })
+          ) {
+            return true
           }
         }
 
-        if (
-          callback &&
-          callback({
-            field: { ...tab, type: 'tab' },
-            next,
+        if (!tab.localized) {
+          traverseFields({
+            callback,
+            fields: tab.fields,
+            fillEmpty,
             parentRef: currentParentRef,
             ref: tabRef,
           })
-        ) {
-          return true
         }
 
-        traverseFields({
-          callback,
-          fields: tab.fields,
-          fillEmpty,
-          parentRef: currentParentRef,
-          ref: tabRef,
-        })
+        if (skip) {
+          return false
+        }
       }
 
       return
@@ -166,10 +192,18 @@ export const traverseFields = ({
         if (!ref[field.name]) {
           if (fillEmpty) {
             if (field.type === 'group') {
-              ref[field.name] = {}
-            } else if (field.type === 'array' || field.type === 'blocks') {
               if (field.localized) {
+                ref[field.name] = {
+                  en: {},
+                }
+              } else {
                 ref[field.name] = {}
+              }
+            } else if (field.type === 'array' || field.type === 'blocks') {
+              if (field.localized) {
+                ref[field.name] = {
+                  en: [],
+                }
               } else {
                 ref[field.name] = []
               }
diff --git a/test/joins/collections/Categories.ts b/test/joins/collections/Categories.ts
index c38af7a3300..ea509ecd568 100644
--- a/test/joins/collections/Categories.ts
+++ b/test/joins/collections/Categories.ts
@@ -109,6 +109,12 @@ export const Categories: CollectionConfig = {
       collection: 'posts',
       on: 'array.category',
     },
+    {
+      name: 'localizedArrayPosts',
+      type: 'join',
+      collection: 'posts',
+      on: 'localizedArray.category',
+    },
     {
       name: 'blocksPosts',
       type: 'join',
diff --git a/test/joins/collections/Posts.ts b/test/joins/collections/Posts.ts
index fbac4d4b17d..d7fd5c17b68 100644
--- a/test/joins/collections/Posts.ts
+++ b/test/joins/collections/Posts.ts
@@ -104,6 +104,18 @@ export const Posts: CollectionConfig = {
         },
       ],
     },
+    {
+      name: 'localizedArray',
+      type: 'array',
+      localized: true,
+      fields: [
+        {
+          name: 'category',
+          type: 'relationship',
+          relationTo: categoriesSlug,
+        },
+      ],
+    },
     {
       name: 'blocks',
       type: 'blocks',
diff --git a/test/joins/int.spec.ts b/test/joins/int.spec.ts
index 34a71f37445..b2ca5a7c357 100644
--- a/test/joins/int.spec.ts
+++ b/test/joins/int.spec.ts
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ describe('Joins Field', () => {
           camelCaseCategory: category.id,
         },
         array: [{ category: category.id }],
+        localizedArray: [{ category: category.id }],
         blocks: [{ blockType: 'block', category: category.id }],
       })
     }
@@ -214,6 +215,16 @@ describe('Joins Field', () => {
     expect(categoryWithPosts.arrayPosts.docs).toBeDefined()
   })
 
+  it('should populate joins with localized array relationships', async () => {
+    const categoryWithPosts = await payload.findByID({
+      id: category.id,
+      collection: categoriesSlug,
+    })
+
+    expect(categoryWithPosts.localizedArrayPosts.docs).toBeDefined()
+    expect(categoryWithPosts.localizedArrayPosts.docs).toHaveLength(10)
+  })
+
   it('should populate joins with blocks relationships', async () => {
     const categoryWithPosts = await payload.findByID({
       id: category.id,
diff --git a/test/joins/payload-types.ts b/test/joins/payload-types.ts
index df65271f272..5281144b988 100644
--- a/test/joins/payload-types.ts
+++ b/test/joins/payload-types.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ export interface Config {
       'group.relatedPosts': 'posts';
       'group.camelCasePosts': 'posts';
       arrayPosts: 'posts';
+      localizedArrayPosts: 'posts';
       blocksPosts: 'posts';
       polymorphic: 'posts';
       polymorphics: 'posts';
@@ -199,6 +200,12 @@ export interface Post {
         id?: string | null;
       }[]
     | null;
+  localizedArray?:
+    | {
+        category?: (string | null) | Category;
+        id?: string | null;
+      }[]
+    | null;
   blocks?:
     | {
         category?: (string | null) | Category;
@@ -272,6 +279,10 @@ export interface Category {
     docs?: (string | Post)[] | null;
     hasNextPage?: boolean | null;
   } | null;
+  localizedArrayPosts?: {
+    docs?: (string | Post)[] | null;
+    hasNextPage?: boolean | null;
+  } | null;
   blocksPosts?: {
     docs?: (string | Post)[] | null;
     hasNextPage?: boolean | null;
@@ -649,6 +660,12 @@ export interface PostsSelect<T extends boolean = true> {
         category?: T;
         id?: T;
       };
+  localizedArray?:
+    | T
+    | {
+        category?: T;
+        id?: T;
+      };
   blocks?:
     | T
     | {
@@ -680,6 +697,7 @@ export interface CategoriesSelect<T extends boolean = true> {
         camelCasePosts?: T;
       };
   arrayPosts?: T;
+  localizedArrayPosts?: T;
   blocksPosts?: T;
   polymorphic?: T;
   polymorphics?: T;