diff --git a/lib/helpers/omitUndefined.js b/lib/helpers/omitUndefined.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5c9eb88564a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/helpers/omitUndefined.js
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+'use strict';
+
+module.exports = function omitUndefined(val) {
+  if (val == null || typeof val !== 'object') {
+    return val;
+  }
+  if (Array.isArray(val)) {
+    for (let i = val.length - 1; i >= 0; --i) {
+      if (val[i] === undefined) {
+        val.splice(i, 1);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  for (const key of Object.keys(val)) {
+    if (val[key] === void 0) {
+      delete val[key];
+    }
+  }
+  return val;
+};
diff --git a/lib/helpers/query/cast$expr.js b/lib/helpers/query/cast$expr.js
index a13190b1c41..9889d47ada1 100644
--- a/lib/helpers/query/cast$expr.js
+++ b/lib/helpers/query/cast$expr.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 const CastError = require('../../error/cast');
 const StrictModeError = require('../../error/strict');
 const castNumber = require('../../cast/number');
+const omitUndefined = require('../omitUndefined');
 
 const booleanComparison = new Set(['$and', '$or']);
 const comparisonOperator = new Set(['$cmp', '$eq', '$lt', '$lte', '$gt', '$gte']);
@@ -125,18 +126,11 @@ function _castExpression(val, schema, strictQuery) {
     val.$round = $round.map(v => castNumberOperator(v, schema, strictQuery));
   }
 
-  _omitUndefined(val);
+  omitUndefined(val);
 
   return val;
 }
 
-function _omitUndefined(val) {
-  const keys = Object.keys(val);
-  for (let i = 0, len = keys.length; i < len; ++i) {
-    (val[keys[i]] === void 0) && delete val[keys[i]];
-  }
-}
-
 // { $op: <number> }
 function castNumberOperator(val) {
   if (!isLiteral(val)) {
diff --git a/lib/mongoose.js b/lib/mongoose.js
index 49392bfd70f..89cb4348c2b 100644
--- a/lib/mongoose.js
+++ b/lib/mongoose.js
@@ -1281,6 +1281,28 @@ Mongoose.prototype.skipMiddlewareFunction = Kareem.skipWrappedFunction;
 
 Mongoose.prototype.overwriteMiddlewareResult = Kareem.overwriteResult;
 
+/**
+ * Takes in an object and deletes any keys from the object whose values
+ * are strictly equal to `undefined`.
+ * This function is useful for query filters because Mongoose treats
+ * `TestModel.find({ name: undefined })` as `TestModel.find({ name: null })`.
+ *
+ * #### Example:
+ *
+ *     const filter = { name: 'John', age: undefined, status: 'active' };
+ *     mongoose.omitUndefined(filter); // { name: 'John', status: 'active' }
+ *     filter; // { name: 'John', status: 'active' }
+ *
+ *     await UserModel.findOne(mongoose.omitUndefined(filter));
+ *
+ * @method omitUndefined
+ * @param {Object} [val] the object to remove undefined keys from
+ * @returns {Object} the object passed in
+ * @api public
+ */
+
+Mongoose.prototype.omitUndefined = require('./helpers/omitUndefined');
+
 /**
  * The exports object is an instance of Mongoose.
  *
diff --git a/test/types/base.test.ts b/test/types/base.test.ts
index fba2acf37b0..9d25cfe30f3 100644
--- a/test/types/base.test.ts
+++ b/test/types/base.test.ts
@@ -69,3 +69,5 @@ function setAsObject() {
 
   expectError(mongoose.set({ invalid: true }));
 }
+
+const x: { name: string } = mongoose.omitUndefined({ name: 'foo' });
diff --git a/types/index.d.ts b/types/index.d.ts
index cd5695b35f2..6f851d23dfa 100644
--- a/types/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/index.d.ts
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@ declare module 'mongoose' {
   /** Gets mongoose options */
   export function get<K extends keyof MongooseOptions>(key: K): MongooseOptions[K];
 
+  export function omitUndefined<T extends Record<string, any>>(val: T): T;
+
   /* ! ignore */
   export type CompileModelOptions = {
     overwriteModels?: boolean,