diff --git a/lib/sql.js b/lib/sql.js
index e4479c19..0bd67e9a 100644
--- a/lib/sql.js
+++ b/lib/sql.js
@@ -912,7 +912,7 @@ SQLConnector.prototype._buildWhereObjById = function(model, id, data) {
  */
 SQLConnector.prototype.buildUpdate = function(model, where, data, options) {
   const fields = this.buildFieldsForUpdate(model, data);
-  return this._constructUpdateQuery(model, where, fields);
+  return this._constructUpdateQuery(model, where, fields, options);
 };
 
 /**
@@ -936,9 +936,9 @@ SQLConnector.prototype.buildReplace = function(model, where, data, options) {
  * @returns {Object} update query Constructed update query.
  * @private
  */
-SQLConnector.prototype._constructUpdateQuery = function(model, where, fields) {
+SQLConnector.prototype._constructUpdateQuery = function(model, where, fields, options) {
   const updateClause = new ParameterizedSQL('UPDATE ' + this.tableEscaped(model));
-  const whereClause = this.buildWhere(model, where);
+  const whereClause = this.buildWhere(model, where, options);
   updateClause.merge([fields, whereClause]);
   return this.parameterize(updateClause);
 };
@@ -1007,8 +1007,9 @@ Connector.defineAliases(SQLConnector.prototype, 'replace', ['replaceAll']);
  * @param {object} where An object for the where conditions
  * @returns {ParameterizedSQL} The SQL WHERE clause
  */
-SQLConnector.prototype.buildWhere = function(model, where) {
-  const whereClause = this._buildWhere(model, where);
+SQLConnector.prototype.buildWhere = function(model, where, options) {
+  const whereClause = this._buildWhere(model, where, options);
+
   if (whereClause.sql) {
     whereClause.sql = 'WHERE ' + whereClause.sql;
   }
@@ -1043,6 +1044,7 @@ function(columnName, operator, columnValue, propertyValue) {
   }
 
   let sqlExp = columnName;
+  let jsonContainsParams = [];
   let clause;
   if (columnValue instanceof ParameterizedSQL) {
     clause = columnValue;
@@ -1066,6 +1068,29 @@ function(columnName, operator, columnValue, propertyValue) {
       sqlExp += ' BETWEEN ';
       clause = buildClause(columnValue, ' AND ', false);
       break;
+    case 'jsonContains':
+      // Handle JSON array containment for referencesMany relations
+      sqlExp = '';
+      // If columnValue is a JSON string array, parse it
+      if (typeof columnValue === 'string') {
+        try {
+          columnValue = JSON.parse(columnValue);
+        } catch (e) {
+          columnValue = [columnValue];
+        }
+      }
+      if (!Array.isArray(columnValue)) {
+        columnValue = [columnValue];
+      }
+      const conditions = [];
+      jsonContainsParams = [];
+      columnValue.forEach(value => {
+        conditions.push(`JSON_CONTAINS(${columnName}, CAST(? as JSON))`);
+        jsonContainsParams.push(value);
+      });
+      sqlExp = conditions.join(' OR ');
+      clause = null;
+      break;
     case 'inq':
       sqlExp += ' IN ';
       clause = buildClause(columnValue, ',', true);
@@ -1092,6 +1117,9 @@ function(columnName, operator, columnValue, propertyValue) {
       sqlExp += ' REGEXP ';
       break;
   }
+  if (jsonContainsParams.length) {
+    return new ParameterizedSQL({sql: sqlExp, params: jsonContainsParams});
+  }
   const stmt = ParameterizedSQL.join([sqlExp, clause], '');
   return stmt;
 };
@@ -1102,7 +1130,7 @@ function(columnName, operator, columnValue, propertyValue) {
  * @param where
  * @returns {ParameterizedSQL}
  */
-SQLConnector.prototype._buildWhere = function(model, where) {
+SQLConnector.prototype._buildWhere = function(model, where, options) {
   let columnValue, sqlExp;
   if (!where) {
     return new ParameterizedSQL('');
@@ -1124,7 +1152,7 @@ SQLConnector.prototype._buildWhere = function(model, where) {
       const clauses = where[key];
       if (Array.isArray(clauses)) {
         for (let i = 0, n = clauses.length; i < n; i++) {
-          const stmtForClause = self._buildWhere(model, clauses[i]);
+          const stmtForClause = self._buildWhere(model, clauses[i], options);
           if (stmtForClause.sql) {
             stmtForClause.sql = '(' + stmtForClause.sql + ')';
             branchParams = branchParams.concat(stmtForClause.params);
@@ -1156,7 +1184,12 @@ SQLConnector.prototype._buildWhere = function(model, where) {
       const operator = Object.keys(expression)[0];
       // Get the expression without the operator
       expression = expression[operator];
-      if (operator === 'inq' || operator === 'nin' || operator === 'between') {
+      if (
+        operator === 'inq' ||
+        operator === 'nin' ||
+        operator === 'between' ||
+        operator === 'jsonContains'
+      ) {
         columnValue = [];
         if (Array.isArray(expression)) {
           // Column value is a list
@@ -1189,23 +1222,28 @@ SQLConnector.prototype._buildWhere = function(model, where) {
         columnValue = this.toColumnValue(p, expression);
       }
       sqlExp = self.buildExpression(columnName, operator, columnValue, p);
-      stmt.merge(sqlExp);
+      if (operator === 'jsonContains') {
+        stmt.merge(sqlExp, columnValue);
+      } else {
+        stmt.merge(sqlExp);
+      }
     } else {
       // The expression is the field value, not a condition
       columnValue = self.toColumnValue(p, expression);
       if (columnValue === null) {
         stmt.merge(columnName + ' IS NULL');
+      } else if (columnValue instanceof ParameterizedSQL) {
+        stmt.merge(columnName + '=').merge(columnValue);
       } else {
-        if (columnValue instanceof ParameterizedSQL) {
-          stmt.merge(columnName + '=').merge(columnValue);
-        } else {
-          stmt.merge({
-            sql: columnName + '=?',
-            params: [columnValue],
-          });
-        }
+        stmt.merge({
+          sql: columnName + '=?',
+          params: [columnValue],
+        });
       }
     }
+    if (stmt.sql.includes('JSON_CONTAINS')) {
+      stmt.sql = `(${stmt.sql})`;
+    }
     whereStmts.push(stmt);
   }
   let params = [];
@@ -1453,7 +1491,7 @@ SQLConnector.prototype.buildSelect = function(model, filter, options) {
 
   if (filter) {
     if (filter.where) {
-      const whereStmt = this.buildWhere(model, filter.where);
+      const whereStmt = this.buildWhere(model, filter.where, options);
       selectStmt.merge(whereStmt);
     }
 
@@ -1592,7 +1630,7 @@ SQLConnector.prototype.count = function(model, where, options, cb) {
 
   let stmt = new ParameterizedSQL('SELECT count(*) as "cnt" FROM ' +
     this.tableEscaped(model));
-  stmt = stmt.merge(this.buildWhere(model, where));
+  stmt = stmt.merge(this.buildWhere(model, where, options));
   stmt = this.parameterize(stmt);
   this.execute(stmt.sql, stmt.params, options,
     function(err, res) {
diff --git a/test/sql.test.js b/test/sql.test.js
index 2fd635ea..a7918d08 100644
--- a/test/sql.test.js
+++ b/test/sql.test.js
@@ -63,7 +63,14 @@ describe('sql connector', function() {
             column: 'TOKEN',
           },
         },
-        address: String,
+        address: String, ids: {
+          type: String,
+          testdb: {
+            column: 'IDS',
+            dataType: 'VARCHAR',
+            dataLength: 32,
+          },
+        },
       },
       {testdb: {table: 'CUSTOMER'}});
     Order = ds.createModel('order',
@@ -136,6 +143,32 @@ describe('sql connector', function() {
     });
   });
 
+  // jsonContains is operator when we have referencesMany with inq
+  it('builds where with jsonContains', function() {
+    const where = connector.buildWhere(
+      'customer',
+      {ids: {jsonContains: ['1', '2']}},
+    );
+    expect(where.toJSON()).to.eql({
+      sql:
+        'WHERE (JSON_CONTAINS(`IDS`, CAST(? as JSON))' +
+        ' OR ' +
+        'JSON_CONTAINS(`IDS`, CAST(? as JSON)))',
+      params: ['1', '2'],
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('builds where with relation options', function() {
+    const where = connector.buildWhere(
+      'customer',
+      {ids: {inq: ['1', '2']}},
+    );
+    expect(where.toJSON()).to.eql({
+      sql: 'WHERE `IDS` IN (?,?)',
+      params: ['1', '2'],
+    });
+  });
+
   it('builds where with null', function() {
     const where = connector.buildWhere('customer', {name: null});
     expect(where.toJSON()).to.eql({
@@ -296,13 +329,15 @@ describe('sql connector', function() {
       primaryAddress: '1031 NW 7th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States',
     });
     expect(fields.toJSON()).to.eql({
-      sql: 'SET `middle_name`=?,`LASTNAME`=?,`VIP`=?,`primary_address`=?,`ADDRESS`=?',
+      sql: 'SET `middle_name`=?,`LASTNAME`=?,`VIP`=?,`primary_address`=?,' +
+        '`ADDRESS`=?,`IDS`=?',
       params: [
         '',
         'Libert',
         true,
         '1031 NW 7th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States',
         '1031 NW 7th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States',
+        null,
       ],
     });
   });
@@ -328,7 +363,7 @@ describe('sql connector', function() {
   it('builds column names for SELECT', function() {
     const cols = connector.buildColumnNames('customer');
     expect(cols).to.eql('`NAME`,`middle_name`,`LASTNAME`,`VIP`,' +
-      '`primary_address`,`TOKEN`,`ADDRESS`');
+      '`primary_address`,`TOKEN`,`ADDRESS`,`IDS`');
   });
 
   it('builds column names with true fields filter for SELECT', function() {
@@ -346,7 +381,7 @@ describe('sql connector', function() {
         middleName: false,
       },
     });
-    expect(cols).to.eql('`VIP`,`ADDRESS`');
+    expect(cols).to.eql('`VIP`,`ADDRESS`,`IDS`');
   });
 
   it('builds column names with array fields filter for SELECT', function() {
@@ -379,7 +414,7 @@ describe('sql connector', function() {
     expect(sql.toJSON()).to.eql({
       sql:
         'SELECT `NAME`,`middle_name`,`LASTNAME`,`VIP`,`primary_address`,' +
-        '`TOKEN`,`ADDRESS` FROM `CUSTOMER` WHERE ((`NAME`=$1) OR (`ADDRESS`=$2)) ' +
+        '`TOKEN`,`ADDRESS`,`IDS` FROM `CUSTOMER` WHERE ((`NAME`=$1) OR (`ADDRESS`=$2)) ' +
         'AND `VIP`=$3 ORDER BY `NAME` LIMIT 5',
       params: ['Top Cat', 'Trash can', true],
     });
@@ -390,7 +425,7 @@ describe('sql connector', function() {
       {order: 'name', limit: 5, where: {name: 'John'}});
     expect(sql.toJSON()).to.eql({
       sql: 'SELECT `NAME`,`middle_name`,`LASTNAME`,`VIP`,`primary_address`,`TOKEN`,' +
-      '`ADDRESS` FROM `CUSTOMER`' +
+      '`ADDRESS`,`IDS` FROM `CUSTOMER`' +
       ' WHERE `NAME`=$1 ORDER BY `NAME` LIMIT 5',
       params: ['John'],
     });