diff --git a/packages/core/content-manager/server/services/entity-manager.js b/packages/core/content-manager/server/services/entity-manager.js
index a72ecc89f4..694fdca5f9 100644
--- a/packages/core/content-manager/server/services/entity-manager.js
+++ b/packages/core/content-manager/server/services/entity-manager.js
@@ -62,40 +62,40 @@ module.exports = ({ strapi }) => ({
     return assoc(`${CREATED_BY_ATTRIBUTE}.roles`, roles, entity);
   },
 
-  find(opts, uid, populate) {
-    const params = { ...opts, populate: getDeepPopulate(uid, populate) };
+  find(opts, uid) {
+    const params = { ...opts, populate: getDeepPopulate(uid) };
 
     return strapi.entityService.findMany(uid, params);
   },
 
-  findPage(opts, uid, populate) {
-    const params = { ...opts, populate: getDeepPopulate(uid, populate, { maxLevel: 1 }) };
+  findPage(opts, uid) {
+    const params = { ...opts, populate: getDeepPopulate(uid, { maxLevel: 1 }) };
 
     return strapi.entityService.findPage(uid, params);
   },
 
-  findWithRelationCountsPage(opts, uid, populate) {
-    const counterPopulate = getDeepPopulate(uid, populate, { countMany: true, maxLevel: 1 });
+  findWithRelationCountsPage(opts, uid) {
+    const counterPopulate = getDeepPopulate(uid, { countMany: true, maxLevel: 1 });
     const params = { ...opts, populate: addCreatedByRolesPopulate(counterPopulate) };
 
     return strapi.entityService.findWithRelationCountsPage(uid, params);
   },
 
-  findOneWithCreatorRolesAndCount(id, uid, populate) {
-    const counterPopulate = getDeepPopulate(uid, populate, { countMany: true, countOne: true });
+  findOneWithCreatorRolesAndCount(id, uid) {
+    const counterPopulate = getDeepPopulate(uid, { countMany: true, countOne: true });
     const params = { populate: addCreatedByRolesPopulate(counterPopulate) };
 
     return strapi.entityService.findOne(uid, id, params);
   },
 
-  async findOne(id, uid, populate) {
-    const params = { populate: getDeepPopulate(uid, populate) };
+  async findOne(id, uid) {
+    const params = { populate: getDeepPopulate(uid) };
 
     return strapi.entityService.findOne(uid, id, params);
   },
 
-  async findOneWithCreatorRoles(id, uid, populate) {
-    const entity = await this.findOne(id, uid, populate);
+  async findOneWithCreatorRoles(id, uid) {
+    const entity = await this.findOne(id, uid);
 
     if (!entity) {
       return entity;
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ module.exports = ({ strapi }) => ({
 
     const params = {
       data: publishData,
-      populate: getDeepPopulate(uid, null, { countMany: true, countOne: true }),
+      populate: getDeepPopulate(uid, { countMany: true, countOne: true }),
     };
 
     return strapi.entityService.create(uid, params);
@@ -125,14 +125,14 @@ module.exports = ({ strapi }) => ({
 
     const params = {
       data: publishData,
-      populate: getDeepPopulate(uid, null, { countMany: true, countOne: true }),
+      populate: getDeepPopulate(uid, { countMany: true, countOne: true }),
     };
 
     return strapi.entityService.update(uid, entity.id, params);
   },
 
   delete(entity, uid) {
-    const params = { populate: getDeepPopulate(uid, null, { countMany: true, countOne: true }) };
+    const params = { populate: getDeepPopulate(uid, { countMany: true, countOne: true }) };
 
     return strapi.entityService.delete(uid, entity.id, params);
   },
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ module.exports = ({ strapi }) => ({
 
     const params = {
       data,
-      populate: getDeepPopulate(uid, null, { countMany: true, countOne: true }),
+      populate: getDeepPopulate(uid, { countMany: true, countOne: true }),
     };
 
     return strapi.entityService.update(uid, entity.id, params);
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ module.exports = ({ strapi }) => ({
 
     const params = {
       data,
-      populate: getDeepPopulate(uid, null, { countMany: true, countOne: true }),
+      populate: getDeepPopulate(uid, { countMany: true, countOne: true }),
     };
 
     return strapi.entityService.update(uid, entity.id, params);
diff --git a/packages/core/content-manager/server/services/utils/__tests__/populate.test.js b/packages/core/content-manager/server/services/utils/__tests__/populate.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..25539f63a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/content-manager/server/services/utils/__tests__/populate.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,152 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const { getDeepPopulate } = require('../populate');
+
+describe('Populate', () => {
+  const fakeModels = {
+    empty: {
+      modelName: 'Fake empty model',
+      attributes: {},
+    },
+    component: {
+      modelName: 'Fake component model',
+      attributes: {
+        componentAttrName: {
+          type: 'component',
+          component: 'empty',
+        },
+      },
+    },
+    dynZone: {
+      modelName: 'Fake dynamic zone model',
+      attributes: {
+        dynZoneAttrName: {
+          type: 'dynamiczone',
+          components: ['empty', 'component'],
+        },
+      },
+    },
+    relationOTM: {
+      modelName: 'Fake relation oneToMany model',
+      attributes: {
+        relationAttrName: {
+          type: 'relation',
+          relation: 'oneToMany',
+        },
+      },
+    },
+    relationOTO: {
+      modelName: 'Fake relation oneToOne model',
+      attributes: {
+        relationAttrName: {
+          type: 'relation',
+          relation: 'oneToOne',
+        },
+      },
+    },
+    media: {
+      modelName: 'Fake media model',
+      attributes: {
+        mediaAttrName: {
+          type: 'media',
+        },
+      },
+    },
+  };
+
+  describe('getDeepPopulate', () => {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      global.strapi = {
+        getModel: jest.fn((uid) => fakeModels[uid]),
+      };
+    });
+
+    afterEach(() => {
+      jest.clearAllMocks();
+    });
+
+    test('with empty model', async () => {
+      const uid = 'empty';
+
+      const result = getDeepPopulate(uid);
+
+      expect(result).toEqual({});
+    });
+
+    test('with component model', async () => {
+      const uid = 'component';
+
+      const result = getDeepPopulate(uid);
+
+      expect(result).toEqual({
+        componentAttrName: { populate: {} },
+      });
+    });
+
+    test('with dynamic zone model', async () => {
+      const uid = 'dynZone';
+
+      const result = getDeepPopulate(uid);
+
+      expect(result).toEqual({
+        dynZoneAttrName: {
+          populate: {
+            componentAttrName: {
+              populate: {},
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      });
+    });
+
+    test('with relation model - oneToMany', async () => {
+      const uid = 'relationOTM';
+
+      const result = getDeepPopulate(uid);
+
+      expect(result).toEqual({
+        relationAttrName: true,
+      });
+    });
+
+    test('with relation model - oneToMany - with countMany', async () => {
+      const uid = 'relationOTM';
+
+      const result = getDeepPopulate(uid, { countMany: true });
+
+      expect(result).toEqual({
+        relationAttrName: { count: true },
+      });
+    });
+
+    test('with relation model - oneToOne', async () => {
+      const uid = 'relationOTO';
+
+      const result = getDeepPopulate(uid);
+
+      expect(result).toEqual({
+        relationAttrName: true,
+      });
+    });
+
+    test('with relation model - oneToOne - with countOne', async () => {
+      const uid = 'relationOTO';
+
+      const result = getDeepPopulate(uid, { countOne: true });
+
+      expect(result).toEqual({
+        relationAttrName: { count: true },
+      });
+    });
+
+    test('with media model', async () => {
+      const uid = 'media';
+
+      const result = getDeepPopulate(uid);
+
+      expect(result).toEqual({
+        mediaAttrName: { populate: 'folder' },
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/core/content-manager/server/services/utils/populate.js b/packages/core/content-manager/server/services/utils/populate.js
index aaf029b9d7..4dab666d28 100644
--- a/packages/core/content-manager/server/services/utils/populate.js
+++ b/packages/core/content-manager/server/services/utils/populate.js
@@ -7,70 +7,123 @@ const { hasDraftAndPublish, isVisibleAttribute } = strapiUtils.contentTypes;
 const { isAnyToMany } = strapiUtils.relations;
 const { PUBLISHED_AT_ATTRIBUTE } = strapiUtils.contentTypes.constants;
 
+/**
+ * Populate the model for relation
+ * @param {Object} attribute - Attribute containing a relation
+ * @param {String} attribute.relation - type of relation
+ * @param model - Model of the populated entity
+ * @param attributeName
+ * @param {Object} options - Options to apply while populating
+ * @param {Boolean} options.countMany
+ * @param {Boolean} options.countOne
+ * @returns {true|{count: true}}
+ */
+function getPopulateForRelation(attribute, model, attributeName, { countMany, countOne }) {
+  const isManyRelation = isAnyToMany(attribute);
+
+  // always populate createdBy, updatedBy, localizations etc.
+  if (!isVisibleAttribute(model, attributeName)) {
+    return true;
+  }
+  if ((isManyRelation && countMany) || (!isManyRelation && countOne)) {
+    return { count: true };
+  }
+
+  return true;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Populate the model for Dynamic Zone components
+ * @param {Object} attribute - Attribute containing the components
+ * @param {String[]} attribute.components - IDs of components
+ * @param {Object} options - Options to apply while populating
+ * @param {Boolean} options.countMany
+ * @param {Boolean} options.countOne
+ * @param {Number} options.maxLevel
+ * @param {Number} level
+ * @returns {{populate: Object}}
+ */
+function getPopulateForDZ(attribute, options, level) {
+  const populatedComponents = (attribute.components || []).map((componentUID) =>
+    getDeepPopulate(componentUID, options, level + 1)
+  );
+
+  return { populate: populatedComponents.reduce(merge, {}) };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get the populated value based on the type of the attribute
+ * @param {String} attributeName - Name of the attribute
+ * @param {Object} model - Model of the populated entity
+ * @param {Object} model.attributes
+ * @param {Object} options - Options to apply while populating
+ * @param {Boolean} options.countMany
+ * @param {Boolean} options.countOne
+ * @param {Number} options.maxLevel
+ * @param {Number} level
+ * @returns {Object}
+ */
+function getPopulateFor(attributeName, model, options, level) {
+  const attribute = model.attributes[attributeName];
+
+  switch (attribute.type) {
+    case 'relation':
+      return {
+        [attributeName]: getPopulateForRelation(attribute, model, attributeName, options),
+      };
+    case 'component':
+      return {
+        [attributeName]: {
+          populate: getDeepPopulate(attribute.component, options, level + 1),
+        },
+      };
+    case 'media':
+      return {
+        [attributeName]: { populate: 'folder' },
+      };
+    case 'dynamiczone':
+      return {
+        [attributeName]: getPopulateForDZ(attribute, options, level),
+      };
+    default:
+      return {};
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Deeply populate a model based on UID
+ * @param {String} uid - Unique identifier of the model
+ * @param {Object} [options] - Options to apply while populating
+ * @param {Boolean} [options.countMany=false]
+ * @param {Boolean} [options.countOne=false]
+ * @param {Number} [options.maxLevel=Infinity]
+ * @param {Number} [level=1] - Current level of nested call
+ * @returns {Object}
+ */
 const getDeepPopulate = (
   uid,
-  populate,
   { countMany = false, countOne = false, maxLevel = Infinity } = {},
   level = 1
 ) => {
-  if (populate) {
-    return populate;
-  }
-
   if (level > maxLevel) {
     return {};
   }
 
   const model = strapi.getModel(uid);
 
-  return Object.keys(model.attributes).reduce((populateAcc, attributeName) => {
-    const attribute = model.attributes[attributeName];
-
-    if (attribute.type === 'relation') {
-      const isManyRelation = isAnyToMany(attribute);
-      // always populate createdBy, updatedBy, localizations etc.
-      if (!isVisibleAttribute(model, attributeName)) {
-        populateAcc[attributeName] = true;
-      } else if ((isManyRelation && countMany) || (!isManyRelation && countOne)) {
-        populateAcc[attributeName] = { count: true };
-      } else {
-        populateAcc[attributeName] = true;
-      }
-    }
-
-    if (attribute.type === 'component') {
-      populateAcc[attributeName] = {
-        populate: getDeepPopulate(
-          attribute.component,
-          null,
-          { countOne, countMany, maxLevel },
-          level + 1
-        ),
-      };
-    }
-
-    if (attribute.type === 'media') {
-      populateAcc[attributeName] = { populate: 'folder' };
-    }
-
-    if (attribute.type === 'dynamiczone') {
-      populateAcc[attributeName] = {
-        populate: (attribute.components || []).reduce((acc, componentUID) => {
-          return merge(
-            acc,
-            getDeepPopulate(componentUID, null, { countOne, countMany, maxLevel }, level + 1)
-          );
-        }, {}),
-      };
-    }
-
-    return populateAcc;
-  }, {});
+  return Object.keys(model.attributes).reduce(
+    (populateAcc, attributeName) =>
+      merge(
+        populateAcc,
+        getPopulateFor(attributeName, model, { countMany, countOne, maxLevel }, level)
+      ),
+    {}
+  );
 };
 
 /**
  * getDeepPopulateDraftCount works recursively on the attributes of a model
- * creating a populate object to count all the unpublished relations within the model
+ * creating a populated object to count all the unpublished relations within the model
  * These relations can be direct to this content type or contained within components/dynamic zones
  * @param {String} uid of the model
  * @returns {Object} result