diff --git a/speckle/serialization/base_object_serializer.py b/speckle/serialization/base_object_serializer.py
index a8399c1..d54dbc2 100644
--- a/speckle/serialization/base_object_serializer.py
+++ b/speckle/serialization/base_object_serializer.py
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ class BaseObjectSerializer:
 
             # 4. handle all other cases
             else:
-                child_obj = self.traverse_value(value)
+                child_obj = self.traverse_value(value, detach)
                 object_builder[prop] = child_obj
 
         hash = hash_obj(object_builder)
@@ -148,7 +148,18 @@ class BaseObjectSerializer:
             return obj
 
         elif isinstance(obj, (list, tuple, set)):
-            return [self.traverse_value(o) for o in obj]
+            if not detach:
+                return [self.traverse_value(o) for o in obj]
+
+            detached_list = []
+            for o in obj:
+                if isinstance(o, Base):
+                    self.detach_lineage.append(detach)
+                    hash, _ = self.traverse_base(o)
+                    detached_list.append(self.detach_helper(ref_hash=hash))
+                else:
+                    detached_list.append(self.traverse_value(o, detach))
+            return detached_list
 
         elif isinstance(obj, dict):
             for k, v in obj.items():
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 8616aee..2af4225 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -83,6 +83,12 @@ def mesh():
     mesh.test_bases = [Base(name=f"test {i}") for i in range(1, 22)]
     mesh.detach_this = Base(name="predefined detached base")
     mesh["@detach"] = Base(name="detached base")
+    mesh["@detached_list"] = [
+        42,
+        "some text",
+        [1, 2, 3],
+        Base(name="detached within a list"),
+    ]
     mesh.origin = Point(value=[4, 2, 0])
     return mesh
 
diff --git a/tests/test_serialization.py b/tests/test_serialization.py
index eedd2b7..307647c 100644
--- a/tests/test_serialization.py
+++ b/tests/test_serialization.py
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ class TestSerialization:
         assert serialized_dict["detach_this"]["speckle_type"] == "reference"
         assert serialized_dict["@detach"]["speckle_type"] == "reference"
         assert serialized_dict["origin"]["speckle_type"] == "reference"
+        assert serialized_dict["@detached_list"][-1]["speckle_type"] == "reference"
         assert mesh.get_id(True) == deserialized.get_id()
 
     def test_chunking(self, mesh):
@@ -71,15 +72,6 @@ class TestSerialization:
         assert isinstance(received, Base)
         assert mesh.get_id(True) == received.get_id()
 
-    def test_serialize(self, base):
-        serialized = operations.serialize(base)
-        deserialized = operations.deserialize(serialized)
-
-        assert base.get_id() == deserialized.get_id()
-        assert base.units == "mm"
-        assert isinstance(base.test_bases[0], Base)
-        assert base["@detach"].name == deserialized["@detach"].name
-
     def test_unknown_type(self):
         unknown = '{"speckle_type": "mysterious.type"}'
         deserialised = operations.deserialize(unknown)