diff --git a/pkg/policy/literal/literal.go b/pkg/policy/literal/literal.go
index b9041cc..872f6a1 100644
--- a/pkg/policy/literal/literal.go
+++ b/pkg/policy/literal/literal.go
@@ -51,6 +51,24 @@ func Map(m map[string]any) (ipld.Node, error) {
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
+			for _, elem := range x {
+				switch e := elem.(type) {
+				case string:
+					if err := la.AssembleValue().AssignString(e); err != nil {
+						return nil, err
+					}
+				case map[string]any:
+					nestedNode, err := Map(e)
+					if err != nil {
+						return nil, err
+					}
+					if err := la.AssembleValue().AssignNode(nestedNode); err != nil {
+						return nil, err
+					}
+				default:
+					return nil, fmt.Errorf("unsupported array element type: %T", elem)
+				}
+			}
 			if err := la.Finish(); err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/policy/match_test.go b/pkg/policy/match_test.go
index 3d21fad..da03c46 100644
--- a/pkg/policy/match_test.go
+++ b/pkg/policy/match_test.go
@@ -798,6 +798,31 @@ func TestPartialMatch(t *testing.T) {
 			expectedMatch: true,
 			expectedStmt:  nil,
 		},
+		{
+			name: "returns true for partially present nested optional paths",
+			policy: MustConstruct(
+				And(
+					Equal(".required", literal.String("present")),
+					Any(".items",
+						And(
+							Equal(".name", literal.String("test")),
+							Like(".optional_id?", "ID*"),
+						),
+					),
+				),
+			),
+			data: map[string]interface{}{
+				"required": "present",
+				"items": []interface{}{
+					map[string]interface{}{
+						"name": "test",
+						// optional_id is missing
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			expectedMatch: true,
+			expectedStmt:  nil,
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {