diff --git a/packages/core/database/src/repository.ts b/packages/core/database/src/repository.ts
index 402edd5bd..d68175ebc 100644
--- a/packages/core/database/src/repository.ts
+++ b/packages/core/database/src/repository.ts
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ export type Values = any;
 
 export interface CountOptions extends Omit<SequelizeCountOptions, 'distinct' | 'where' | 'include'>, Transactionable {
   filter?: Filter;
+  context?: any;
 }
 
 export interface FilterByTk {
diff --git a/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/Plugin.ts b/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/Plugin.ts
index 1335a5fad..9c5074448 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/Plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/Plugin.ts
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ export default class WorkflowPlugin extends Plugin {
     }
   }
 
-  async trigger(workflow: WorkflowModel, context: Object, options: Transactionable = {}): Promise<ExecutionModel | null> {
+  async trigger(workflow: WorkflowModel, context: Object, options: Transactionable & { context?: any } = {}): Promise<ExecutionModel | null> {
     // `null` means not to trigger
     if (context === null) {
       return null;
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ export default class WorkflowPlugin extends Plugin {
 
     execution.workflow = workflow;
 
-    const processor = this.createProcessor(execution, { transaction });
+    const processor = this.createProcessor(execution, { transaction, _context: options.context });
 
     await processor.start();
 
diff --git a/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/Processor.ts b/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/Processor.ts
index a64008069..2e1b5b547 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/Processor.ts
+++ b/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/Processor.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ import { EXECUTION_STATUS, JOB_STATUS } from './constants';
 
 
 export interface ProcessorOptions extends Transactionable {
+  // TODO(temp): pass request context here for $isVar and other operators
+  _context?: any;
   plugin: Plugin
 }
 
@@ -33,7 +35,7 @@ export default class Processor {
   jobsMap = new Map<number, JobModel>();
   jobsMapByNodeId: { [key: number]: any } = {};
 
-  constructor(public execution: ExecutionModel, private options: ProcessorOptions) {
+  constructor(public execution: ExecutionModel, public options: ProcessorOptions) {
   }
 
   // make dual linked nodes list then cache
diff --git a/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/instructions/create.ts b/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/instructions/create.ts
index c9a25dfec..4704ec614 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/instructions/create.ts
+++ b/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/instructions/create.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ export default {
     const options = processor.getParsedValue(params);
     const result = await repo.create({
       ...options,
+      context: processor.options._context,
       transaction: processor.transaction
     });
 
diff --git a/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/instructions/destroy.ts b/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/instructions/destroy.ts
index c94ddab9d..310bd8ba8 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/instructions/destroy.ts
+++ b/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/instructions/destroy.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ export default {
     const options = processor.getParsedValue(params);
     const result = await repo.destroy({
       ...options,
+      context: processor.options._context,
       transaction: processor.transaction
     });
 
diff --git a/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/instructions/query.ts b/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/instructions/query.ts
index 9001427b8..280cbcab4 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/instructions/query.ts
+++ b/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/instructions/query.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ export default {
     const options = processor.getParsedValue(params);
     const result = await (multiple ? repo.find : repo.findOne).call(repo, {
       ...options,
+      context: processor.options._context,
       transaction: processor.transaction
     });
 
diff --git a/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/instructions/update.ts b/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/instructions/update.ts
index e0d2fede6..cac6de677 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/instructions/update.ts
+++ b/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/instructions/update.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ export default {
     const options = processor.getParsedValue(params);
     const result = await repo.update({
       ...options,
+      context: processor.options._context,
       transaction: processor.transaction
     });
 
diff --git a/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/triggers/collection.ts b/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/triggers/collection.ts
index f98eeda3b..e482a4db8 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/triggers/collection.ts
+++ b/packages/plugins/workflow/src/server/triggers/collection.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ async function handler(this: CollectionTrigger, workflow: WorkflowModel, data: M
     // TODO: change to map filter format to calculation format
     // const calculation = toCalculation(condition);
     const { repository, model } = (<typeof Model>data.constructor).database.getCollection(collection);
-    const { transaction } = options;
+    const { transaction, context } = options;
     const count = await repository.count({
       filter: {
         $and: [
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ async function handler(this: CollectionTrigger, workflow: WorkflowModel, data: M
           { [model.primaryKeyAttribute]: data[model.primaryKeyAttribute] }
         ]
       },
+      context,
       transaction
     });
 
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ async function handler(this: CollectionTrigger, workflow: WorkflowModel, data: M
   }
 
   return this.plugin.trigger(workflow, { data: data.get() }, {
+    context: options.context,
     transaction: options.transaction
   });
 }