diff --git a/mongoengine/queryset/transform.py b/mongoengine/queryset/transform.py
index b01d3d41..a9907ada 100644
--- a/mongoengine/queryset/transform.py
+++ b/mongoengine/queryset/transform.py
@@ -336,10 +336,11 @@ def update(_doc_cls=None, **update):
         elif op == 'addToSet' and isinstance(value, list):
             value = {key: {'$each': value}}
         elif op == 'push':
-            if parts[-1].isdigit() and op == 'push':
+            if parts[-1].isdigit():
                 key = parts[0]
                 position = int(parts[-1])
-                # position modifier must appear with each.
+                # $position expects an iterable. If pushing a single value,
+                # wrap it in a list.
                 if not isinstance(value, (set, tuple, list)):
                     value = [value]
                 value = {key: {'$each': value, '$position': position}}
diff --git a/tests/queryset/modify.py b/tests/queryset/modify.py
index 44bdc3ff..fe410d19 100644
--- a/tests/queryset/modify.py
+++ b/tests/queryset/modify.py
@@ -99,26 +99,33 @@ class FindAndModifyTest(unittest.TestCase):
     @needs_mongodb_v26
     def test_modify_with_push(self):
         class BlogPost(Document):
-            id = StringField(primary_key=True)
             tags = ListField(StringField())
 
         BlogPost.drop_collection()
 
         BlogPost(id="ABC").save()
-        BlogPost(id="BCD").save()
-        blog = BlogPost.objects(id="ABC").modify(push__tags="code")
 
-        self.assertEqual(blog.to_mongo(), {"_id": "ABC", "tags": []})
-        docs = [{"_id": "ABC", "tags":["code"]}, {"_id": "BCD", "tags":[]}]
-        self.assertEqual(list(BlogPost._collection.find().sort("id")), docs)
+        # Push a new tag via modify with new=False (default).
+        blog = BlogPost(pk='ABC').modify(push__tags='code')
+        self.assertEqual(blog.tags, [])
+        blog.reload()
+        self.assertEqual(blog.tags, ['code'])
 
-        another_blog = BlogPost.objects(id="BCD").modify(push__tags="java")
-        self.assertEqual(another_blog.to_mongo(), {"_id": "BCD", "tags": []})
-        another_blog = BlogPost.objects(id="BCD").modify(push__tags__0=["python"])
-        self.assertEqual(another_blog.to_mongo(), {"_id": "BCD", "tags": ["java"]})
-        docs = [{"_id": "ABC", "tags":["code"]},
-                {"_id": "BCD", "tags":["python", "java"]}]
-        self.assertEqual(list(BlogPost._collection.find().sort("id")), docs)
+        # Push a new tag via modify with new=True.
+        blog = BlogPost.objects(pk='ABC').modify(push__tags='java', new=True)
+        self.assertEqual(blog.tags, ['code', 'java'])
+
+        # Push a new tag with a positional argument.
+        blog = BlogPost.objects(pk='ABC').modify(
+            push__tags__0='python',
+            new=True)
+        self.assertEqual(blog.tags, ['python', 'code', 'java'])
+
+        # Push multiple new tags with a positional argument.
+        blog = BlogPost.objects(pk='ABC').modify(
+            push__tags__1=['go', 'rust'],
+            new=True)
+        self.assertEqual(blog.tags, ['python', 'go', 'rust', 'code', 'java'])
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
diff --git a/tests/queryset/queryset.py b/tests/queryset/queryset.py
index fe97b765..c78ed985 100644
--- a/tests/queryset/queryset.py
+++ b/tests/queryset/queryset.py
@@ -1913,8 +1913,7 @@ class QuerySetTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
         BlogPost.drop_collection()
 
-        post = BlogPost(slug="test")
-        post.save()
+        post = BlogPost.objects.create(slug="test")
 
         BlogPost.objects.filter(id=post.id).update(push__tags="code")
         BlogPost.objects.filter(id=post.id).update(push__tags__0=["mongodb", "python"])