diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b4b342308..13acfc2d2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ Malli is in well matured [alpha](README.md#alpha).
 
 * Source-compatible with nbb, [#726](https://github.com/metosin/malli/pull/726)
 * Switch Value and Errors in the pretty output order, [#720](https://github.com/metosin/malli/pull/720)
+* Fix registry lookup in schema vector syntax, [#729](https://github.com/metosin/malli/pull/729), fixes [#451](https://github.com/metosin/malli/issues/451)
 * Updated dependencies:
 
 ```clojure
diff --git a/src/malli/core.cljc b/src/malli/core.cljc
index 95adbba45..453ad4a47 100644
--- a/src/malli/core.cljc
+++ b/src/malli/core.cljc
@@ -262,16 +262,11 @@
     (or (mr/-schema registry ?schema)
         (some-> registry (mr/-schema (c/type ?schema)) (-into-schema nil [?schema] options)))))
 
-(defn- -lookup! [?schema f options]
+(defn- -lookup! [?schema f rec options]
   (or (and f (f ?schema) ?schema)
-      (-lookup ?schema options)
-      (-fail! ::invalid-schema {:schema ?schema})))
-
-(defn- -recursive-lookup! [?schema options]
-  (if (into-schema? ?schema)
-    ?schema
-    (some-> (-lookup ?schema options)
-            (recur options))))
+      (if-let [?schema (-lookup ?schema options)]
+        (cond-> ?schema rec (recur f rec options))
+        (-fail! ::invalid-schema {:schema ?schema}))))
 
 (defn -properties-and-options [properties options f]
   (if-let [r (:registry properties)]
@@ -1935,7 +1930,7 @@
          r (when properties (properties :registry))
          options (if r (-update options :registry #(mr/composite-registry r (or % (-registry options)))) options)
          properties (if r (assoc properties :registry (-property-registry r options identity)) properties)]
-     (-into-schema (-lookup! type into-schema? options) properties children options))))
+     (-into-schema (-lookup! type into-schema? false options) properties children options))))
 
 (defn type
   "Returns the Schema type."
@@ -1991,7 +1986,7 @@
      (schema? ?schema) ?schema
      (into-schema? ?schema) (-into-schema ?schema nil nil options)
      (vector? ?schema) (let [v #?(:clj ^IPersistentVector ?schema, :cljs ?schema)
-                             t (-recursive-lookup! #?(:clj (.nth v 0), :cljs (nth v 0)) options)
+                             t (-lookup! #?(:clj (.nth v 0), :cljs (nth v 0)) into-schema? true options)
                              n #?(:bb (count v) :clj (.count v), :cljs (count v))
                              ?p (when (> n 1) #?(:clj (.nth v 1), :cljs (nth v 1)))]
                          (if (or (nil? ?p) (map? ?p))
@@ -1999,7 +1994,7 @@
                            (into-schema t nil (when (< 1 n) (subvec ?schema 1 n)) options)))
      :else (if-let [?schema' (and (-reference? ?schema) (-lookup ?schema options))]
              (-pointer ?schema (schema ?schema' options) options)
-             (-> ?schema (-lookup! nil options) (recur options))))))
+             (-> ?schema (-lookup! nil false options) (recur options))))))
 
 (defn form
   "Returns the Schema form"
diff --git a/test/malli/core_test.cljc b/test/malli/core_test.cljc
index 0411c8588..48dba098e 100644
--- a/test/malli/core_test.cljc
+++ b/test/malli/core_test.cljc
@@ -837,7 +837,7 @@
     #?(:clj
        (testing "non-terminating functions DO NOT fail fast"
          (let [schema [:fn '(fn [x] (< x (apply max (range))))]]
-           #?(:bb nil ;; Graalvm doesn't support calling .stop on Threads since that is deprecated
+           #?(:bb  nil ;; Graalvm doesn't support calling .stop on Threads since that is deprecated
               :clj (is (= ::miu/timeout (miu/-run (fn [] (m/validate schema 1)) 100))))
            #_(is (false? (m/validate schema 1)))
            #_(is (results= {:schema schema
@@ -2669,10 +2669,10 @@
 
 (deftest issue-451-test
   (testing "registry -in schema vector syntax"
-    (let [one-level-schema  [:map {:registry {:my/string-like :string}}
-                             [:entry [:my/string-like {:some "prop"}]]]]
+    (let [one-level-schema [:map {:registry {:my/string-like :string}}
+                            [:entry [:my/string-like {:some "prop"}]]]]
 
-      (is (true? (m/validate one-level-schema  {:entry "a"})))))
+      (is (true? (m/validate one-level-schema {:entry "a"})))))
 
   (testing "testcase from #451"
     (let [opts {:registry {:string (m/-string-schema)