diff --git a/monai/transforms/compose.py b/monai/transforms/compose.py
index ce965b8b18..085d5dcfc4 100644
--- a/monai/transforms/compose.py
+++ b/monai/transforms/compose.py
@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@
 
 class Compose(Randomizable, InvertibleTransform):
     """
-    ``Compose`` provides the ability to chain a series of calls together in a
-    sequence. Each transform in the sequence must take a single argument and
-    return a single value, so that the transforms can be called in a chain.
+    ``Compose`` provides the ability to chain a series of callables together in
+    a sequential manner. Each transform in the sequence must take a single
+    argument and return a single value.
 
     ``Compose`` can be used in two ways:
 
@@ -48,23 +48,31 @@ class Compose(Randomizable, InvertibleTransform):
        dictionary. It is required that the dictionary is copied between input
        and output of each transform.
 
-    If some transform generates a list batch of data in the transform chain,
-    every item in the list is still a dictionary, and all the following
-    transforms will apply to every item of the list, for example:
+    If some transform takes a data item dictionary as input, and returns a
+    sequence of data items in the transform chain, all following transforms
+    will be applied to each item of this list if `map_items` is `True` (the
+    default).  If `map_items` is `False`, the returned sequence is passed whole
+    to the next callable in the chain.
 
-    #. transformA normalizes the intensity of 'img' field in the dict data.
-    #. transformB crops out a list batch of images on 'img' and 'seg' field.
-       And constructs a list of dict data, other fields are copied::
+    For example:
 
-            {                          [{                   {
-                'img': [1, 2],              'img': [1],         'img': [2],
-                'seg': [1, 2],              'seg': [1],         'seg': [2],
-                'extra': 123,    -->        'extra': 123,       'extra': 123,
-                'shape': 'CHWD'             'shape': 'CHWD'     'shape': 'CHWD'
-            }                           },                  }]
+    A `Compose([transformA, transformB, transformC],
+    map_items=True)(data_dict)` could achieve the following patch-based
+    transformation on the `data_dict` input:
 
-    #. transformC then randomly rotates or flips 'img' and 'seg' fields of
-       every dictionary item in the list.
+    #. transformA normalizes the intensity of 'img' field in the `data_dict`.
+    #. transformB crops out image patches from the 'img' and 'seg' of
+       `data_dict`, and return a list of three patch samples::
+
+        {'img': 3x100x100 data, 'seg': 1x100x100 data, 'shape': (100, 100)}
+                             applying transformB
+                                 ---------->
+        [{'img': 3x20x20 data, 'seg': 1x20x20 data, 'shape': (20, 20)},
+         {'img': 3x20x20 data, 'seg': 1x20x20 data, 'shape': (20, 20)},
+         {'img': 3x20x20 data, 'seg': 1x20x20 data, 'shape': (20, 20)},]
+
+    #. transformC then randomly rotates or flips 'img' and 'seg' of
+       each dictionary item in the list returned by transformB.
 
     The composed transforms will be set the same global random seed if user called
     `set_determinism()`.
@@ -93,10 +101,13 @@ class Compose(Randomizable, InvertibleTransform):
         them are called on the labels.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, transforms: Optional[Union[Sequence[Callable], Callable]] = None) -> None:
+    def __init__(
+        self, transforms: Optional[Union[Sequence[Callable], Callable]] = None, map_items: bool = True
+    ) -> None:
         if transforms is None:
             transforms = []
         self.transforms = ensure_tuple(transforms)
+        self.map_items = map_items
         self.set_random_state(seed=get_seed())
 
     def set_random_state(self, seed: Optional[int] = None, state: Optional[np.random.RandomState] = None) -> "Compose":
@@ -141,7 +152,7 @@ def __len__(self):
 
     def __call__(self, input_):
         for _transform in self.transforms:
-            input_ = apply_transform(_transform, input_)
+            input_ = apply_transform(_transform, input_, self.map_items)
         return input_
 
     def inverse(self, data):
@@ -151,5 +162,5 @@ def inverse(self, data):
 
         # loop backwards over transforms
         for t in reversed(invertible_transforms):
-            data = apply_transform(t.inverse, data)
+            data = apply_transform(t.inverse, data, self.map_items)
         return data
diff --git a/tests/test_compose.py b/tests/test_compose.py
index 97b044af8f..77736a4c77 100644
--- a/tests/test_compose.py
+++ b/tests/test_compose.py
@@ -79,6 +79,29 @@ def c(d):  # transform to handle dict data
         for item in value:
             self.assertDictEqual(item, {"a": 2, "b": 1, "c": 2})
 
+    def test_list_dict_compose_no_map(self):
+        def a(d):  # transform to handle dict data
+            d = dict(d)
+            d["a"] += 1
+            return d
+
+        def b(d):  # transform to generate a batch list of data
+            d = dict(d)
+            d["b"] += 1
+            d = [d] * 5
+            return d
+
+        def c(d):  # transform to handle dict data
+            d = [dict(di) for di in d]
+            for di in d:
+                di["c"] += 1
+            return d
+
+        transforms = Compose([a, a, b, c, c], map_items=False)
+        value = transforms({"a": 0, "b": 0, "c": 0})
+        for item in value:
+            self.assertDictEqual(item, {"a": 2, "b": 1, "c": 2})
+
     def test_random_compose(self):
         class _Acc(Randomizable):
             self.rand = 0.0