diff --git a/dspace/CHANGES b/dspace/CHANGES
index 99355f051d..1512bbb86c 100644
--- a/dspace/CHANGES
+++ b/dspace/CHANGES
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 1.4 beta 1
 ==========
+(Martin Hald)
+- SF Patch #1455107 - MetadataValue Database Index
+
 (Phillip Franks)
 - SF Patch #1456173 - updated database_schema.sql for Oracle (partially fixes SF bug #1455290)
 
diff --git a/dspace/etc/database_schema.sql b/dspace/etc/database_schema.sql
index 855ceb8b12..71a5048db2 100644
--- a/dspace/etc/database_schema.sql
+++ b/dspace/etc/database_schema.sql
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ CREATE TABLE MetadataFieldRegistry
 (
   metadata_field_id   INTEGER PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT NEXTVAL('metadatafieldregistry_seq'),
   metadata_schema_id  INTEGER NOT NULL REFERENCES MetadataSchemaRegistry(metadata_schema_id),
-  element    VARCHAR(64),
+  element    VARCHAR(64) UNIQUE,
   qualifier  VARCHAR(64),
   scope_note          TEXT
 );
@@ -316,8 +316,9 @@ CREATE VIEW dcvalue AS
 -- instantiating the item object, which grabs all values
 -- related to that item
 CREATE INDEX metadatavalue_item_idx ON MetadataValue(item_id);
+CREATE INDEX metadatavalue_item_idx2 ON MetadataValue(item_id,metadata_field_id);
 CREATE INDEX metadatafield_schema_idx ON MetadataFieldRegistry(metadata_schema_id);
-
+  
 -------------------------------------------------------
 -- Community table
 -------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/dspace/etc/database_schema_13-14.sql b/dspace/etc/database_schema_13-14.sql
index 05f72545b2..7321bb44fa 100644
--- a/dspace/etc/database_schema_13-14.sql
+++ b/dspace/etc/database_schema_13-14.sql
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ CREATE SEQUENCE metadatavalue_seq;
 CREATE TABLE MetadataSchemaRegistry
 (
   metadata_schema_id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT NEXTVAL('metadataschemaregistry_seq'),
-  namespace          VARCHAR(256),
+  namespace          VARCHAR(256) UNIQUE,
   short_id           VARCHAR(32)
 );
 
@@ -113,6 +113,11 @@ CREATE TABLE MetadataValue
   place              INTEGER
 );
 
+-- Create the Metadata table indexes
+CREATE INDEX metadatavalue_item_idx ON MetadataValue(item_id);
+CREATE INDEX metadatavalue_item_idx2 ON MetadataValue(item_id,metadata_field_id);
+CREATE INDEX metadatafield_schema_idx ON MetadataFieldRegistry(metadata_schema_id);
+
 -- Create the DC schema
 INSERT INTO MetadataSchemaRegistry VALUES (1,'http://dublincore.org/documents/dcmi-terms/','dc');
 
diff --git a/dspace/etc/oracle/database_schema.sql b/dspace/etc/oracle/database_schema.sql
index 3209d5ce49..ffa5054bdd 100644
--- a/dspace/etc/oracle/database_schema.sql
+++ b/dspace/etc/oracle/database_schema.sql
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ CREATE INDEX bundle2bitstream_bundle_idx ON Bundle2Bitstream(bundle_id);
 CREATE TABLE MetadataSchemaRegistry
 (
   metadata_schema_id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
-  namespace          VARCHAR(256),
+  namespace          VARCHAR(256) UNIQUE,
   short_id           VARCHAR(32)
 );
 
@@ -277,6 +277,7 @@ CREATE VIEW dcvalue AS
 -- instantiating the item object, which grabs all values
 -- related to that item
 CREATE INDEX metadatavalue_item_idx ON MetadataValue(item_id);
+CREATE INDEX metadatavalue_item_idx2 ON MetadataValue(item_id,metadata_field_id);
 CREATE INDEX metadatafield_schema_idx ON MetadataFieldRegistry(metadata_schema_id);
 
 -------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/dspace/etc/oracle/database_schema_13-14.sql b/dspace/etc/oracle/database_schema_13-14.sql
index 6502d4f65b..441b425381 100644
--- a/dspace/etc/oracle/database_schema_13-14.sql
+++ b/dspace/etc/oracle/database_schema_13-14.sql
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ CREATE SEQUENCE metadatavalue_seq;
 CREATE TABLE MetadataSchemaRegistry
 (
   metadata_schema_id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
-  namespace          VARCHAR(256),
+  namespace          VARCHAR(256) UNIQUE,
   short_id           VARCHAR(32)
 );
 
@@ -141,6 +141,12 @@ SELECT setval('metadataschemaregistry_seq', max(metadata_schema_id)) FROM metada
 
 DROP TABLE dctyperegistry;
 
+-- create indexes for the metadata tables
+CREATE INDEX metadatavalue_item_idx ON MetadataValue(item_id);
+CREATE INDEX metadatavalue_item_idx2 ON MetadataValue(item_id,metadata_field_id);
+CREATE INDEX metadatafield_schema_idx ON MetadataFieldRegistry(metadata_schema_id);
+
+
 -------------------------------------------------------
 -- Create the checksum checker tables
 -------------------------------------------------------