diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/CollectionServiceImpl.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/CollectionServiceImpl.java
index 7c7f287b4c..7081e7c50e 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/CollectionServiceImpl.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/CollectionServiceImpl.java
@@ -547,17 +547,18 @@ public class CollectionServiceImpl extends DSpaceObjectServiceImpl<Collection> i
 
     @Override
     public void removeItem(Context context, Collection collection, Item item) throws SQLException, AuthorizeException, IOException {
-                // Check authorisation
+        // Check authorisation
         authorizeService.authorizeAction(context, collection, Constants.REMOVE);
 
-        //Remove the item from the collection
-        item.removeCollection(collection);
-
         //Check if we orphaned our poor item
-        if (item.getCollections().isEmpty())
+        if (item.getCollections().size() == 1)
         {
             // Orphan; delete it
             itemService.delete(context, item);
+        } else {
+            //Remove the item from the collection if we have multiple collections
+            item.removeCollection(collection);
+
         }
 
         context.addEvent(new Event(Event.REMOVE, Constants.COLLECTION,
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/ItemServiceImpl.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/ItemServiceImpl.java
index 043c7d9284..ac12adb60f 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/ItemServiceImpl.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/ItemServiceImpl.java
@@ -578,8 +578,6 @@ public class ItemServiceImpl extends DSpaceObjectServiceImpl<Item> implements It
     @Override
     public void delete(Context context, Item item) throws SQLException, AuthorizeException, IOException {
         authorizeService.authorizeAction(context, item, Constants.DELETE);
-        item.getCollections().clear();
-        item.setOwningCollection(null);
         rawDelete(context,  item);
     }
 
@@ -603,14 +601,19 @@ public class ItemServiceImpl extends DSpaceObjectServiceImpl<Item> implements It
         // Remove bundles
         removeAllBundles(context, item);
 
+        // remove version attached to the item
+        removeVersion(context, item);
+
+        //Only clear collections after we have removed everything else from the item
+        item.getCollections().clear();
+        item.setOwningCollection(null);
+
         // remove all of our authorization policies
         authorizeService.removeAllPolicies(context, item, false);
 
         // Remove any Handle
         handleService.unbindHandle(context, item);
 
-                // remove version attached to the item
-        removeVersion(context, item);
 
         // Finally remove item row
         itemDAO.delete(context, item);