diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/bulkedit/MetadataImport.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/bulkedit/MetadataImport.java
index dbec53eee9..e8cf42b47c 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/bulkedit/MetadataImport.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/bulkedit/MetadataImport.java
@@ -825,8 +825,10 @@ public class MetadataImport extends DSpaceRunnable<MetadataImportScriptConfigura
                 addRelationships(c, item, element, values);
             } else {
                 itemService.clearMetadata(c, item, schema, element, qualifier, language);
-                itemService.addMetadata(c, item, schema, element, qualifier,
-                                        language, values, authorities, confidences);
+                if (!values.isEmpty()) {
+                    itemService.addMetadata(c, item, schema, element, qualifier,
+                                            language, values, authorities, confidences);
+                }
                 itemService.update(c, item);
             }
         }
@@ -1121,8 +1123,8 @@ public class MetadataImport extends DSpaceRunnable<MetadataImportScriptConfigura
                     .getAuthoritySeparator() + dcv.getConfidence();
             }
 
-            // Add it
-            if ((value != null) && (!"".equals(value))) {
+            // Add it, if value is not blank
+            if (value != null && StringUtils.isNotBlank(value)) {
                 changes.registerAdd(dcv);
             }
         }
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/app/bulkedit/MetadataImportIT.java b/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/app/bulkedit/MetadataImportIT.java
index e50f7913ad..ae079df560 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/app/bulkedit/MetadataImportIT.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/app/bulkedit/MetadataImportIT.java
@@ -9,12 +9,12 @@ package org.dspace.app.bulkedit;
 
 import static junit.framework.TestCase.assertEquals;
 import static junit.framework.TestCase.assertTrue;
+import static junit.framework.TestCase.fail;
 
 import java.io.BufferedWriter;
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.FileOutputStream;
 import java.io.OutputStreamWriter;
-import java.sql.SQLException;
 import java.util.List;
 
 import org.apache.commons.cli.ParseException;
@@ -218,9 +218,10 @@ public class MetadataImportIT extends AbstractIntegrationTestWithDatabase {
 
     @Test
     public void metadataImportRemovingValueTest() throws Exception {
-
         context.turnOffAuthorisationSystem();
-        Item item = ItemBuilder.createItem(context,personCollection).withAuthor("TestAuthorToRemove").withTitle("title")
+        String itemTitle = "Testing removing author";
+        Item item = ItemBuilder.createItem(context,personCollection).withAuthor("TestAuthorToRemove")
+                               .withTitle(itemTitle)
                                .build();
         context.restoreAuthSystemState();
 
@@ -232,19 +233,21 @@ public class MetadataImportIT extends AbstractIntegrationTestWithDatabase {
         String[] csv = {"id,collection,dc.title,dc.contributor.author[*]",
             item.getID().toString() + "," + personCollection.getHandle() + "," + item.getName() + ","};
         performImportScript(csv);
-        item = findItemByName("title");
+        item = findItemByName(itemTitle);
         assertEquals(0, itemService.getMetadata(item, "dc", "contributor", "author", Item.ANY).size());
     }
 
-    private Item findItemByName(String name) throws SQLException {
-        Item importedItem = null;
-        List<Item> allItems = IteratorUtils.toList(itemService.findAll(context));
-        for (Item item : allItems) {
-            if (item.getName().equals(name)) {
-                importedItem = item;
-            }
+    private Item findItemByName(String name) throws Exception {
+        List<Item> items =
+            IteratorUtils.toList(itemService.findByMetadataField(context, "dc", "title", null, name));
+
+        if (items != null && !items.isEmpty()) {
+            // Just return first matching Item. Tests should ensure name/title is unique.
+            return items.get(0);
+        } else {
+            fail("Could not find expected Item with dc.title = '" + name + "'");
+            return null;
         }
-        return importedItem;
     }
 
     public void performImportScript(String[] csv) throws Exception {