diff --git a/src/app/dso-shared/dso-edit-metadata/metadata-field-selector/metadata-field-selector.component.spec.ts b/src/app/dso-shared/dso-edit-metadata/metadata-field-selector/metadata-field-selector.component.spec.ts
index 198a6f102d..93d52e7147 100644
--- a/src/app/dso-shared/dso-edit-metadata/metadata-field-selector/metadata-field-selector.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/dso-shared/dso-edit-metadata/metadata-field-selector/metadata-field-selector.component.spec.ts
@@ -116,6 +116,14 @@ describe('MetadataFieldSelectorComponent', () => {
       });
     });
 
+    it('should sort the fields by name to ensure the one without a qualifier is first', () => {
+      component.mdField = 'dc.relation';
+
+      component.validate();
+
+      expect(registryService.queryMetadataFields).toHaveBeenCalledWith('dc.relation', { elementsPerPage: 20, sort: new SortOptions('fieldName', SortDirection.ASC), currentPage: 1 }, true, false, followLink('schema'));
+    });
+
     describe('when querying the metadata fields returns an error response', () => {
       beforeEach(() => {
         (registryService.queryMetadataFields as jasmine.Spy).and.returnValue(createFailedRemoteDataObject$('Failed'));
diff --git a/src/app/dso-shared/dso-edit-metadata/metadata-field-selector/metadata-field-selector.component.ts b/src/app/dso-shared/dso-edit-metadata/metadata-field-selector/metadata-field-selector.component.ts
index 65bd8bfa7b..12e37efd19 100644
--- a/src/app/dso-shared/dso-edit-metadata/metadata-field-selector/metadata-field-selector.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/dso-shared/dso-edit-metadata/metadata-field-selector/metadata-field-selector.component.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ import {
   SortDirection,
   SortOptions,
 } from '../../../core/cache/models/sort-options.model';
+import { FindListOptions } from '../../../core/data/find-list-options.model';
 import { RegistryService } from '../../../core/registry/registry.service';
 import {
   getAllSucceededRemoteData,
@@ -153,7 +154,10 @@ export class MetadataFieldSelectorComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy, AfterV
   /**
    * Default page option for this feature
    */
-  pageOptions = { elementsPerPage: 20, sort: new SortOptions('fieldName', SortDirection.ASC) };
+  pageOptions: FindListOptions = {
+    elementsPerPage: 20,
+    sort: new SortOptions('fieldName', SortDirection.ASC),
+  };
 
 
   constructor(protected registryService: RegistryService,
@@ -209,7 +213,7 @@ export class MetadataFieldSelectorComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy, AfterV
    * Upon subscribing to the returned observable, the showInvalid flag is updated accordingly to show the feedback under the input
    */
   validate(): Observable<boolean> {
-    return this.registryService.queryMetadataFields(this.mdField, null, true, false, followLink('schema')).pipe(
+    return this.registryService.queryMetadataFields(this.mdField, Object.assign({}, this.pageOptions, { currentPage: 1 }), true, false, followLink('schema')).pipe(
       getFirstCompletedRemoteData(),
       switchMap((rd) => {
         if (rd.hasSucceeded) {
@@ -263,9 +267,7 @@ export class MetadataFieldSelectorComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy, AfterV
    * @param useCache Whether or not to use the cache
    */
   search(query: string, page: number, useCache: boolean = true)  {
-    return this.registryService.queryMetadataFields(query,{
-      elementsPerPage: this.pageOptions.elementsPerPage, sort: this.pageOptions.sort,
-      currentPage: page }, useCache, false, followLink('schema'))
+    return this.registryService.queryMetadataFields(query, Object.assign({}, this.pageOptions, { currentPage: page }), useCache, false, followLink('schema'))
       .pipe(
         getAllSucceededRemoteData(),
         metadataFieldsToString(),