diff --git a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-metadata/edit-in-place-field/edit-in-place-field.component.ts b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-metadata/edit-in-place-field/edit-in-place-field.component.ts
index 5a905fc7ea..74594d2339 100644
--- a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-metadata/edit-in-place-field/edit-in-place-field.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-metadata/edit-in-place-field/edit-in-place-field.component.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { NgModel } from '@angular/forms';
 import { MetadatumViewModel } from '../../../../core/shared/metadata.models';
 import { MetadataField } from '../../../../core/metadata/metadata-field.model';
 import { InputSuggestion } from '../../../../shared/input-suggestions/input-suggestions.model';
+import { METADATA_PATCH_OPERATION_SERVICE_TOKEN } from '../../../../core/data/object-updates/patch-operation-service/metadata-patch-operation.service';
 
 @Component({
   // tslint:disable-next-line:component-selector
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ export class EditInPlaceFieldComponent implements OnInit, OnChanges {
    * Sends a new change update for this field to the object updates service
    */
   update(ngModel?: NgModel) {
-    this.objectUpdatesService.saveChangeFieldUpdate(this.url, cloneDeep(this.metadata));
+    this.objectUpdatesService.saveChangeFieldUpdate(this.url, cloneDeep(this.metadata), METADATA_PATCH_OPERATION_SERVICE_TOKEN);
     if (hasValue(ngModel)) {
       this.checkValidity(ngModel);
     }
@@ -103,7 +104,7 @@ export class EditInPlaceFieldComponent implements OnInit, OnChanges {
    * Sends a new remove update for this field to the object updates service
    */
   remove() {
-    this.objectUpdatesService.saveRemoveFieldUpdate(this.url, cloneDeep(this.metadata));
+    this.objectUpdatesService.saveRemoveFieldUpdate(this.url, cloneDeep(this.metadata), METADATA_PATCH_OPERATION_SERVICE_TOKEN);
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-metadata/item-metadata.component.ts b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-metadata/item-metadata.component.ts
index 52402f8b32..edeb692c43 100644
--- a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-metadata/item-metadata.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-metadata/item-metadata.component.ts
@@ -17,8 +17,12 @@ import { Metadata } from '../../../core/shared/metadata.utils';
 import { AbstractItemUpdateComponent } from '../abstract-item-update/abstract-item-update.component';
 import { MetadataField } from '../../../core/metadata/metadata-field.model';
 import { UpdateDataService } from '../../../core/data/update-data.service';
-import { hasNoValue, hasValue } from '../../../shared/empty.util';
+import { hasNoValue, hasValue, isNotEmpty } from '../../../shared/empty.util';
 import { AlertType } from '../../../shared/alert/aletr-type';
+import { Operation } from 'fast-json-patch';
+import { METADATA_PATCH_OPERATION_SERVICE_TOKEN } from '../../../core/data/object-updates/patch-operation-service/metadata-patch-operation.service';
+import { DSOSuccessResponse } from '../../../core/cache/response.models';
+import { ObjectCacheService } from '../../../core/cache/object-cache.service';
 
 @Component({
   selector: 'ds-item-metadata',
@@ -55,6 +59,7 @@ export class ItemMetadataComponent extends AbstractItemUpdateComponent {
     public translateService: TranslateService,
     public route: ActivatedRoute,
     public metadataFieldService: RegistryService,
+    public objectCacheService: ObjectCacheService,
   ) {
     super(itemService, objectUpdatesService, router, notificationsService, translateService, route);
   }
@@ -89,7 +94,7 @@ export class ItemMetadataComponent extends AbstractItemUpdateComponent {
    * @param metadata The metadata to add, if no parameter is supplied, create a new Metadatum
    */
   add(metadata: MetadatumViewModel = new MetadatumViewModel()) {
-    this.objectUpdatesService.saveAddFieldUpdate(this.url, metadata);
+    this.objectUpdatesService.saveAddFieldUpdate(this.url, metadata, METADATA_PATCH_OPERATION_SERVICE_TOKEN);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -106,15 +111,20 @@ export class ItemMetadataComponent extends AbstractItemUpdateComponent {
   public submit() {
     this.isValid().pipe(first()).subscribe((isValid) => {
       if (isValid) {
-        const metadata$: Observable<Identifiable[]> = this.objectUpdatesService.getUpdatedFields(this.url, this.item.metadataAsList) as Observable<MetadatumViewModel[]>;
-        metadata$.pipe(
+        this.objectUpdatesService.createPatch(this.url).pipe(
           first(),
-          switchMap((metadata: MetadatumViewModel[]) => {
-            const updatedItem: Item = Object.assign(cloneDeep(this.item), { metadata: Metadata.toMetadataMap(metadata) });
-            return this.updateService.update(updatedItem);
-          }),
-          tap(() => this.updateService.commitUpdates()),
-          getSucceededRemoteData()
+          switchMap((patch: Operation[]) => {
+            return this.updateService.patch(this.item, patch).pipe(
+              switchMap((response: DSOSuccessResponse) => {
+                if (isNotEmpty(response.resourceSelfLinks)) {
+                  const selfLink = response.resourceSelfLinks[0];
+                  this.objectCacheService.addPatch(selfLink, patch, false);
+                  return this.itemService.findByHref(selfLink);
+                }
+              }),
+              getSucceededRemoteData()
+            );
+          })
         ).subscribe(
           (rd: RemoteData<Item>) => {
             this.item = rd.payload;
diff --git a/src/app/core/cache/object-cache.service.ts b/src/app/core/cache/object-cache.service.ts
index d82a1f31fe..598f168726 100644
--- a/src/app/core/cache/object-cache.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/cache/object-cache.service.ts
@@ -275,9 +275,11 @@ export class ObjectCacheService {
    * @param {Operation[]} patch
    *     list of operations to perform
    */
-  public addPatch(selfLink: string, patch: Operation[]) {
+  public addPatch(selfLink: string, patch: Operation[], addToSSD = true) {
     this.store.dispatch(new AddPatchObjectCacheAction(selfLink, patch));
-    this.store.dispatch(new AddToSSBAction(selfLink, RestRequestMethod.PATCH));
+    if (addToSSD) {
+      this.store.dispatch(new AddToSSBAction(selfLink, RestRequestMethod.PATCH));
+    }
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/src/app/core/data/item-template-data.service.ts b/src/app/core/data/item-template-data.service.ts
index a44d48e9bd..4f26f47eee 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/item-template-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/item-template-data.service.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import { switchMap, map } from 'rxjs/operators';
 import { BundleDataService } from './bundle-data.service';
 import { FollowLinkConfig } from '../../shared/utils/follow-link-config.model';
 import { RestResponse } from '../cache/response.models';
+import { Operation } from 'fast-json-patch';
 
 /* tslint:disable:max-classes-per-file */
 /**
@@ -165,6 +166,10 @@ export class ItemTemplateDataService implements UpdateDataService<Item> {
     return this.dataService.update(object);
   }
 
+  patch(dso: Item, operations: Operation[]): Observable<RestResponse> {
+    return this.dataService.patch(dso, operations);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Find an item template by collection ID
    * @param collectionID
diff --git a/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.actions.ts b/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.actions.ts
index f26be768b1..d98b8495d4 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.actions.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.actions.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ import {type} from '../../../shared/ngrx/type';
 import {Action} from '@ngrx/store';
 import {Identifiable} from './object-updates.reducer';
 import {INotification} from '../../../shared/notifications/models/notification.model';
+import { InjectionToken } from '@angular/core';
+import { PatchOperationService } from './patch-operation-service/patch-operation.service';
 
 /**
  * The list of ObjectUpdatesAction type definitions
@@ -70,6 +72,7 @@ export class AddFieldUpdateAction implements Action {
     url: string,
     field: Identifiable,
     changeType: FieldChangeType,
+    patchOperationServiceToken?: InjectionToken<PatchOperationService<Identifiable>>
   };
 
   /**
@@ -83,8 +86,9 @@ export class AddFieldUpdateAction implements Action {
   constructor(
     url: string,
     field: Identifiable,
-    changeType: FieldChangeType) {
-    this.payload = { url, field, changeType };
+    changeType: FieldChangeType,
+    patchOperationServiceToken?: InjectionToken<PatchOperationService<Identifiable>>) {
+    this.payload = { url, field, changeType, patchOperationServiceToken };
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.reducer.ts b/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.reducer.ts
index b1626a5ff5..3a2723a10e 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.reducer.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.reducer.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ import {
 } from './object-updates.actions';
 import { hasNoValue, hasValue } from '../../../shared/empty.util';
 import {Relationship} from '../../shared/item-relationships/relationship.model';
+import { InjectionToken } from '@angular/core';
+import { PatchOperationService } from './patch-operation-service/patch-operation.service';
 
 /**
  * Path where discarded objects are saved
@@ -48,7 +50,8 @@ export interface Identifiable {
  */
 export interface FieldUpdate {
   field: Identifiable,
-  changeType: FieldChangeType
+  changeType: FieldChangeType,
+  patchOperationServiceToken?: InjectionToken<PatchOperationService<Identifiable>>
 }
 
 /**
@@ -184,6 +187,7 @@ function addFieldUpdate(state: any, action: AddFieldUpdateAction) {
   const url: string = action.payload.url;
   const field: Identifiable = action.payload.field;
   const changeType: FieldChangeType = action.payload.changeType;
+  const patchOperationServiceToken: InjectionToken<PatchOperationService<Identifiable>> = action.payload.patchOperationServiceToken;
   const pageState: ObjectUpdatesEntry = state[url] || {};
 
   let states = pageState.fieldStates;
@@ -194,7 +198,7 @@ function addFieldUpdate(state: any, action: AddFieldUpdateAction) {
   let fieldUpdate: any = pageState.fieldUpdates[field.uuid] || {};
   const newChangeType = determineChangeType(fieldUpdate.changeType, changeType);
 
-  fieldUpdate = Object.assign({}, { field, changeType: newChangeType });
+  fieldUpdate = Object.assign({}, { field, changeType: newChangeType, patchOperationServiceToken });
 
   const fieldUpdates = Object.assign({}, pageState.fieldUpdates, { [field.uuid]: fieldUpdate });
 
diff --git a/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.service.ts b/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.service.ts
index 84f0f06035..5889c6e499 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.service.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { Injectable } from '@angular/core';
+import { Injectable, InjectionToken, Injector } from '@angular/core';
 import { createSelector, MemoizedSelector, select, Store } from '@ngrx/store';
 import { CoreState } from '../../core.reducers';
 import { coreSelector } from '../../core.selectors';
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ import {
 import { distinctUntilChanged, filter, map, switchMap } from 'rxjs/operators';
 import { hasNoValue, hasValue, isEmpty, isNotEmpty, isNotEmptyOperator } from '../../../shared/empty.util';
 import { INotification } from '../../../shared/notifications/models/notification.model';
+import { Operation } from 'fast-json-patch';
+import { PatchOperationService } from './patch-operation-service/patch-operation.service';
 
 function objectUpdatesStateSelector(): MemoizedSelector<CoreState, ObjectUpdatesState> {
   return createSelector(coreSelector, (state: CoreState) => state['cache/object-updates']);
@@ -48,7 +50,8 @@ function virtualMetadataSourceSelector(url: string, source: string): MemoizedSel
  */
 @Injectable()
 export class ObjectUpdatesService {
-  constructor(private store: Store<CoreState>) {
+  constructor(private store: Store<CoreState>,
+              private injector: Injector) {
   }
 
   /**
@@ -67,8 +70,8 @@ export class ObjectUpdatesService {
    * @param field An updated field for the page's object
    * @param changeType The last type of change applied to this field
    */
-  private saveFieldUpdate(url: string, field: Identifiable, changeType: FieldChangeType) {
-    this.store.dispatch(new AddFieldUpdateAction(url, field, changeType))
+  private saveFieldUpdate(url: string, field: Identifiable, changeType: FieldChangeType, patchOperationServiceToken?: InjectionToken<PatchOperationService<Identifiable>>) {
+    this.store.dispatch(new AddFieldUpdateAction(url, field, changeType, patchOperationServiceToken))
   }
 
   /**
@@ -185,8 +188,8 @@ export class ObjectUpdatesService {
    * @param url The page's URL for which the changes are saved
    * @param field An updated field for the page's object
    */
-  saveAddFieldUpdate(url: string, field: Identifiable) {
-    this.saveFieldUpdate(url, field, FieldChangeType.ADD);
+  saveAddFieldUpdate(url: string, field: Identifiable, patchOperationServiceToken?: InjectionToken<PatchOperationService<Identifiable>>) {
+    this.saveFieldUpdate(url, field, FieldChangeType.ADD, patchOperationServiceToken);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -194,8 +197,8 @@ export class ObjectUpdatesService {
    * @param url The page's URL for which the changes are saved
    * @param field An updated field for the page's object
    */
-  saveRemoveFieldUpdate(url: string, field: Identifiable) {
-    this.saveFieldUpdate(url, field, FieldChangeType.REMOVE);
+  saveRemoveFieldUpdate(url: string, field: Identifiable, patchOperationServiceToken?: InjectionToken<PatchOperationService<Identifiable>>) {
+    this.saveFieldUpdate(url, field, FieldChangeType.REMOVE, patchOperationServiceToken);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -203,8 +206,8 @@ export class ObjectUpdatesService {
    * @param url The page's URL for which the changes are saved
    * @param field An updated field for the page's object
    */
-  saveChangeFieldUpdate(url: string, field: Identifiable) {
-    this.saveFieldUpdate(url, field, FieldChangeType.UPDATE);
+  saveChangeFieldUpdate(url: string, field: Identifiable, patchOperationServiceToken?: InjectionToken<PatchOperationService<Identifiable>>) {
+    this.saveFieldUpdate(url, field, FieldChangeType.UPDATE, patchOperationServiceToken);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -339,4 +342,23 @@ export class ObjectUpdatesService {
   getLastModified(url: string): Observable<Date> {
     return this.getObjectEntry(url).pipe(map((entry: ObjectUpdatesEntry) => entry.lastModified));
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Create a patch from the current object-updates state
+   * @param url The URL of the page for which the patch should be created
+   */
+  createPatch(url: string): Observable<Operation[]> {
+    return this.getObjectEntry(url).pipe(
+      map((entry) => {
+        const patch = [];
+        Object.keys(entry.fieldUpdates).forEach((uuid) => {
+          const update = entry.fieldUpdates[uuid];
+          if (hasValue(update.patchOperationServiceToken)) {
+            patch.push(this.injector.get(update.patchOperationServiceToken).fieldUpdateToPatchOperation(update));
+          }
+        });
+        return patch;
+      })
+    );
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/app/core/data/object-updates/patch-operation-service/metadata-patch-operation.service.ts b/src/app/core/data/object-updates/patch-operation-service/metadata-patch-operation.service.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cbc441c3da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/core/data/object-updates/patch-operation-service/metadata-patch-operation.service.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import { PatchOperationService } from './patch-operation.service';
+import { MetadataValue, MetadatumViewModel } from '../../../shared/metadata.models';
+import { FieldUpdate } from '../object-updates.reducer';
+import { Operation } from 'fast-json-patch';
+import { FieldChangeType } from '../object-updates.actions';
+import { InjectionToken } from '@angular/core';
+
+export const METADATA_PATCH_OPERATION_SERVICE_TOKEN = new InjectionToken<MetadataPatchOperationService>('MetadataPatchOperationService', {
+  providedIn: 'root',
+  factory: () => new MetadataPatchOperationService(),
+});
+
+export class MetadataPatchOperationService implements PatchOperationService<MetadatumViewModel> {
+  fieldUpdateToPatchOperation(fieldUpdate: FieldUpdate): Operation {
+    const metadatum = fieldUpdate.field as MetadatumViewModel;
+    const path = `/metadata/${metadatum.key}`;
+    const val = {
+      value: metadatum.value,
+      language: metadatum.language
+    }
+
+    switch (fieldUpdate.changeType) {
+      case FieldChangeType.ADD: return { op: 'add', path, value: [ val ] };
+      case FieldChangeType.REMOVE: return { op: 'remove', path: `${path}/${metadatum.place}` };
+      case FieldChangeType.UPDATE: return { op: 'replace', path: `${path}/${metadatum.place}`, value: val };
+      default: return undefined;
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/app/core/data/object-updates/patch-operation-service/patch-operation.service.ts b/src/app/core/data/object-updates/patch-operation-service/patch-operation.service.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7a88e41b41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/core/data/object-updates/patch-operation-service/patch-operation.service.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+import { FieldUpdate, Identifiable } from '../object-updates.reducer';
+import { Operation } from 'fast-json-patch';
+
+export interface PatchOperationService<T extends Identifiable> {
+  fieldUpdateToPatchOperation(fieldUpdate: FieldUpdate): Operation;
+}
diff --git a/src/app/core/data/update-data.service.ts b/src/app/core/data/update-data.service.ts
index 34835e14c1..f572c75982 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/update-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/update-data.service.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 import { Observable } from 'rxjs/internal/Observable';
 import { RemoteData } from './remote-data';
 import { RestRequestMethod } from './rest-request-method';
+import { Operation } from 'fast-json-patch';
+import { RestResponse } from '../cache/response.models';
 
 /**
  * Represents a data service to update a given object
  */
 export interface UpdateDataService<T> {
+  patch(dso: T, operations: Operation[]): Observable<RestResponse>;
   update(object: T): Observable<RemoteData<T>>;
   commitUpdates(method?: RestRequestMethod);
 }