diff --git a/src/app/core/shared/collection.model.spec.ts b/src/app/core/shared/collection.model.spec.ts
index 82e90f05cd..b35fa7415b 100644
--- a/src/app/core/shared/collection.model.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/shared/collection.model.spec.ts
@@ -5,11 +5,9 @@ describe('Collection', () => {
   describe('Collection handle value',  () => {
 
     let metadataValue;
-    let handleValue;
 
     beforeEach(() => {
       metadataValue = {'dc.identifier.uri': [ { value: '123456789/1'}]};
-      handleValue = '11111111111/1';
     })
 
     it('should return the handle value from metadata', () => {
@@ -17,13 +15,8 @@ describe('Collection', () => {
       expect(community.handle).toEqual('123456789/1');
     });
 
-    it('should return the handle value from metadata even when the handle field is provided', () => {
-      const community = Object.assign(new Collection(), { handle: handleValue, metadata: metadataValue });
-      expect(community.handle).toEqual('123456789/1');
-    });
-
     it('should return undefined if the handle value from metadata is not present', () => {
-      const community = Object.assign(new Collection(), { handle: handleValue });
+      const community = Object.assign(new Collection(), { });
       expect(community.handle).toEqual(undefined);
     });
   });
diff --git a/src/app/core/shared/collection.model.ts b/src/app/core/shared/collection.model.ts
index d0033ee7ca..a82f0646c5 100644
--- a/src/app/core/shared/collection.model.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/shared/collection.model.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { deserialize, deserializeAs, inheritSerialization } from 'cerialize';
+import { deserialize, inheritSerialization } from 'cerialize';
 import { Observable } from 'rxjs';
 import { link, typedObject } from '../cache/builders/build-decorators';
 import { PaginatedList } from '../data/paginated-list';
@@ -15,17 +15,12 @@ import { RESOURCE_POLICY } from '../resource-policy/models/resource-policy.resou
 import { COMMUNITY } from './community.resource-type';
 import { Community } from './community.model';
 import { ChildHALResource } from './child-hal-resource.model';
-import { excludeFromEquals } from '../utilities/equals.decorators';
 
 @typedObject
 @inheritSerialization(DSpaceObject)
 export class Collection extends DSpaceObject implements ChildHALResource {
   static type = COLLECTION;
 
-  @excludeFromEquals
-  @deserializeAs('handle')
-  private _handle: string;
-
   /**
    * The {@link HALLink}s for this Collection
    */
@@ -81,10 +76,6 @@ export class Collection extends DSpaceObject implements ChildHALResource {
     return this.firstMetadataValue('dc.identifier.uri');
   }
 
-  set handle(value: string) {
-    this._handle = value;
-  }
-
   /**
    * The introductory text of this Collection
    * Corresponds to the metadata field dc.description
diff --git a/src/app/core/shared/community.model.spec.ts b/src/app/core/shared/community.model.spec.ts
index 1b688c9df9..5697686853 100644
--- a/src/app/core/shared/community.model.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/shared/community.model.spec.ts
@@ -5,11 +5,9 @@ describe('Community', () => {
   describe('Community handle value',  () => {
 
     let metadataValue;
-    let handleValue;
 
     beforeEach(() => {
       metadataValue = {'dc.identifier.uri': [ { value: '123456789/1'}]};
-      handleValue = '11111111111/1';
     })
 
     it('should return the handle value from metadata', () => {
@@ -17,13 +15,8 @@ describe('Community', () => {
       expect(community.handle).toEqual('123456789/1');
     });
 
-    it('should return the handle value from metadata even when the handle field is provided', () => {
-      const community = Object.assign(new Community(), { handle: handleValue, metadata: metadataValue });
-      expect(community.handle).toEqual('123456789/1');
-    });
-
     it('should return undefined if the handle value from metadata is not present', () => {
-      const community = Object.assign(new Community(), { handle: handleValue });
+      const community = Object.assign(new Community(), { });
       expect(community.handle).toEqual(undefined);
     });
   });
diff --git a/src/app/core/shared/community.model.ts b/src/app/core/shared/community.model.ts
index 1f76cb66de..778696486b 100644
--- a/src/app/core/shared/community.model.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/shared/community.model.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { deserialize, deserializeAs, inheritSerialization } from 'cerialize';
+import { deserialize, inheritSerialization } from 'cerialize';
 import { Observable } from 'rxjs';
 import { link, typedObject } from '../cache/builders/build-decorators';
 import { PaginatedList } from '../data/paginated-list';
@@ -11,17 +11,12 @@ import { COMMUNITY } from './community.resource-type';
 import { DSpaceObject } from './dspace-object.model';
 import { HALLink } from './hal-link.model';
 import { ChildHALResource } from './child-hal-resource.model';
-import { excludeFromEquals } from '../utilities/equals.decorators';
 
 @typedObject
 @inheritSerialization(DSpaceObject)
 export class Community extends DSpaceObject implements ChildHALResource {
   static type = COMMUNITY;
 
-  @excludeFromEquals
-  @deserializeAs('handle')
-  private _handle: string;
-
   /**
    * The {@link HALLink}s for this Community
    */
@@ -70,10 +65,6 @@ export class Community extends DSpaceObject implements ChildHALResource {
     return this.firstMetadataValue('dc.identifier.uri');
   }
 
-  set handle(value: string) {
-    this._handle = value;
-  }
-
   /**
    * The introductory text of this Community
    * Corresponds to the metadata field dc.description
diff --git a/src/app/shared/comcol-page-handle/comcol-page-handle.component.spec.ts b/src/app/shared/comcol-page-handle/comcol-page-handle.component.spec.ts
index 0fb1b458e1..e3e0c65920 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/comcol-page-handle/comcol-page-handle.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/comcol-page-handle/comcol-page-handle.component.spec.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { ComcolPageHandleComponent } from './comcol-page-handle.component';
 
 const handle = 'http://localhost:4000/handle/123456789/2';
 
-fdescribe('ComcolPageHandleComponent', () => {
+describe('ComcolPageHandleComponent', () => {
   let component: ComcolPageHandleComponent;
   let fixture: ComponentFixture<ComcolPageHandleComponent>;
 
diff --git a/src/app/shared/dso-selector/modal-wrappers/export-metadata-selector/export-metadata-selector.component.spec.ts b/src/app/shared/dso-selector/modal-wrappers/export-metadata-selector/export-metadata-selector.component.spec.ts
index 40aab2fad5..ef9abbb5ee 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/dso-selector/modal-wrappers/export-metadata-selector/export-metadata-selector.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/dso-selector/modal-wrappers/export-metadata-selector/export-metadata-selector.component.spec.ts
@@ -53,12 +53,26 @@ describe('ExportMetadataSelectorComponent', () => {
   const mockCollection: Collection = Object.assign(new Collection(), {
     id: 'test-collection-1-1',
     name: 'test-collection-1',
-    handle: 'fake/test-collection-1',
+    metadata: {
+      'dc.identifier.uri': [
+        {
+          language: null,
+          value: 'fake/test-collection-1'
+        }
+      ]
+    }
   });
 
   const mockCommunity = Object.assign(new Community(), {
     id: 'test-uuid',
-    handle: 'fake/test-community-1',
+    metadata: {
+      'dc.identifier.uri': [
+        {
+          language: null,
+          value: 'fake/test-community-1'
+        }
+      ]
+    }
   });
 
   const itemRD = createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject(mockItem);
diff --git a/src/app/shared/search-form/search-form.component.spec.ts b/src/app/shared/search-form/search-form.component.spec.ts
index ffd8dd87a2..45339d98d2 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/search-form/search-form.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/search-form/search-form.component.spec.ts
@@ -109,7 +109,6 @@ describe('SearchFormComponent', () => {
 
 export const objects: DSpaceObject[] = [
   Object.assign(new Community(), {
-    handle: '10673/11',
     logo: {
       self: {
         _isScalar: true,
@@ -162,12 +161,17 @@ export const objects: DSpaceObject[] = [
           language: null,
           value: 'OR2017 - Demonstration'
         }
-      ]
+      ],
+      'dc.identifier.uri': [
+        {
+          language: null,
+          value: 'http://localhost:4000/handle/10673/11'
+        }
+      ],
     }
   }),
   Object.assign(new Community(),
     {
-      handle: '10673/1',
       logo: {
         self: {
           _isScalar: true,
@@ -220,7 +224,13 @@ export const objects: DSpaceObject[] = [
             language: null,
             value: 'Sample Community'
           }
-        ]
+        ],
+        'dc.identifier.uri': [
+          {
+            language: null,
+            value: 'http://localhost:4000/handle/10673/1'
+          }
+        ],
       }
     }
   )
diff --git a/src/app/shared/search/search-results/search-results.component.spec.ts b/src/app/shared/search/search-results/search-results.component.spec.ts
index b4586129e2..0386787654 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/search/search-results/search-results.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/search/search-results/search-results.component.spec.ts
@@ -96,7 +96,6 @@ describe('SearchResultsComponent', () => {
 
 export const objects = [
   Object.assign(new Community(), {
-    handle: '10673/11',
     logo: {
       self: {
         _isScalar: true,
@@ -149,12 +148,17 @@ export const objects = [
           language: null,
           value: 'OR2017 - Demonstration'
         }
+      ],
+      'dc.identifier.uri': [
+        {
+          language: null,
+          value: 'http://localhost:4000/handle/10673/11'
+        }
       ]
     }
   }),
   Object.assign(new Community(),
     {
-      handle: '10673/1',
       logo: {
         self: {
           _isScalar: true,
@@ -207,6 +211,12 @@ export const objects = [
             language: null,
             value: 'Sample Community'
           }
+        ],
+        'dc.identifier.uri': [
+          {
+            language: null,
+            value: 'http://localhost:4000/handle/10673/1'
+          }
         ]
       }
     }