diff --git a/resources/i18n/en.json5 b/resources/i18n/en.json5
index a9078373ae..f83ed568da 100644
--- a/resources/i18n/en.json5
+++ b/resources/i18n/en.json5
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@
   "collection.edit.tabs.roles.head": "Assign Roles",
   "collection.edit.tabs.roles.title": "Collection Edit - Roles",
   "collection.edit.tabs.source.external": "This collection harvests its content from an external source",
-  "collection.edit.tabs.source.form.errors.provider.required": "You must provide a set id of the target collection.",
+  "collection.edit.tabs.source.form.errors.oaiSource.required": "You must provide a set id of the target collection.",
   "collection.edit.tabs.source.form.harvestType": "Content being harvested",
   "collection.edit.tabs.source.form.head": "Configure an external source",
   "collection.edit.tabs.source.form.metadataConfigId": "Metadata Format",
@@ -478,6 +478,7 @@
   "loading.browse-by-page": "Loading page...",
   "loading.collection": "Loading collection...",
   "loading.collections": "Loading collections...",
+  "loading.content-source": "Loading content source...",
   "loading.community": "Loading community...",
   "loading.default": "Loading...",
   "loading.item": "Loading item...",
diff --git a/src/app/+collection-page/edit-collection-page/collection-source/collection-source.component.html b/src/app/+collection-page/edit-collection-page/collection-source/collection-source.component.html
index d02637ed80..dfcd6e3166 100644
--- a/src/app/+collection-page/edit-collection-page/collection-source/collection-source.component.html
+++ b/src/app/+collection-page/edit-collection-page/collection-source/collection-source.component.html
@@ -18,11 +18,12 @@
     </button>
   </div>
   <h4>{{ 'collection.edit.tabs.source.head' | translate }}</h4>
-  <div class="form-check mb-4">
+  <div *ngIf="contentSource" class="form-check mb-4">
     <input type="checkbox" class="form-check-input" id="externalSourceCheck" [checked]="(contentSource?.harvestType !== harvestTypeNone)" (change)="changeExternalSource()">
     <label class="form-check-label" for="externalSourceCheck">{{ 'collection.edit.tabs.source.external' | translate }}</label>
   </div>
-  <h4 *ngIf="(contentSource?.harvestType !== harvestTypeNone)">{{ 'collection.edit.tabs.source.form.head' | translate }}</h4>
+  <ds-loading *ngIf="!contentSource" [message]="'loading.content-source' | translate"></ds-loading>
+  <h4 *ngIf="contentSource && (contentSource?.harvestType !== harvestTypeNone)">{{ 'collection.edit.tabs.source.form.head' | translate }}</h4>
 </div>
 <ds-form *ngIf="formGroup && contentSource && (contentSource?.harvestType !== harvestTypeNone)"
          [formId]="'collection-source-form-id'"
diff --git a/src/app/+collection-page/edit-collection-page/collection-source/collection-source.component.ts b/src/app/+collection-page/edit-collection-page/collection-source/collection-source.component.ts
index a050443353..44fd8b673c 100644
--- a/src/app/+collection-page/edit-collection-page/collection-source/collection-source.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/+collection-page/edit-collection-page/collection-source/collection-source.component.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import { GLOBAL_CONFIG, GlobalConfig } from '../../../../config';
 import { CollectionDataService } from '../../../core/data/collection-data.service';
 import { getSucceededRemoteData } from '../../../core/shared/operators';
 import { MetadataConfig } from '../../../core/shared/metadata-config.model';
+import { INotification } from '../../../shared/notifications/models/notification.model';
 
 /**
  * Component for managing the content source of the collection
@@ -214,6 +215,13 @@ export class CollectionSourceComponent extends AbstractTrackableComponent implem
    */
   previouslySelectedHarvestType = ContentSourceHarvestType.Metadata;
 
+  /**
+   * Notifications displayed after clicking submit
+   * These are cleaned up every time a user submits the form to prevent error or other notifications from staying active
+   * while they shouldn't be.
+   */
+  displayedNotifications: INotification[] = [];
+
   public constructor(public objectUpdatesService: ObjectUpdatesService,
                      public notificationsService: NotificationsService,
                      protected location: Location,
@@ -269,7 +277,10 @@ export class CollectionSourceComponent extends AbstractTrackableComponent implem
     this.updateSub = this.update$.subscribe((update: FieldUpdate) => {
       if (update) {
         const field = update.field as ContentSource;
-        const defaultConfigId = this.contentSource.metadataConfigs[0].id;
+        let defaultConfigId;
+        if (hasValue(this.contentSource) && isNotEmpty(this.contentSource.metadataConfigs)) {
+          defaultConfigId = this.contentSource.metadataConfigs[0].id;
+        }
         this.formGroup.patchValue({
           oaiSourceContainer: {
             oaiSource: field.oaiSource
@@ -355,9 +366,14 @@ export class CollectionSourceComponent extends AbstractTrackableComponent implem
       map((col) => col.payload.uuid),
       switchMap((uuid) => this.collectionService.updateContentSource(uuid, this.contentSource)),
       take(1)
-    ).subscribe((contentSource: ContentSource) => {
-      this.initializeOriginalContentSource(contentSource);
-      this.notificationsService.success(this.getNotificationTitle('saved'), this.getNotificationContent('saved'));
+    ).subscribe((result: ContentSource | INotification) => {
+      if (hasValue((result as any).harvestType)) {
+        this.clearNotifications();
+        this.initializeOriginalContentSource(result as ContentSource);
+        this.displayedNotifications.push(this.notificationsService.success(this.getNotificationTitle('saved'), this.getNotificationContent('saved')));
+      } else {
+        this.displayedNotifications.push(result as INotification);
+      }
     });
   }
 
@@ -419,6 +435,16 @@ export class CollectionSourceComponent extends AbstractTrackableComponent implem
     this.objectUpdatesService.saveAddFieldUpdate(this.url, cloneDeep(this.contentSource));
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Clear possible active notifications
+   */
+  clearNotifications() {
+    this.displayedNotifications.forEach((notification: INotification) => {
+      this.notificationsService.remove(notification);
+    });
+    this.displayedNotifications = [];
+  }
+
   /**
    * Make sure open subscriptions are closed
    */
diff --git a/src/app/core/data/collection-data.service.ts b/src/app/core/data/collection-data.service.ts
index 94860e5df7..e53b684539 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/collection-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/collection-data.service.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ import { ResponseParsingService } from './parsing.service';
 import { GenericConstructor } from '../shared/generic-constructor';
 import { DSpaceObject } from '../shared/dspace-object.model';
 import { PaginatedSearchOptions } from '../../+search-page/paginated-search-options.model';
+import { INotification } from '../../shared/notifications/models/notification.model';
 
 @Injectable()
 export class CollectionDataService extends ComColDataService<Collection> {
@@ -140,7 +141,7 @@ export class CollectionDataService extends ComColDataService<Collection> {
    * @param collectionId
    * @param contentSource
    */
-  updateContentSource(collectionId: string, contentSource: ContentSource): Observable<ContentSource> {
+  updateContentSource(collectionId: string, contentSource: ContentSource): Observable<ContentSource | INotification> {
     const requestId = this.requestService.generateRequestId();
     const serializedContentSource = new DSpaceRESTv2Serializer(ContentSource).serialize(contentSource);
     const request$ = this.getHarvesterEndpoint(collectionId).pipe(
@@ -166,9 +167,9 @@ export class CollectionDataService extends ComColDataService<Collection> {
         if (!response.isSuccessful) {
           if (hasValue((response as any).errorMessage)) {
             if (response.statusCode === 422) {
-              this.notificationsService.error(this.translate.instant(this.errorTitle), this.translate.instant(this.contentSourceError), new NotificationOptions(-1));
+              return this.notificationsService.error(this.translate.instant(this.errorTitle), this.translate.instant(this.contentSourceError), new NotificationOptions(-1));
             } else {
-              this.notificationsService.error(this.translate.instant(this.errorTitle), (response as any).errorMessage, new NotificationOptions(-1));
+              return this.notificationsService.error(this.translate.instant(this.errorTitle), (response as any).errorMessage, new NotificationOptions(-1));
             }
           }
         } else {
@@ -176,10 +177,11 @@ export class CollectionDataService extends ComColDataService<Collection> {
         }
       }),
       isNotEmptyOperator(),
-      map((response: ContentSourceSuccessResponse) => {
-        if (isNotEmpty(response.contentsource)) {
-          return response.contentsource;
+      map((response: ContentSourceSuccessResponse | INotification) => {
+        if (isNotEmpty((response as any).contentsource)) {
+          return (response as ContentSourceSuccessResponse).contentsource;
         }
+        return response as INotification;
       })
     );
   }
diff --git a/src/app/core/data/content-source-response-parsing.service.ts b/src/app/core/data/content-source-response-parsing.service.ts
index 649a8f9b96..4e0490148b 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/content-source-response-parsing.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/content-source-response-parsing.service.ts
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ export class ContentSourceResponseParsingService implements ResponseParsingServi
     const deserialized = new DSpaceRESTv2Serializer(ContentSource).deserialize(payload);
 
     let metadataConfigs = [];
-    if (payload._embedded && payload._embedded.metadata_configs && payload._embedded.metadata_configs.configs) {
-      metadataConfigs = new DSpaceRESTv2Serializer(MetadataConfig).serializeArray(payload._embedded.metadata_configs.configs);
+    if (payload._embedded && payload._embedded.harvestermetadata && payload._embedded.harvestermetadata.configs) {
+      metadataConfigs = new DSpaceRESTv2Serializer(MetadataConfig).serializeArray(payload._embedded.harvestermetadata.configs);
     }
     deserialized.metadataConfigs = metadataConfigs;