diff --git a/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/existing-metadata-list-element/existing-metadata-list-element.component.spec.ts b/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/existing-metadata-list-element/existing-metadata-list-element.component.spec.ts
index 1b2f471f0b..fa13febcd1 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/existing-metadata-list-element/existing-metadata-list-element.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/existing-metadata-list-element/existing-metadata-list-element.component.spec.ts
@@ -1,20 +1,59 @@
 import { async, ComponentFixture, TestBed } from '@angular/core/testing';
 
-import { ExistingMetadataListElementComponent } from './existing-metadata-list-element.component';
+import { ExistingMetadataListElementComponent, Reorderable, ReorderableRelationship } from './existing-metadata-list-element.component';
 import { NO_ERRORS_SCHEMA } from '@angular/core';
 import { SelectableListService } from '../../../../object-list/selectable-list/selectable-list.service';
-import { Store } from '@ngrx/store';
+import { select, Store } from '@ngrx/store';
+import { Item } from '../../../../../core/shared/item.model';
+import { Relationship } from '../../../../../core/shared/item-relationships/relationship.model';
+import { RelationshipOptions } from '../../models/relationship-options.model';
+import { createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject$ } from '../../../../testing/utils';
+import { RemoveRelationshipAction } from '../relation-lookup-modal/relationship.actions';
+import { ItemSearchResult } from '../../../../object-collection/shared/item-search-result.model';
 
 describe('ExistingMetadataListElementComponent', () => {
   let component: ExistingMetadataListElementComponent;
   let fixture: ComponentFixture<ExistingMetadataListElementComponent>;
+  let selectionService;
+  let store;
+  let listID;
+  let submissionItem;
+  let relationship;
+  let reoRel;
+  let metadataFields;
+  let relationshipOptions;
+  let uuid1;
+  let uuid2;
+  let relatedItem;
+  let leftItemRD$;
+  let rightItemRD$;
+  let relatedSearchResult;
+
+  function init() {
+    uuid1 = '91ce578d-2e63-4093-8c73-3faafd716000';
+    uuid2 = '0e9dba1c-e1c3-4e05-a539-446f08ef57a7';
+    selectionService = jasmine.createSpyObj('selectionService', ['deselectSingle']);
+    store = jasmine.createSpyObj('store', ['dispatch']);
+    listID = '1234-listID';
+    submissionItem = Object.assign(new Item(), { uuid: uuid1 });
+    metadataFields = ['dc.contributor.author'];
+    relationshipOptions = Object.assign(new RelationshipOptions(), { relationshipType: 'isPublicationOfAuthor', filter: 'test.filter', searchConfiguration: 'personConfiguration', nameVariants: true })
+    relatedItem = Object.assign(new Item(), { uuid: uuid2 });
+    leftItemRD$ = createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject$(relatedItem);
+    rightItemRD$ = createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject$(submissionItem);
+    relatedSearchResult = Object.assign(new ItemSearchResult(), { indexableObject: relatedItem });
+
+    relationship = Object.assign(new Relationship(), { leftItem: leftItemRD$, rightItem: rightItemRD$ });
+    reoRel = new ReorderableRelationship(relationship, true);
+  }
 
   beforeEach(async(() => {
+    init();
     TestBed.configureTestingModule({
       declarations: [ExistingMetadataListElementComponent],
       providers: [
-        { provide: SelectableListService, useValue: {} },
-        { provide: Store, useValue: {} },
+        { provide: SelectableListService, useValue: selectionService },
+        { provide: Store, useValue: store },
       ],
       schemas: [NO_ERRORS_SCHEMA]
     })
@@ -24,10 +63,30 @@ describe('ExistingMetadataListElementComponent', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     fixture = TestBed.createComponent(ExistingMetadataListElementComponent);
     component = fixture.componentInstance;
+    component.listId = listID;
+    component.submissionItem = submissionItem;
+    component.reoRel = reoRel;
+    component.metadataFields = metadataFields;
+    component.relationshipOptions = relationshipOptions;
     fixture.detectChanges();
+    component.ngOnChanges();
   });
 
   it('should create', () => {
     expect(component).toBeTruthy();
   });
+
+  describe('removeSelection', () => {
+    it('should deselect the object in the selectable list service', () => {
+      component.removeSelection();
+      expect(selectionService.deselectSingle).toHaveBeenCalledWith(listID, relatedSearchResult);
+    });
+
+    it('should dispatch a RemoveRelationshipAction', () => {
+      component.removeSelection();
+      const action = new RemoveRelationshipAction(submissionItem, relatedItem, relationshipOptions.relationshipType);
+      expect(store.dispatch).toHaveBeenCalledWith(action);
+
+    });
+  })
 });
diff --git a/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/existing-metadata-list-element/existing-metadata-list-element.component.ts b/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/existing-metadata-list-element/existing-metadata-list-element.component.ts
index d2b519b9a3..3c2c5dbe8b 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/existing-metadata-list-element/existing-metadata-list-element.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/existing-metadata-list-element/existing-metadata-list-element.component.ts
@@ -76,7 +76,6 @@ export class ExistingMetadataListElementComponent implements OnChanges, OnDestro
   ngOnChanges() {
     const item$ = this.reoRel.useLeftItem ?
       this.reoRel.relationship.leftItem : this.reoRel.relationship.rightItem;
-
     this.subs.push(item$.pipe(
       getAllSucceededRemoteData(),
       getRemoteDataPayload(),