diff --git a/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/ds-dynamic-form-control-container.component.html b/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/ds-dynamic-form-control-container.component.html
index bfa9c214e9..7c0c08382a 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/ds-dynamic-form-control-container.component.html
+++ b/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/ds-dynamic-form-control-container.component.html
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@
                 [metadataFields]="model.metadataFields"
                 [submissionId]="model.submissionId"
                 [relationshipOptions]="model.relationship"
+                [canRemove]="canRemove()"
                 (remove)="onRemove()"
         >
         </ds-existing-metadata-list-element>
@@ -66,6 +67,7 @@
                 [metadataFields]="model.metadataFields"
                 [submissionId]="model.submissionId"
                 [relationshipOptions]="model.relationship"
+                [canRemove]="canRemove()"
         >
         </ds-existing-relation-list-element>
         <small *ngIf="hasHint && (model.repeatable === false || context?.index === context?.context?.groups?.length - 1) && (!showErrorMessages || errorMessages.length === 0)"
diff --git a/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/ds-dynamic-form-control-container.component.ts b/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/ds-dynamic-form-control-container.component.ts
index fd403561e9..9885e45237 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/ds-dynamic-form-control-container.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/ds-dynamic-form-control-container.component.ts
@@ -394,9 +394,7 @@ export class DsDynamicFormControlContainerComponent extends DynamicFormControlCo
       size: 'lg'
     });
 
-    if (hasValue(this.model.value)) {
-      this.submissionService.dispatchSave(this.model.submissionId);
-    }
+    this.submissionService.dispatchSave(this.model.submissionId);
 
     const modalComp = this.modalRef.componentInstance;
 
@@ -442,6 +440,10 @@ export class DsDynamicFormControlContainerComponent extends DynamicFormControlCo
     return isNotEmpty(this.model.hint) && this.model.hint !== '&nbsp;';
   }
 
+  canRemove() {
+    return this.model.parent.context.groups.length > 1;
+  }
+
   /**
    *  Initialize this.item$ based on this.model.submissionId
    */
diff --git a/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/existing-metadata-list-element/existing-metadata-list-element.component.html b/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/existing-metadata-list-element/existing-metadata-list-element.component.html
index 07ea131a00..5275cef68a 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/existing-metadata-list-element/existing-metadata-list-element.component.html
+++ b/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/existing-metadata-list-element/existing-metadata-list-element.component.html
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
     </span>
     <button type="button" class="btn btn-secondary"
             title="{{'form.remove' | translate}}"
+            [disabled]="!canRemove"
             (click)="removeSelection()">
         <i class="fas fa-trash" aria-hidden="true"></i>
     </button>
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 3a5623cfdd..2a38a07759 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
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ import { ItemSearchResult } from '../../../../object-collection/shared/item-sear
 import { of as observableOf } from 'rxjs';
 import { TranslateLoader, TranslateModule } from '@ngx-translate/core';
 import { TranslateLoaderMock } from '../../../../testing/translate-loader.mock';
+import { SubmissionService } from '../../../../../submission/submission.service';
+import { SubmissionServiceStub } from '../../../../testing/submission-service.stub';
 
 describe('ExistingMetadataListElementComponent', () => {
   let component: ExistingMetadataListElementComponent;
@@ -79,6 +81,7 @@ describe('ExistingMetadataListElementComponent', () => {
       providers: [
         { provide: SelectableListService, useValue: selectionService },
         { provide: Store, useValue: store },
+        { provide: SubmissionService, useClass: SubmissionServiceStub },
       ],
       schemas: [NO_ERRORS_SCHEMA]
     })
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 d0d4ad435b..927d5e04d2 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
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import { FormFieldMetadataValueObject } from '../../models/form-field-metadata-v
 import { RelationshipOptions } from '../../models/relationship-options.model';
 import { DynamicConcatModel } from '../models/ds-dynamic-concat.model';
 import { RemoveRelationshipAction } from '../relation-lookup-modal/relationship.actions';
+import { SubmissionService } from '../../../../../submission/submission.service';
 
 // tslint:disable:max-classes-per-file
 /**
@@ -145,6 +146,7 @@ export class ExistingMetadataListElementComponent implements OnInit, OnChanges,
   @Input() metadataFields: string[];
   @Input() relationshipOptions: RelationshipOptions;
   @Input() submissionId: string;
+  @Input() canRemove = true;
   metadataRepresentation$: BehaviorSubject<MetadataRepresentation> = new BehaviorSubject<MetadataRepresentation>(undefined);
   relatedItem: Item;
   @Output() remove: EventEmitter<any> = new EventEmitter();
@@ -155,7 +157,8 @@ export class ExistingMetadataListElementComponent implements OnInit, OnChanges,
 
   constructor(
     private selectableListService: SelectableListService,
-    private store: Store<AppState>
+    private store: Store<AppState>,
+    private submissionService: SubmissionService
   ) {
   }
 
@@ -194,6 +197,7 @@ export class ExistingMetadataListElementComponent implements OnInit, OnChanges,
    * Removes the selected relationship from the list
    */
   removeSelection() {
+    this.submissionService.dispatchSave(this.submissionId);
     this.selectableListService.deselectSingle(this.listId, Object.assign(new ItemSearchResult(), { indexableObject: this.relatedItem }));
     this.store.dispatch(new RemoveRelationshipAction(this.submissionItem, this.relatedItem, this.relationshipOptions.relationshipType, this.submissionId));
     this.remove.emit();
diff --git a/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/existing-relation-list-element/existing-relation-list-element.component.html b/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/existing-relation-list-element/existing-relation-list-element.component.html
index 15087d2553..ed29fd14e3 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/existing-relation-list-element/existing-relation-list-element.component.html
+++ b/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/existing-relation-list-element/existing-relation-list-element.component.html
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
         </ng-container>
     </span>
     <button type="button" class="btn btn-secondary"
+            [disabled]="canRemove"
             (click)="removeSelection()">
         <i class="fas fa-trash" aria-hidden="true"></i>
     </button>
diff --git a/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/existing-relation-list-element/existing-relation-list-element.component.spec.ts b/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/existing-relation-list-element/existing-relation-list-element.component.spec.ts
index fddb960515..d733f503bb 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/existing-relation-list-element/existing-relation-list-element.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/existing-relation-list-element/existing-relation-list-element.component.spec.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ import { ItemSearchResult } from '../../../../object-collection/shared/item-sear
 import { of as observableOf } from 'rxjs';
 import { ReorderableRelationship } from '../existing-metadata-list-element/existing-metadata-list-element.component';
 import { createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject$ } from '../../../../remote-data.utils';
+import { SubmissionService } from '../../../../../submission/submission.service';
+import { SubmissionServiceStub } from '../../../../testing/submission-service.stub';
 
 describe('ExistingRelationListElementComponent', () => {
   let component: ExistingRelationListElementComponent;
@@ -67,6 +69,7 @@ describe('ExistingRelationListElementComponent', () => {
       providers: [
         { provide: SelectableListService, useValue: selectionService },
         { provide: Store, useValue: store },
+        { provide: SubmissionService, useClass: SubmissionServiceStub },
       ],
       schemas: [NO_ERRORS_SCHEMA]
     })
diff --git a/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/existing-relation-list-element/existing-relation-list-element.component.ts b/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/existing-relation-list-element/existing-relation-list-element.component.ts
index 8a4a7120e8..6d7e846bcb 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/existing-relation-list-element/existing-relation-list-element.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/existing-relation-list-element/existing-relation-list-element.component.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { RelationshipOptions } from '../../models/relationship-options.model';
 import { RemoveRelationshipAction } from '../relation-lookup-modal/relationship.actions';
 import { ViewMode } from '../../../../../core/shared/view-mode.model';
 import { ReorderableRelationship } from '../existing-metadata-list-element/existing-metadata-list-element.component';
+import { SubmissionService } from '../../../../../submission/submission.service';
 
 // tslint:disable:max-classes-per-file
 /**
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ export class ExistingRelationListElementComponent implements OnInit, OnChanges,
   @Input() metadataFields: string[];
   @Input() relationshipOptions: RelationshipOptions;
   @Input() submissionId: string;
+  @Input() canRemove = true;
   relatedItem$: BehaviorSubject<Item> = new BehaviorSubject<Item>(undefined);
   viewType = ViewMode.ListElement;
   @Output() remove: EventEmitter<any> = new EventEmitter();
@@ -72,6 +74,7 @@ export class ExistingRelationListElementComponent implements OnInit, OnChanges,
 
   constructor(
     private selectableListService: SelectableListService,
+    private submissionService: SubmissionService,
     private store: Store<AppState>
   ) {
   }
@@ -102,6 +105,7 @@ export class ExistingRelationListElementComponent implements OnInit, OnChanges,
    * Removes the selected relationship from the list
    */
   removeSelection() {
+    this.submissionService.dispatchSave(this.submissionId);
     this.selectableListService.deselectSingle(this.listId, Object.assign(new ItemSearchResult(), { indexableObject: this.relatedItem$.getValue() }));
     this.store.dispatch(new RemoveRelationshipAction(this.submissionItem, this.relatedItem$.getValue(), this.relationshipOptions.relationshipType, this.submissionId));
   }