diff --git a/resources/i18n/en.json5 b/resources/i18n/en.json5
index 0dc5b51c05..0c34aa88b2 100644
--- a/resources/i18n/en.json5
+++ b/resources/i18n/en.json5
@@ -1686,6 +1686,6 @@
 
   "uploader.queue-length": "Queue length",
 
-  "virtual-metadata-modal.head": "Select the items for which you want to save the virtual metadata as real metadata",
+  "virtual-metadata.delete-relationship.modal-head": "Select the items for which you want to save the virtual metadata as real metadata",
 }
 
diff --git a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/edit-relationship/edit-relationship.component.ts b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/edit-relationship/edit-relationship.component.ts
index 220582a5fd..3e24801992 100644
--- a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/edit-relationship/edit-relationship.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/edit-relationship/edit-relationship.component.ts
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ export class EditRelationshipComponent implements OnChanges {
     ).pipe(
       map((items: Item[]) =>
         items.map((item) => this.objectUpdatesService
-          .isSelectedVirtualMetadataItem(this.url, this.relationship.id, item.uuid))
+          .isSelectedVirtualMetadata(this.url, this.relationship.id, item.uuid))
       ),
       switchMap((selection$) => observableCombineLatest(selection$)),
       map((selection: boolean[]) => {
diff --git a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/item-relationships.component.spec.ts b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/item-relationships.component.spec.ts
index 48bc28a1b9..4ac3f05a40 100644
--- a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/item-relationships.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/item-relationships.component.spec.ts
@@ -110,11 +110,14 @@ describe('ItemRelationshipsComponent', () => {
     relationships[1].rightItem = observableOf(new RemoteData(false, false, true, undefined, item));
 
     fieldUpdate1 = {
-      field: author1,
+      field: relationships[0],
       changeType: undefined
     };
     fieldUpdate2 = {
-      field: author2,
+      field: Object.assign(
+        relationships[1],
+        {keepLeftVirtualMetadata: true, keepRightVirtualMetadata: false}
+      ),
       changeType: FieldChangeType.REMOVE
     };
 
@@ -130,12 +133,12 @@ describe('ItemRelationshipsComponent', () => {
     objectUpdatesService = jasmine.createSpyObj('objectUpdatesService',
       {
         getFieldUpdates: observableOf({
-          [author1.uuid]: fieldUpdate1,
-          [author2.uuid]: fieldUpdate2
+          [relationships[0].uuid]: fieldUpdate1,
+          [relationships[1].uuid]: fieldUpdate2
         }),
         getFieldUpdatesExclusive: observableOf({
-          [author1.uuid]: fieldUpdate1,
-          [author2.uuid]: fieldUpdate2
+          [relationships[0].uuid]: fieldUpdate1,
+          [relationships[1].uuid]: fieldUpdate2
         }),
         saveAddFieldUpdate: {},
         discardFieldUpdates: {},
@@ -227,7 +230,7 @@ describe('ItemRelationshipsComponent', () => {
     });
 
     it('it should delete the correct relationship', () => {
-      expect(relationshipService.deleteRelationship).toHaveBeenCalledWith(relationships[1].uuid);
+      expect(relationshipService.deleteRelationship).toHaveBeenCalledWith(relationships[1].uuid, 'left');
     });
   });
 });
diff --git a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/item-relationships.component.ts b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/item-relationships.component.ts
index fadba3b981..1e678884b1 100644
--- a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/item-relationships.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/item-relationships.component.ts
@@ -116,8 +116,11 @@ export class ItemRelationshipsComponent extends AbstractItemUpdateComponent impl
       switchMap((relationships: Relationship[]) => {
         return this.objectUpdatesService.getFieldUpdatesExclusive(this.url, relationships) as Observable<FieldUpdates>
       }),
-      map((fieldUpdates: FieldUpdates) => Object.values(fieldUpdates).filter((fieldUpdate: FieldUpdate) => fieldUpdate.changeType === FieldChangeType.REMOVE)),
-      map((fieldUpdates: FieldUpdate[]) => fieldUpdates.map((fieldUpdate: FieldUpdate) => fieldUpdate.field) as DeleteRelationship[]),
+      map((fieldUpdates: FieldUpdates) =>
+        Object.values(fieldUpdates)
+          .filter((fieldUpdate: FieldUpdate) => fieldUpdate.changeType === FieldChangeType.REMOVE)
+          .map((fieldUpdate: FieldUpdate) => fieldUpdate.field as DeleteRelationship)
+      ),
       isNotEmptyOperator(),
     );
     removedRelationshipIDs$.pipe(
diff --git a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/virtual-metadata/virtual-metadata.component.html b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/virtual-metadata/virtual-metadata.component.html
index aafdb00b47..8a0269d6b7 100644
--- a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/virtual-metadata/virtual-metadata.component.html
+++ b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/virtual-metadata/virtual-metadata.component.html
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <div>
-    <div class="modal-header">{{'virtual-metadata-modal.head' | translate}}
+    <div class="modal-header">{{'virtual-metadata.delete-relationship.modal-head' | translate}}
         <button type="button" class="close" (click)="close.emit()" aria-label="Close">
             <span aria-hidden="true">×</span>
         </button>
diff --git a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/virtual-metadata/virtual-metadata.component.ts b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/virtual-metadata/virtual-metadata.component.ts
index 170c3aec0c..6a99080c1f 100644
--- a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/virtual-metadata/virtual-metadata.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/virtual-metadata/virtual-metadata.component.ts
@@ -48,15 +48,27 @@ export class VirtualMetadataComponent implements OnChanges {
 
   getVirtualMetadata(relationship: Relationship, relatedItem: Item): VirtualMetadata[] {
 
-    return this.objectUpdatesService.getVirtualMetadataList(relationship, relatedItem);
+    return Object.entries(relatedItem.metadata)
+      .map(([key, value]) =>
+        value
+          .filter((metadata: MetadataValue) =>
+            metadata.authority && metadata.authority.endsWith(relationship.id))
+          .map((metadata: MetadataValue) => {
+            return {
+              metadataField: key,
+              metadataValue: metadata,
+            }
+          })
+      )
+      .reduce((previous, current) => previous.concat(current));
   }
 
   setSelectedVirtualMetadataItem(item: Item, selected: boolean) {
-    this.objectUpdatesService.setSelectedVirtualMetadataItem(this.url, this.relationship.id, item.uuid, selected);
+    this.objectUpdatesService.setSelectedVirtualMetadata(this.url, this.relationship.id, item.uuid, selected);
   }
 
   isSelectedVirtualMetadataItem(item: Item): Observable<boolean> {
-    return this.objectUpdatesService.isSelectedVirtualMetadataItem(this.url, this.relationship.id, item.uuid);
+    return this.objectUpdatesService.isSelectedVirtualMetadata(this.url, this.relationship.id, item.uuid);
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.reducer.spec.ts b/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.reducer.spec.ts
index 8d821c9926..6ab3dcfec6 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.reducer.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.reducer.spec.ts
@@ -5,10 +5,11 @@ import {
   FieldChangeType,
   InitializeFieldsAction,
   ReinstateObjectUpdatesAction,
-  RemoveFieldUpdateAction, RemoveObjectUpdatesAction,
+  RemoveFieldUpdateAction, RemoveObjectUpdatesAction, SelectVirtualMetadataAction,
   SetEditableFieldUpdateAction, SetValidFieldUpdateAction
 } from './object-updates.actions';
 import { OBJECT_UPDATES_TRASH_PATH, objectUpdatesReducer } from './object-updates.reducer';
+import {Relationship} from "../../shared/item-relationships/relationship.model";
 
 class NullAction extends RemoveFieldUpdateAction {
   type = null;
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ const identifiable3 = {
   language: null,
   value: 'Unchanged value'
 };
+const relationship: Relationship = Object.assign(new Relationship, {uuid: 'test relationship uuid'});
 
 const modDate = new Date(2010, 2, 11);
 const uuid = identifiable1.uuid;
@@ -80,7 +82,9 @@ describe('objectUpdatesReducer', () => {
         }
       },
       lastModified: modDate,
-      virtualMetadataSources: {},
+      virtualMetadataSources: {
+        [relationship.uuid]: {[identifiable1.uuid]: true}
+      },
     }
   };
 
@@ -103,7 +107,10 @@ describe('objectUpdatesReducer', () => {
           isValid: true
         },
       },
-      lastModified: modDate
+      lastModified: modDate,
+      virtualMetadataSources: {
+        [relationship.uuid]: {[identifiable1.uuid]: true}
+      },
     },
     [url + OBJECT_UPDATES_TRASH_PATH]: {
       fieldStates: {
@@ -134,7 +141,10 @@ describe('objectUpdatesReducer', () => {
           changeType: FieldChangeType.ADD
         }
       },
-      lastModified: modDate
+      lastModified: modDate,
+      virtualMetadataSources: {
+        [relationship.uuid]: {[identifiable1.uuid]: true}
+      },
     }
   };
 
@@ -196,6 +206,12 @@ describe('objectUpdatesReducer', () => {
     objectUpdatesReducer(testState, action);
   });
 
+  it('should perform the SELECT_VIRTUAL_METADATA action without affecting the previous state', () => {
+    const action = new SelectVirtualMetadataAction(url, relationship.uuid, identifiable1.uuid, true);
+    // testState has already been frozen above
+    objectUpdatesReducer(testState, action);
+  });
+
   it('should initialize all fields when the INITIALIZE action is dispatched, based on the payload', () => {
     const action = new InitializeFieldsAction(url, [identifiable1, identifiable3], modDate);
 
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 daf7555692..cffd41856d 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.reducer.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.reducer.ts
@@ -58,14 +58,24 @@ export interface FieldUpdates {
   [uuid: string]: FieldUpdate;
 }
 
+/**
+ * The states of all virtual metadata selections available for a single page, mapped by the relationship uuid
+ */
 export interface VirtualMetadataSources {
   [source: string]: VirtualMetadataSource
 }
 
+/**
+ * The selection of virtual metadata for a relationship, mapped by the uuid of either the item or the relationship type
+ */
 export interface VirtualMetadataSource {
   [uuid: string]: boolean,
 }
 
+/**
+ * A fieldupdate interface which represents a relationship selected to be deleted,
+ * along with a selection of the virtual metadata to keep
+ */
 export interface DeleteRelationship extends Relationship {
   keepLeftVirtualMetadata: boolean,
   keepRightVirtualMetadata: boolean,
@@ -192,7 +202,7 @@ function addFieldUpdate(state: any, action: AddFieldUpdateAction) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Add a new update for a specific field to the store
+ * Update the selected virtual metadata in the store
  * @param state The current state
  * @param action The action to perform on the current state
  */
diff --git a/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.service.spec.ts b/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.service.spec.ts
index e9fc4652b0..697d941123 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.service.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.service.spec.ts
@@ -4,13 +4,14 @@ import { ObjectUpdatesService } from './object-updates.service';
 import {
   DiscardObjectUpdatesAction,
   FieldChangeType,
-  InitializeFieldsAction, ReinstateObjectUpdatesAction, RemoveFieldUpdateAction,
+  InitializeFieldsAction, ReinstateObjectUpdatesAction, RemoveFieldUpdateAction, SelectVirtualMetadataAction,
   SetEditableFieldUpdateAction
 } from './object-updates.actions';
 import { of as observableOf } from 'rxjs';
 import { Notification } from '../../../shared/notifications/models/notification.model';
 import { NotificationType } from '../../../shared/notifications/models/notification-type';
 import { OBJECT_UPDATES_TRASH_PATH } from './object-updates.reducer';
+import {Relationship} from "../../shared/item-relationships/relationship.model";
 
 describe('ObjectUpdatesService', () => {
   let service: ObjectUpdatesService;
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ describe('ObjectUpdatesService', () => {
   const identifiable2 = { uuid: '26cbb5ce-5786-4e57-a394-b9fcf8eaf241' };
   const identifiable3 = { uuid: 'c5d2c2f7-d757-48bf-84cc-8c9229c8407e' };
   const identifiables = [identifiable1, identifiable2];
+  const relationship: Relationship = Object.assign(new Relationship, {uuid: 'test relationship uuid'});
 
   const fieldUpdates = {
     [identifiable1.uuid]: { field: identifiable1Updated, changeType: FieldChangeType.UPDATE },
@@ -38,7 +40,7 @@ describe('ObjectUpdatesService', () => {
     };
 
     const objectEntry = {
-      fieldStates, fieldUpdates, lastModified: modDate
+      fieldStates, fieldUpdates, lastModified: modDate, virtualMetadataSources: {}
     };
     store = new Store<CoreState>(undefined, undefined, undefined);
     spyOn(store, 'dispatch');
@@ -251,4 +253,10 @@ describe('ObjectUpdatesService', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('setSelectedVirtualMetadata', () => {
+    it('should dispatch a SELECT_VIRTUAL_METADATA action with the correct URL, relationship, identifiable and boolean', () => {
+      service.setSelectedVirtualMetadata(url, relationship.uuid, identifiable1.uuid, true);
+      expect(store.dispatch).toHaveBeenCalledWith(new SelectVirtualMetadataAction(url, relationship.uuid, identifiable1.uuid, true));
+    });
+  });
 });
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 5063a8a005..448f7c9f38 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.service.ts
@@ -204,24 +204,7 @@ export class ObjectUpdatesService {
   saveChangeFieldUpdate(url: string, field: Identifiable) {
     this.saveFieldUpdate(url, field, FieldChangeType.UPDATE);
   }
-
-  getVirtualMetadataList(relationship: Relationship, item: Item): VirtualMetadata[] {
-    return Object.entries(item.metadata)
-      .map(([key, value]) =>
-        value
-          .filter((metadata: MetadataValue) =>
-            metadata.authority && metadata.authority.endsWith(relationship.id))
-          .map((metadata: MetadataValue) => {
-            return {
-              metadataField: key,
-              metadataValue: metadata,
-            }
-          })
-      )
-      .reduce((previous, current) => previous.concat(current));
-  }
-
-  isSelectedVirtualMetadataItem(url: string, relationship: string, item: string): Observable<boolean> {
+  isSelectedVirtualMetadata(url: string, relationship: string, item: string): Observable<boolean> {
 
     return this.store
       .pipe(
@@ -231,13 +214,14 @@ export class ObjectUpdatesService {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Method to dispatch an AddFieldUpdateAction to the store
+   * Method to dispatch a SelectVirtualMetadataAction to the store
    * @param url The page's URL for which the changes are saved
-   * @param field An updated field for the page's object
-   * @param changeType The last type of change applied to this field
+   * @param relationship the relationship for which virtual metadata is selected
+   * @param uuid the selection identifier, can either be the item uuid or the relationship type uuid
+   * @param selected whether or not to select the virtual metadata to be saved
    */
-  setSelectedVirtualMetadataItem(url: string, relationship: string, item: string, selected: boolean) {
-    this.store.dispatch(new SelectVirtualMetadataAction(url, relationship, item, selected));
+  setSelectedVirtualMetadata(url: string, relationship: string, uuid: string, selected: boolean) {
+    this.store.dispatch(new SelectVirtualMetadataAction(url, relationship, uuid, selected));
   }
 
   /**