diff --git a/src/app/core/cache/server-sync-buffer.effects.ts b/src/app/core/cache/server-sync-buffer.effects.ts
index f9e65bf23f..029bee31a8 100644
--- a/src/app/core/cache/server-sync-buffer.effects.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/cache/server-sync-buffer.effects.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import { Observable } from 'rxjs/internal/Observable';
 import { RestRequestMethod } from '../data/rest-request-method';
 import { ObjectCacheEntry } from './object-cache.reducer';
 import { Operation } from 'fast-json-patch';
+import { RESTURLCombiner } from '../url-combiner/rest-url-combiner';
 
 @Injectable()
 export class ServerSyncBufferEffects {
@@ -98,22 +99,49 @@ export class ServerSyncBufferEffects {
    * @returns {Observable<Action>} ApplyPatchObjectCacheAction to be dispatched
    */
   private applyPatch(href: string): Observable<Action> {
-    const patchObject = this.objectCache.getBySelfLink(href).pipe(take(1));
+    if (isNotEmpty(href.match(/^http.*\/core\/relationships\/\d+$/))) {
+      return this.sendPatchAsPut(href);
+    } else {
+      const patchObject = this.objectCache.getBySelfLink(href).pipe(take(1));
+
+      return patchObject.pipe(
+        map((entry: ObjectCacheEntry) => {
+          if (isNotEmpty(entry.patches)) {
+            const flatPatch: Operation[] = [].concat(...entry.patches.map((patch) => patch.operations));
+            if (isNotEmpty(flatPatch)) {
+              this.requestService.configure(new PatchRequest(this.requestService.generateRequestId(), href, flatPatch));
+            }
+          }
+          return new ApplyPatchObjectCacheAction(href);
+        })
+      );
+    }
+  }
+
+
+  /**
+   * Send a list of PATCH operations made by the UI as a PUT request to the REST API
+   * This allows us to use PATCH in the UI while PATCH support for the endpoint is still
+   * under developent.
+   *
+   * @param {string} href The self link of the cache entry
+   * @returns {Observable<Action>} ApplyPatchObjectCacheAction to be dispatched
+   */
+  private sendPatchAsPut(href: string): Observable<Action> {
+    const patchObject = this.objectCache.getObjectBySelfLink(href).pipe(take(1));
 
     return patchObject.pipe(
-      map((entry: ObjectCacheEntry) => {
-        if (isNotEmpty(entry.patches)) {
-          const flatPatch: Operation[] = [].concat(...entry.patches.map((patch) => patch.operations));
-          if (isNotEmpty(flatPatch)) {
-            // if (href.match(/https://dspace7-ben.atmire.com/server/api/core/relationships/\d+/))
-            this.requestService.configure(new PatchRequest(this.requestService.generateRequestId(), href, flatPatch));
-          }
-        }
-        return new ApplyPatchObjectCacheAction(href);
+      map((object) => {
+        const serializedObject = new DSpaceSerializer(object.constructor as GenericConstructor<{}>).serialize(object);
+
+        this.requestService.configure(new PutRequest(this.requestService.generateRequestId(), href, serializedObject));
+
+        return new ApplyPatchObjectCacheAction(href)
       })
-    );
+    )
   }
 
+
   constructor(private actions$: Actions,
               private store: Store<CoreState>,
               private requestService: RequestService,
diff --git a/src/app/core/data/relationship.service.ts b/src/app/core/data/relationship.service.ts
index 3aca9de117..0b8d569ce2 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/relationship.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/relationship.service.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,16 @@ import { Injectable } from '@angular/core';
 import { MemoizedSelector, select, Store } from '@ngrx/store';
 import { combineLatest as observableCombineLatest } from 'rxjs';
 import { Observable } from 'rxjs/internal/Observable';
-import { distinctUntilChanged, filter, map, startWith, switchMap, take, tap } from 'rxjs/operators';
+import {
+  distinctUntilChanged,
+  filter,
+  map,
+  startWith,
+  switchMap,
+  take,
+  tap,
+  mergeMap
+} from 'rxjs/operators';
 import {
   compareArraysUsingIds,
   paginatedRelationsToItems,
@@ -306,7 +315,7 @@ export class RelationshipService extends DataService<Relationship> {
         getSucceededRemoteData(),
         isNotEmptyOperator(),
         map((relationshipListRD: RemoteData<PaginatedList<Relationship>>) => relationshipListRD.payload.page),
-        switchMap((relationships: Relationship[]) => {
+        mergeMap((relationships: Relationship[]) => {
           return observableCombineLatest(...relationships.map((relationship: Relationship) => {
               return observableCombineLatest(
                 this.isItemMatchWithItemRD(this.itemService.findByHref(relationship._links.leftItem.href), item2),
@@ -378,6 +387,7 @@ export class RelationshipService extends DataService<Relationship> {
     let count = 0
     const update$: Observable<RemoteData<Relationship>> = this.getRelationshipByItemsAndLabel(item1, item2, relationshipLabel)
       .pipe(
+        tap((v) => console.log('updateNameVariant after getRelationshipByItemsAndLabel', v)),
         filter((relation: Relationship) => hasValue(relation)),
         switchMap((relation: Relationship) =>
           relation.relationshipType.pipe(
@@ -389,6 +399,7 @@ export class RelationshipService extends DataService<Relationship> {
           )
         ),
         switchMap((relationshipAndType: { relation: Relationship, type: RelationshipType }) => {
+          console.log('updateNameVariant switchMap', relationshipAndType);
           const { relation, type } = relationshipAndType;
           let updatedRelationship;
           if (relationshipLabel === type.leftwardType) {
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 b4c3fe1d96..c0d3e5ea3d 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
@@ -167,14 +167,14 @@ export class ReorderableRelationship extends Reorderable {
   templateUrl: './existing-metadata-list-element.component.html',
   styleUrls: ['./existing-metadata-list-element.component.scss']
 })
-export class ExistingMetadataListElementComponent implements OnChanges, OnDestroy {
+export class ExistingMetadataListElementComponent implements OnInit, OnChanges, OnDestroy {
   @Input() listId: string;
   @Input() submissionItem: Item;
   @Input() reoRel: ReorderableRelationship;
   @Input() metadataFields: string[];
   @Input() relationshipOptions: RelationshipOptions;
   @Input() submissionId: string;
-  metadataRepresentation$: BehaviorSubject<MetadataRepresentation>;
+  metadataRepresentation$: BehaviorSubject<MetadataRepresentation> = new BehaviorSubject<MetadataRepresentation>(undefined);
   relatedItem: Item;
 
   /**
@@ -188,6 +188,10 @@ export class ExistingMetadataListElementComponent implements OnChanges, OnDestro
   ) {
   }
 
+  ngOnInit(): void {
+    this.ngOnChanges();
+  }
+
   /**
    * Change callback for the component
    */
@@ -208,11 +212,7 @@ export class ExistingMetadataListElementComponent implements OnChanges, OnDestro
             new ItemMetadataRepresentation(metadataRepresentationMD),
             this.relatedItem
           );
-          if (hasValue(this.metadataRepresentation$)) {
-            this.metadataRepresentation$.next(nextValue);
-          } else {
-            this.metadataRepresentation$ = new BehaviorSubject<MetadataRepresentation>(nextValue);
-          }
+          this.metadataRepresentation$.next(nextValue);
         }
       }));
     }
diff --git a/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/relation-lookup-modal/dynamic-lookup-relation-modal.component.ts b/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/relation-lookup-modal/dynamic-lookup-relation-modal.component.ts
index ed1003bddf..953227c161 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/relation-lookup-modal/dynamic-lookup-relation-modal.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/relation-lookup-modal/dynamic-lookup-relation-modal.component.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { Component, EventEmitter, NgZone, OnDestroy, OnInit, Output } from '@ang
 import { combineLatest, Observable, Subscription, zip as observableZip } from 'rxjs';
 import { NgbActiveModal } from '@ng-bootstrap/ng-bootstrap';
 import { hasValue } from '../../../../empty.util';
-import { map, skip, switchMap, take } from 'rxjs/operators';
+import { map, skip, switchMap, take, tap, filter } from 'rxjs/operators';
 import { SEARCH_CONFIG_SERVICE } from '../../../../../+my-dspace-page/my-dspace-page.component';
 import { SearchConfigurationService } from '../../../../../core/shared/search/search-configuration.service';
 import { SelectableListService } from '../../../../object-list/selectable-list/selectable-list.service';
@@ -165,7 +165,6 @@ export class DsDynamicLookupRelationModalComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy
           .subscribe((arr: any[]) => {
             return arr.forEach((object: any) => {
               const addRelationshipAction = new AddRelationshipAction(this.item, object.item, this.relationshipOptions.relationshipType, this.submissionId, object.nameVariant);
-              console.log('addRelationshipAction', addRelationshipAction);
               this.store.dispatch(addRelationshipAction);
               }
             );
diff --git a/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/relation-lookup-modal/relationship.effects.ts b/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/relation-lookup-modal/relationship.effects.ts
index 83787bcdfd..d6f8103814 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/relation-lookup-modal/relationship.effects.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/relation-lookup-modal/relationship.effects.ts
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ export class RelationshipEffects {
           const { item1, item2, relationshipType, submissionId, nameVariant } = action.payload;
           const identifier: string = this.createIdentifier(item1, item2, relationshipType);
           const inProgress = hasValue(this.debounceMap[identifier]);
-          if (inProgress) {
+        if (inProgress) {
             this.nameVariantUpdates[identifier] = nameVariant;
           } else {
             this.relationshipService.updateNameVariant(item1, item2, relationshipType, nameVariant).pipe(take(1))