diff --git a/src/app/+admin/admin-registries/metadata-schema/metadata-field-form/metadata-field-form.component.ts b/src/app/+admin/admin-registries/metadata-schema/metadata-field-form/metadata-field-form.component.ts
index 0811530343..52fee16473 100644
--- a/src/app/+admin/admin-registries/metadata-schema/metadata-field-form/metadata-field-form.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/+admin/admin-registries/metadata-schema/metadata-field-form/metadata-field-form.component.ts
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ export class MetadataFieldFormComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
           });
         }
         this.clearFields();
+        this.registryService.cancelEditMetadataField();
       }
     );
   }
diff --git a/src/app/+admin/admin-registries/metadata-schema/metadata-schema.component.html b/src/app/+admin/admin-registries/metadata-schema/metadata-schema.component.html
index 4a7a4cf34d..49ef748349 100644
--- a/src/app/+admin/admin-registries/metadata-schema/metadata-schema.component.html
+++ b/src/app/+admin/admin-registries/metadata-schema/metadata-schema.component.html
@@ -1,36 +1,37 @@
 <div class="container">
   <div class="metadata-schema row">
-    <div class="col-12">
+    <div class="col-12" *ngVar="(metadataSchema$ | async) as schema">
 
-      <h2 id="header" class="border-bottom pb-2">{{'admin.registries.schema.head' | translate}}: "{{(metadataSchema | async)?.payload?.prefix}}"</h2>
+      <h2 id="header" class="border-bottom pb-2">{{'admin.registries.schema.head' | translate}}: "{{schema?.prefix}}"</h2>
 
-      <p id="description" class="pb-2">{{'admin.registries.schema.description' | translate:namespace }}</p>
+      <p id="description" class="pb-2">{{'admin.registries.schema.description' | translate:{ namespace: schema?.namespace } }}</p>
 
       <ds-metadata-field-form
-        [metadataSchema]="(metadataSchema | async)?.payload"
+        [metadataSchema]="schema"
         (submitForm)="forceUpdateFields()"></ds-metadata-field-form>
 
       <h3>{{'admin.registries.schema.fields.head' | translate}}</h3>
 
-      <ds-pagination
-        *ngIf="(metadataFields | async)?.payload?.totalElements > 0"
-        [paginationOptions]="config"
-        [pageInfoState]="(metadataFields | async)?.payload"
-        [collectionSize]="(metadataFields | async)?.payload?.totalElements"
-        [hideGear]="false"
-        [hidePagerWhenSinglePage]="true"
-        (pageChange)="onPageChange($event)">
-        <div class="table-responsive">
-          <table id="metadata-fields" class="table table-striped table-hover">
-            <thead>
+      <ng-container *ngVar="(metadataFields$ | async)?.payload as fields">
+        <ds-pagination
+          *ngIf="fields?.totalElements > 0"
+          [paginationOptions]="config"
+          [pageInfoState]="fields"
+          [collectionSize]="fields?.totalElements"
+          [hideGear]="false"
+          [hidePagerWhenSinglePage]="true"
+          (pageChange)="onPageChange($event)">
+          <div class="table-responsive">
+            <table id="metadata-fields" class="table table-striped table-hover">
+              <thead>
               <tr>
                 <th></th>
                 <th scope="col">{{'admin.registries.schema.fields.table.field' | translate}}</th>
                 <th scope="col">{{'admin.registries.schema.fields.table.scopenote' | translate}}</th>
               </tr>
-            </thead>
-            <tbody>
-              <tr *ngFor="let field of (metadataFields | async)?.payload?.page"
+              </thead>
+              <tbody>
+              <tr *ngFor="let field of fields?.page"
                   [ngClass]="{'table-primary' : isActive(field) | async}">
                 <td>
                   <label>
@@ -39,22 +40,23 @@
                            (change)="selectMetadataField(field, $event)">
                   </label>
                 </td>
-                <td class="selectable-row" (click)="editField(field)">{{(metadataSchema | async)?.payload?.prefix}}.{{field.element}}<label *ngIf="field.qualifier">.</label>{{field.qualifier}}</td>
+                <td class="selectable-row" (click)="editField(field)">{{schema?.prefix}}.{{field.element}}<label *ngIf="field.qualifier">.</label>{{field.qualifier}}</td>
                 <td class="selectable-row" (click)="editField(field)">{{field.scopeNote}}</td>
               </tr>
-            </tbody>
-          </table>
+              </tbody>
+            </table>
+          </div>
+        </ds-pagination>
+
+        <div *ngIf="fields?.totalElements == 0" class="alert alert-info w-100 mb-2" role="alert">
+          {{'admin.registries.schema.fields.no-items' | translate}}
         </div>
-      </ds-pagination>
 
-      <div *ngIf="(metadataFields | async)?.payload?.totalElements == 0" class="alert alert-info w-100 mb-2" role="alert">
-        {{'admin.registries.schema.fields.no-items' | translate}}
-      </div>
-
-      <div>
-        <button [routerLink]="['/admin/registries/metadata']" class="btn btn-primary">{{'admin.registries.schema.return' | translate}}</button>
-        <button *ngIf="(metadataFields | async)?.payload?.page?.length > 0" type="submit" class="btn btn-danger float-right" (click)="deleteFields()">{{'admin.registries.schema.fields.table.delete' | translate}}</button>
-      </div>
+        <div>
+          <button [routerLink]="['/admin/registries/metadata']" class="btn btn-primary">{{'admin.registries.schema.return' | translate}}</button>
+          <button *ngIf="fields?.page?.length > 0" type="submit" class="btn btn-danger float-right" (click)="deleteFields()">{{'admin.registries.schema.fields.table.delete' | translate}}</button>
+        </div>
+      </ng-container>
 
     </div>
   </div>
diff --git a/src/app/+admin/admin-registries/metadata-schema/metadata-schema.component.ts b/src/app/+admin/admin-registries/metadata-schema/metadata-schema.component.ts
index 5712cde0e7..2e956e56cf 100644
--- a/src/app/+admin/admin-registries/metadata-schema/metadata-schema.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/+admin/admin-registries/metadata-schema/metadata-schema.component.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { Observable, combineLatest as observableCombineLatest } from 'rxjs';
 import { RemoteData } from '../../../core/data/remote-data';
 import { PaginatedList } from '../../../core/data/paginated-list';
 import { PaginationComponentOptions } from '../../../shared/pagination/pagination-component-options.model';
-import { map, take } from 'rxjs/operators';
+import { map, switchMap, take } from 'rxjs/operators';
 import { hasValue } from '../../../shared/empty.util';
 import { RestResponse } from '../../../core/cache/response.models';
 import { zip } from 'rxjs/internal/observable/zip';
@@ -13,8 +13,10 @@ import { NotificationsService } from '../../../shared/notifications/notification
 import { TranslateService } from '@ngx-translate/core';
 import { MetadataField } from '../../../core/metadata/metadata-field.model';
 import { MetadataSchema } from '../../../core/metadata/metadata-schema.model';
-import { getSucceededRemoteData } from '../../../core/shared/operators';
+import { getFirstSucceededRemoteDataPayload } from '../../../core/shared/operators';
 import { toFindListOptions } from '../../../shared/pagination/pagination.utils';
+import { BehaviorSubject } from 'rxjs/internal/BehaviorSubject';
+import { combineLatest } from 'rxjs/internal/observable/combineLatest';
 
 @Component({
   selector: 'ds-metadata-schema',
@@ -26,21 +28,15 @@ import { toFindListOptions } from '../../../shared/pagination/pagination.utils';
  * The admin can create, edit or delete metadata fields here.
  */
 export class MetadataSchemaComponent implements OnInit {
-
-  /**
-   * The namespace of the metadata schema
-   */
-  namespace;
-
   /**
    * The metadata schema
    */
-  metadataSchema: Observable<RemoteData<MetadataSchema>>;
+  metadataSchema$: Observable<MetadataSchema>;
 
   /**
    * A list of all the fields attached to this metadata schema
    */
-  metadataFields: Observable<RemoteData<PaginatedList<MetadataField>>>;
+  metadataFields$: Observable<RemoteData<PaginatedList<MetadataField>>>;
 
   /**
    * Pagination config used to display the list of metadata fields
@@ -51,6 +47,11 @@ export class MetadataSchemaComponent implements OnInit {
     pageSizeOptions: [25, 50, 100, 200]
   });
 
+  /**
+   * Whether or not the list of MetadataFields needs an update
+   */
+  needsUpdate: BehaviorSubject<boolean> = new BehaviorSubject<boolean>(true);
+
   constructor(private registryService: RegistryService,
               private route: ActivatedRoute,
               private notificationsService: NotificationsService,
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ export class MetadataSchemaComponent implements OnInit {
    * @param params
    */
   initialize(params) {
-    this.metadataSchema = this.registryService.getMetadataSchemaByName(params.schemaName);
+    this.metadataSchema$ = this.registryService.getMetadataSchemaByName(params.schemaName).pipe(getFirstSucceededRemoteDataPayload());
     this.updateFields();
   }
 
@@ -80,18 +81,21 @@ export class MetadataSchemaComponent implements OnInit {
    */
   onPageChange(event) {
     this.config.currentPage = event;
-    this.updateFields();
+    this.needsUpdate.next(true);
   }
 
   /**
    * Update the list of fields by fetching it from the rest api or cache
    */
   private updateFields() {
-    this.metadataSchema.pipe(getSucceededRemoteData()).subscribe((schemaData) => {
-      const schema = schemaData.payload;
-      this.metadataFields = this.registryService.getMetadataFieldsBySchema(schema, toFindListOptions(this.config));
-      this.namespace = {namespace: schemaData.payload.namespace};
-    });
+    this.metadataFields$ = combineLatest(this.metadataSchema$, this.needsUpdate).pipe(
+      switchMap(([schema, update]: [MetadataSchema, boolean]) => {
+        if (update) {
+          console.log('reloaded list');
+          return this.registryService.getMetadataFieldsBySchema(schema, toFindListOptions(this.config));
+        }
+      })
+    );
   }
 
   /**
@@ -99,8 +103,7 @@ export class MetadataSchemaComponent implements OnInit {
    * a new REST call
    */
   public forceUpdateFields() {
-    this.registryService.clearMetadataFieldRequests().subscribe();
-    this.updateFields();
+    this.registryService.clearMetadataFieldRequests().subscribe(() => this.needsUpdate.next(true));
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/src/app/core/data/metadata-field-data.service.ts b/src/app/core/data/metadata-field-data.service.ts
index 9d1298dced..00ec3c10d1 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/metadata-field-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/metadata-field-data.service.ts
@@ -45,6 +45,12 @@ export class MetadataFieldDataService extends DataService<MetadataField> {
     super();
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Find metadata fields belonging to a metadata schema
+   * @param schema        The metadata schema to list fields for
+   * @param options       The options info used to retrieve the fields
+   * @param linksToFollow List of {@link FollowLinkConfig} that indicate which {@link HALLink}s should be automatically resolved
+   */
   findBySchema(schema: MetadataSchema, options: FindListOptions = {}, ...linksToFollow: Array<FollowLinkConfig<MetadataField>>) {
     const optionsWithSchema = Object.assign(new FindListOptions(), options, {
       searchParams: [new SearchParam('schema', schema.prefix)]
@@ -52,6 +58,14 @@ export class MetadataFieldDataService extends DataService<MetadataField> {
     return this.searchBy(this.searchBySchemaLinkPath, optionsWithSchema, ...linksToFollow);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Create or Update a MetadataField
+   *  If the MetadataField contains an id, it is assumed the field already exists and is updated instead
+   *  Since creating or updating is nearly identical, the only real difference is the request (and slight difference in endpoint):
+   *  - On creation, a CreateMetadataFieldRequest is used
+   *  - On update, a UpdateMetadataFieldRequest is used
+   * @param field    The MetadataField to create or update
+   */
   createOrUpdateMetadataField(field: MetadataField): Observable<RestResponse> {
     const isUpdate = hasValue(field.id);
     const requestId = this.requestService.generateRequestId();
@@ -97,9 +111,15 @@ export class MetadataFieldDataService extends DataService<MetadataField> {
     );
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Clear all metadata field requests
+   * Used for refreshing lists after adding/updating/removing a metadata field from a metadata schema
+   */
   clearRequests(): Observable<string> {
     return this.getBrowseEndpoint().pipe(
-      tap((href: string) => this.requestService.removeByHrefSubstring(href))
+      tap((href: string) => {
+        this.requestService.removeByHrefSubstring(href);
+      })
     );
   }