diff --git a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-metadata/item-metadata.component.ts b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-metadata/item-metadata.component.ts
index 2635ba3f60..a37e7b0941 100644
--- a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-metadata/item-metadata.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-metadata/item-metadata.component.ts
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ export class ItemMetadataComponent extends AbstractItemUpdateComponent {
    * Sends all initial values of this item to the object updates service
    */
   public initializeOriginalFields() {
-    this.objectUpdatesService.initialize(this.url, this.getMetadataAsListExcludingRelationships(), this.item.lastModified);
+    this.objectUpdatesService.initialize(this.url, this.item.metadataAsList, this.item.lastModified);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -110,12 +110,12 @@ export class ItemMetadataComponent extends AbstractItemUpdateComponent {
   public submit() {
     this.isValid().pipe(first()).subscribe((isValid) => {
       if (isValid) {
-        const metadata$: Observable<Identifiable[]> = this.objectUpdatesService.getUpdatedFields(this.url, this.getMetadataAsListExcludingRelationships()) as Observable<MetadatumViewModel[]>;
+        const metadata$: Observable<Identifiable[]> = this.objectUpdatesService.getUpdatedFields(this.url, this.item.metadataAsList) as Observable<MetadatumViewModel[]>;
         metadata$.pipe(
           first(),
           switchMap((metadata: MetadatumViewModel[]) => {
             const updatedItem: Item = Object.assign(cloneDeep(this.item), { metadata: Metadata.toMetadataMap(metadata) });
-            return this.updateService.update(updatedItem, ['relation.*', 'relationship.*']);
+            return this.updateService.update(updatedItem);
           }),
           tap(() => this.updateService.commitUpdates()),
           getSucceededRemoteData()
diff --git a/src/app/core/data/data.service.ts b/src/app/core/data/data.service.ts
index f20cc20b4c..04d1990eac 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/data.service.ts
@@ -261,26 +261,14 @@ export abstract class DataService<T extends CacheableObject> implements UpdateDa
    * Add a new patch to the object cache
    * The patch is derived from the differences between the given object and its version in the object cache
    * @param {DSpaceObject} object The given object
-   * @param ignoreMetadataFields  An optional list of metadata fields to ignore updates for (* is allowed as a wildcard, for example: dc.description.*)
    */
-  update(object: T, ignoreMetadataFields: string[] = []): Observable<RemoteData<T>> {
-    const ignoreMetadataFieldsPrefix = ignoreMetadataFields.map((field) => field.indexOf('*') > -1 ? field.slice(0, field.indexOf('*')) : field);
+  update(object: T): Observable<RemoteData<T>> {
     const oldVersion$ = this.findByHref(object.self);
     return oldVersion$.pipe(
       getSucceededRemoteData(),
       getRemoteDataPayload(),
       mergeMap((oldVersion: T) => {
-        // Fetch operations from difference between old version and new version
-        // Filter out any metadata operations for a field specified under ignoreMetadataFields
-        const operations = this.comparator.diff(oldVersion, object).filter((operation) => {
-          let ignoredFieldFound = false;
-          ignoreMetadataFieldsPrefix.forEach((fieldPrefix) => {
-            if (operation.path.indexOf('/metadata/' + fieldPrefix) > -1) {
-              ignoredFieldFound = true;
-            }
-          });
-          return !ignoredFieldFound;
-        });
+        const operations = this.comparator.diff(oldVersion, object);
         if (isNotEmpty(operations)) {
           this.objectCache.addPatch(object.self, operations);
         }
diff --git a/src/app/core/data/item-template-data.service.ts b/src/app/core/data/item-template-data.service.ts
index e5b862b947..aaa664d7ec 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/item-template-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/item-template-data.service.ts
@@ -158,8 +158,8 @@ export class ItemTemplateDataService implements UpdateDataService<Item> {
   /**
    * Add a new patch to the object cache
    */
-  update(object: Item, ignoreMetadataFields: string[] = []): Observable<RemoteData<Item>> {
-    return this.dataService.update(object, ignoreMetadataFields);
+  update(object: Item): Observable<RemoteData<Item>> {
+    return this.dataService.update(object);
   }
 
   /**
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 08745f9223..91185551ed 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/object-updates/object-updates.service.ts
@@ -97,9 +97,13 @@ export class ObjectUpdatesService {
         let fieldUpdate = objectEntry.fieldUpdates[uuid];
         if (isEmpty(fieldUpdate)) {
           const identifiable = initialFields.find((object: Identifiable) => object.uuid === uuid);
-          fieldUpdate = { field: identifiable, changeType: undefined };
+          if (hasValue(identifiable)) {
+            fieldUpdate = {field: identifiable, changeType: undefined};
+          }
+        }
+        if (hasValue(fieldUpdate)) {
+          fieldUpdates[uuid] = fieldUpdate;
         }
-        fieldUpdates[uuid] = fieldUpdate;
       });
       return fieldUpdates;
     }))
diff --git a/src/app/core/data/update-data.service.ts b/src/app/core/data/update-data.service.ts
index a429be4319..34835e14c1 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/update-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/update-data.service.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,6 @@ import { RestRequestMethod } from './rest-request-method';
  * Represents a data service to update a given object
  */
 export interface UpdateDataService<T> {
-  update(object: T, ignoreMetadataFields?: string[]): Observable<RemoteData<T>>;
+  update(object: T): Observable<RemoteData<T>>;
   commitUpdates(method?: RestRequestMethod);
 }