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..b8024346f5 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
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import {
   DynamicFormControl,
   DynamicFormControlContainerComponent,
   DynamicFormControlEvent,
+  DynamicFormControlEventType,
   DynamicFormControlModel,
   DynamicFormLayout,
   DynamicFormLayoutService,
@@ -395,9 +396,25 @@ export class DsDynamicFormControlContainerComponent extends DynamicFormControlCo
     });
 
     if (hasValue(this.model.value)) {
-      this.submissionService.dispatchSave(this.model.submissionId);
+      this.focus.emit({
+        $event: new Event('focus'),
+        context: this.context,
+        control: this.control,
+        model: this.model,
+        type: DynamicFormControlEventType.Focus
+      } as DynamicFormControlEvent);
+
+      this.change.emit({
+        $event: new Event('change'),
+        context: this.context,
+        control: this.control,
+        model: this.model,
+        type: DynamicFormControlEventType.Change
+      } as DynamicFormControlEvent);
     }
 
+    this.submissionService.dispatchSave(this.model.submissionId);
+
     const modalComp = this.modalRef.componentInstance;
 
     if (hasValue(this.model.value) && !this.model.readOnly) {
@@ -427,6 +444,9 @@ export class DsDynamicFormControlContainerComponent extends DynamicFormControlCo
     const path = this.formBuilderService.getPath(arrayContext);
     const formArrayControl = this.group.root.get(path) as FormArray;
     this.formBuilderService.removeFormArrayGroup(this.context.index, formArrayControl, arrayContext);
+    if (this.model.parent.context.groups.length === 0) {
+      this.formBuilderService.addFormArrayGroup(formArrayControl, arrayContext);
+    }
   }
 
   /**
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..b5af2a8843 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;
@@ -36,6 +38,7 @@ describe('ExistingMetadataListElementComponent', () => {
   let relatedSearchResult;
   let submissionId;
   let relationshipService;
+  let submissionServiceStub;
 
   function init() {
     uuid1 = '91ce578d-2e63-4093-8c73-3faafd716000';
@@ -62,6 +65,8 @@ describe('ExistingMetadataListElementComponent', () => {
     relationship = Object.assign(new Relationship(), { leftItem: leftItemRD$, rightItem: rightItemRD$ });
     submissionId = '1234';
     reoRel = new ReorderableRelationship(relationship, true, {} as any, {} as any, submissionId);
+    submissionServiceStub = new SubmissionServiceStub();
+    submissionServiceStub.getSubmissionObject.and.returnValue(observableOf({}));
   }
 
   beforeEach(waitForAsync(() => {
@@ -79,6 +84,7 @@ describe('ExistingMetadataListElementComponent', () => {
       providers: [
         { provide: SelectableListService, useValue: selectionService },
         { provide: Store, useValue: store },
+        { provide: SubmissionService, useValue: 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..899400eba0 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
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { FormControl } from '@angular/forms';
 import { DynamicFormArrayGroupModel } from '@ng-dynamic-forms/core';
 import { Store } from '@ngrx/store';
 import { BehaviorSubject, Subscription } from 'rxjs';
-import { filter } from 'rxjs/operators';
+import { filter, take } from 'rxjs/operators';
 import { AppState } from '../../../../../app.reducer';
 import { RelationshipService } from '../../../../../core/data/relationship.service';
 import { Relationship } from '../../../../../core/shared/item-relationships/relationship.model';
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ 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';
+import { SubmissionObjectEntry } from '../../../../../submission/objects/submission-objects.reducer';
 
 // tslint:disable:max-classes-per-file
 /**
@@ -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
   ) {
   }
 
@@ -194,9 +197,14 @@ export class ExistingMetadataListElementComponent implements OnInit, OnChanges,
    * Removes the selected relationship from the list
    */
   removeSelection() {
-    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();
+    this.submissionService.dispatchSave(this.submissionId);
+    this.submissionService.getSubmissionObject(this.submissionId).pipe(
+      filter((state: SubmissionObjectEntry) => !state.savePending && !state.isLoading),
+      take(1)).subscribe(() => {
+      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.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..8e55f32ee6 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
 /**
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@ export class ExistingRelationListElementComponent implements OnInit, OnChanges,
 
   constructor(
     private selectableListService: SelectableListService,
+    private submissionService: SubmissionService,
     private store: Store<AppState>
   ) {
   }
@@ -102,6 +104,7 @@ 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));
   }