diff --git a/cropper/app/lib/CropSpecMetadata.scala b/cropper/app/lib/CropSpecMetadata.scala
index 5c4b32dda6..f6875a5816 100644
--- a/cropper/app/lib/CropSpecMetadata.scala
+++ b/cropper/app/lib/CropSpecMetadata.scala
@@ -17,14 +17,19 @@ trait CropSpecMetadata {
       "date" -> crop.date.map(printDateTime),
       "width" -> dimensions.width,
       "height" -> dimensions.height,
-    ) ++ r.map("aspect-ratio" -> _)
+      "aspect-ratio" -> r)
 
-    val nonEmptyMetadata = metadata.collect {
+    val nonEmptyMetadata = metadata.filter {
+      case (_, None) => false
+      case _ => true
+    }
+
+    val flattenedMetadata = nonEmptyMetadata.collect {
       case (key, Some(value)) => key -> value
       case (key, value) => key -> value
     }.view.mapValues(_.toString).toMap
 
-    nonEmptyMetadata
+    flattenedMetadata
   }
 
   def cropSpecFromMetadata(userMetadata: Map[String, String]): Option[CropSpec] = {
diff --git a/cropper/test/lib/CropSpecMetadataTest.scala b/cropper/test/lib/CropSpecMetadataTest.scala
index 421bc31441..bfd3c8c8d1 100644
--- a/cropper/test/lib/CropSpecMetadataTest.scala
+++ b/cropper/test/lib/CropSpecMetadataTest.scala
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ class CropSpecMetadataTest extends AnyFunSpec with Matchers with CropSpecMetadat
       val metadata = metadataForCrop(crop.copy(specification = withEmptyField, author = None), dimensions)
 
       metadata.get("aspect-ratio") shouldBe None
-      metadata.get("author") shouldBe Some("None")  // TODO this does not look intentional!
+      metadata.get("author") shouldBe None
     }
 
     it("should round trip metadata back to crop spec") {