diff --git a/app/controllers/step_elements/tables_controller.rb b/app/controllers/step_elements/tables_controller.rb
index 1a81b1bd4..428bd3bf1 100644
--- a/app/controllers/step_elements/tables_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/step_elements/tables_controller.rb
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ module StepElements
       ActiveRecord::Base.transaction do
         @table.assign_attributes(table_params.except(:metadata))
         begin
-          @table.metadata = JSON.parse(table_params[:metadata])
+          @table.metadata = JSON.parse(table_params[:metadata]) if table_params[:metadata].present?
         rescue JSON::ParserError
           @table.metadata = {}
         end
diff --git a/app/javascript/vue/protocol/step_elements/table.vue b/app/javascript/vue/protocol/step_elements/table.vue
index 47a1636e9..86a7e61da 100644
--- a/app/javascript/vue/protocol/step_elements/table.vue
+++ b/app/javascript/vue/protocol/step_elements/table.vue
@@ -156,24 +156,25 @@
       updateTable() {
         if (this.editingTable == false) return;
 
-        this.element.attributes.orderable.contents = JSON.stringify({ data: this.tableObject.getData() });
-        this.element.attributes.orderable.metadata = JSON.stringify({ cells: this.tableObject.getCellsMeta().map(
-          (x) => {
-            if (x) {
-              return {
-                col: x.col,
-                row: x.row,
-                className: x.className || ''
-              }
-            } else {
-              return null
-            }
-          }).filter(e => { return e !== null })
-        });
         this.update();
         this.editingTable = false;
       },
       update() {
+        this.element.attributes.orderable.contents = JSON.stringify({ data: this.tableObject.getData() });
+        this.element.attributes.orderable.metadata = JSON.stringify({
+         cells: this.tableObject.getCellsMeta().map(
+           (x) => {
+             if (x) {
+               return {
+                 col: x.col,
+                 row: x.row,
+                 className: x.className || ''
+               }
+             } else {
+               return null
+             }
+           }).filter(e => { return e !== null })
+        });
         this.$emit('update', this.element)
       },
       loadTableData() {