diff --git a/apps/documents/__init__.py b/apps/documents/__init__.py
index 98496ac6fa..eb55905949 100644
--- a/apps/documents/__init__.py
+++ b/apps/documents/__init__.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ from main.api import register_diagnostic, register_tool
 from permissions.api import register_permission, set_namespace_title
 from tags.widgets import get_tags_inline_widget_simple
 from history.api import register_history_type
+from metadata.api import get_metadata_string
 
 from documents.models import Document, DocumentPage, \
     DocumentPageTransformation, DocumentType, DocumentTypeFilename
@@ -189,7 +190,7 @@ register_model_list_columns(Document, [
             lambda x: get_tags_inline_widget_simple(x)
         },
         {'name':_(u'metadata'), 'attribute':
-            lambda x: x.get_metadata_string()
+            lambda x: get_metadata_string(x)
         },
     ])
 
diff --git a/apps/documents/models.py b/apps/documents/models.py
index ab50727c21..39306893c0 100644
--- a/apps/documents/models.py
+++ b/apps/documents/models.py
@@ -204,12 +204,6 @@ class Document(models.Model):
         """
         return self.file.storage.exists(self.file.path)
 
-    def get_metadata_string(self):
-        """
-        Return a formated representation of a document's metadata values
-        """
-        return u', '.join([u'%s - %s' % (metadata.metadata_type, metadata.value) for metadata in self.documentmetadata_set.select_related('metadata_type', 'document').defer('document__document_type', 'document__file', 'document__description', 'document__file_filename', 'document__uuid', 'document__date_added', 'document__date_updated', 'document__file_mimetype', 'document__file_mime_encoding')])
-
     def apply_default_transformations(self):
         #Only apply default transformations on new documents
         if DEFAULT_TRANSFORMATIONS and reduce(lambda x, y: x + y, [page.documentpagetransformation_set.count() for page in self.documentpage_set.all()]) == 0:
diff --git a/apps/metadata/api.py b/apps/metadata/api.py
index 26f93b6bce..3208ef7e23 100644
--- a/apps/metadata/api.py
+++ b/apps/metadata/api.py
@@ -95,3 +95,10 @@ def metadata_repr_as_list(metadata_list):
             pass
 
     return output
+
+
+def get_metadata_string(document):
+    """
+    Return a formated representation of a document's metadata values
+    """
+    return u', '.join([u'%s - %s' % (metadata.metadata_type, metadata.value) for metadata in DocumentMetadata.objects.filter(document=document).select_related('metadata_type')])