diff --git a/apps/documents/__init__.py b/apps/documents/__init__.py
index 9a7addd40f..471f0ce84e 100644
--- a/apps/documents/__init__.py
+++ b/apps/documents/__init__.py
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ register_model_list_columns(Document, [
                 reverse('document_thumbnail', args=[x.id]))
         },
         {'name':_(u'metadata'), 'attribute':
-            lambda x: u', '.join([u'%s - %s' % (metadata.metadata_type, metadata.value) for metadata in x.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')])
+            lambda x: x.get_metadata_string()
         },
     ])
 
diff --git a/apps/documents/models.py b/apps/documents/models.py
index 6971cd3889..52518c4f59 100644
--- a/apps/documents/models.py
+++ b/apps/documents/models.py
@@ -155,6 +155,9 @@ class Document(models.Model):
 
     def exists(self):
         return self.file.storage.exists(self.file.path)
+        
+    def get_metadata_string(self):
+        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 get_metadata_groups(self):
         errors = []