diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/fao/geonet/kernel/EditLib.java b/core/src/main/java/org/fao/geonet/kernel/EditLib.java
index ae70dcd5e62..873b9c3bcdf 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/fao/geonet/kernel/EditLib.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/fao/geonet/kernel/EditLib.java
@@ -33,18 +33,10 @@
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.StringReader;
-import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Arrays;
-import java.util.BitSet;
-import java.util.HashMap;
-import java.util.Iterator;
-import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
-import java.util.List;
-import java.util.Map;
-import java.util.Set;
-import java.util.UUID;
-import java.util.Vector;
+import java.util.*;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
+import java.util.stream.Collectors;
+import java.util.stream.Stream;
 
 import org.apache.commons.collections.CollectionUtils;
 import org.apache.commons.jxpath.ri.parser.Token;
@@ -272,7 +264,7 @@ private void addChildToParent(MetadataSchema mdSchema, Element targetElement, El
         // remove everything and then, depending on removeExisting
         // readd all children to the element and assure a correct position for the new one: at the end of the others
         // or just add the new one
-        List existingAllType = new ArrayList(targetElement.getChildren());
+        List<Element> existingAllType = new ArrayList(targetElement.getChildren());
         targetElement.removeContent();
         for (String singleType: type.getAlElements()) {
             List<Element> existingForThisType = filterOnQname(existingAllType, singleType);
@@ -283,9 +275,22 @@ private void addChildToParent(MetadataSchema mdSchema, Element targetElement, El
                     LOGGER_ADD_ELEMENT.debug("####		- add child {}", existingChild.toString());
                 }
             }
-            if (qname.equals(singleType))
+            if (qname.equals(singleType)) {
                 targetElement.addContent(childToAdd);
+            }
+
+            filterOnQname(existingAllType, "geonet:child")
+                .stream()
+                .filter(gnChild -> (gnChild.getAttributeValue("prefix") + ":" + gnChild.getAttributeValue("name")).equals(singleType))
+                .findFirst()
+                .ifPresent(targetElement::addContent);
         }
+
+        Stream.concat(
+            filterOnQname(existingAllType, "geonet:element").stream(),
+            filterOnQname(existingAllType, "geonet:attribute").stream()
+        ).forEach(targetElement::addContent);
+
     }
 
     public void addXMLFragments(String schema, Element md, Map<String, String> xmlInputs) throws Exception {
diff --git a/services/src/main/java/org/fao/geonet/api/records/editing/AjaxEditUtils.java b/services/src/main/java/org/fao/geonet/api/records/editing/AjaxEditUtils.java
index 25253fb95f0..cf06d7c9e34 100644
--- a/services/src/main/java/org/fao/geonet/api/records/editing/AjaxEditUtils.java
+++ b/services/src/main/java/org/fao/geonet/api/records/editing/AjaxEditUtils.java
@@ -355,7 +355,6 @@ public synchronized Element addElementEmbedded(UserSession session, String id, S
 
         //--- locate the geonet:element and geonet:info elements and clone for
         //--- later re-use
-        Element refEl = (Element) (el.getChild(Edit.RootChild.ELEMENT, Edit.NAMESPACE)).clone();
         Element info = null;
 
         if (md.getChild(Edit.RootChild.INFO, Edit.NAMESPACE) != null) {
@@ -376,6 +375,8 @@ public synchronized Element addElementEmbedded(UserSession session, String id, S
                         if (defaultChild != null) {
                             defaultValue = defaultChild.getAttributeValue(Edit.Attribute.Attr.VALUE);
                         }
+                        attributeDef.removeAttribute(Edit.Attribute.Attr.ADD);
+                        attributeDef.setAttribute(new Attribute(Edit.Attribute.Attr.DEL, "true"));
                     }
                 }
 
@@ -383,7 +384,6 @@ public synchronized Element addElementEmbedded(UserSession session, String id, S
                 //--- Add new attribute with default value
                 el.setAttribute(new Attribute(attInfo.two(), defaultValue, attInfo.one()));
 
-                // TODO : add attribute should be false and del true after adding an attribute
                 child = el;
             } else {
                 //--- normal element
@@ -409,19 +409,13 @@ public synchronized Element addElementEmbedded(UserSession session, String id, S
         }
         //--- now enumerate the new child (if not a simple attribute)
         if (childName == null || !childName.equals("geonet:attribute")) {
-            //--- now add the geonet:element back again to keep ref number
-            el.addContent(refEl);
-
             int iRef = editLib.findMaximumRef(md);
-            editLib.expandElements(schema, child);
             editLib.enumerateTreeStartingAt(child, iRef + 1, Integer.parseInt(ref));
-
-            //--- add editing info to everything from the parent down
-            editLib.expandTree(mds, el);
-
+            editLib.expandTree(mds, child);
         }
         if (info != null) {
-            //--- attach the info element to the child
+            //--- remove and re-attach the info element to the child
+            child.removeChild(Edit.RootChild.INFO, Edit.NAMESPACE);
             child.addContent(info);
         }