diff --git a/gallery_dl/postprocessor/metadata.py b/gallery_dl/postprocessor/metadata.py
index 714f4fef..03294b48 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/postprocessor/metadata.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/postprocessor/metadata.py
@@ -124,10 +124,8 @@ class MetadataPP(PostProcessor):
         for key, func in self.fields.items():
             obj = kwdict
             try:
-                while "[" in key:
-                    name, _, key = key.partition("[")
-                    obj = obj[name]
-                    key = key.rstrip("]")
+                if "[" in key:
+                    obj, key = _traverse(obj, key)
                 obj[key] = func(kwdict)
             except Exception:
                 pass
@@ -137,10 +135,8 @@ class MetadataPP(PostProcessor):
         for key in self.fields:
             obj = kwdict
             try:
-                while "[" in key:
-                    name, _, key = key.partition("[")
-                    obj = obj[name]
-                    key = key.rstrip("]")
+                if "[" in key:
+                    obj, key = _traverse(obj, key)
                 del obj[key]
             except Exception:
                 pass
@@ -214,4 +210,15 @@ class MetadataPP(PostProcessor):
         )
 
 
+def _traverse(obj, key):
+    name, _, key = key.partition("[")
+    obj = obj[name]
+
+    while "[" in key:
+        name, _, key = key.partition("[")
+        obj = obj[name.rstrip("]")]
+
+    return obj, key.strip("]")
+
+
 __postprocessor__ = MetadataPP
diff --git a/test/test_postprocessor.py b/test/test_postprocessor.py
index c78d7b03..543947b8 100644
--- a/test/test_postprocessor.py
+++ b/test/test_postprocessor.py
@@ -392,47 +392,57 @@ class MetadataTest(BasePostprocessorTest):
         self._create({
             "mode": "modify",
             "fields": {
-                "foo"     : "{filename}-{foo!s}",
-                "foo2"    : "\fE bar['bax'] + 122",
-                "bar[baz]": "{_now}",
-                "bar[ba2]": "test",
+                "foo"        : "{filename}-{foo!s}",
+                "foo2"       : "\fE bar['bax'] + 122",
+                "bar[baz]"   : "{_now}",
+                "bar[ba2]"   : "\fE {}",
+                "bar[ba2][a]": "test",
             },
         }, kwdict)
-        pdict = self.pathfmt.kwdict
 
+        pdict = self.pathfmt.kwdict
         self.assertIsNot(kwdict, pdict)
         self.assertEqual(pdict["foo"], kwdict["foo"])
         self.assertEqual(pdict["bar"], kwdict["bar"])
 
         self._trigger()
 
-        self.assertEqual(pdict["foo"]       , "file-0")
-        self.assertEqual(pdict["foo2"]      , 123)
-        self.assertEqual(pdict["bar"]["ba2"], "test")
+        self.assertEqual(pdict["foo"] , "file-0")
+        self.assertEqual(pdict["foo2"], 123)
+        self.assertEqual(pdict["bar"]["ba2"]["a"], "test")
         self.assertIsInstance(pdict["bar"]["baz"], datetime)
 
     def test_metadata_delete(self):
-        kwdict = {"foo": 0, "bar": {"bax": 1, "bay": 2, "baz": 3}}
-        self._create({"mode": "delete", "fields": ["foo", "bar[baz]"]}, kwdict)
-        pdict = self.pathfmt.kwdict
+        kwdict = {
+            "foo": 0,
+            "bar": {
+                "bax": 1,
+                "bay": 2,
+                "baz": {"a": 3, "b": 4},
+            },
+        }
+        self._create({
+            "mode": "delete",
+            "fields": ["foo", "bar[bax]", "bar[baz][a]"],
+        }, kwdict)
 
+        pdict = self.pathfmt.kwdict
         self.assertIsNot(kwdict, pdict)
+
         self.assertEqual(pdict["foo"], kwdict["foo"])
         self.assertEqual(pdict["bar"], kwdict["bar"])
 
-        del kwdict["foo"]
-        del kwdict["bar"]["baz"]
-
         self._trigger()
+
         self.assertNotIn("foo", pdict)
-        self.assertNotIn("baz", pdict["bar"])
-        self.assertEqual(kwdict["bar"], pdict["bar"])
+        self.assertNotIn("bax", pdict["bar"])
+        self.assertNotIn("a", pdict["bar"]["baz"])
 
         # no errors for deleted/undefined fields
         self._trigger()
         self.assertNotIn("foo", pdict)
-        self.assertNotIn("baz", pdict["bar"])
-        self.assertEqual(kwdict["bar"], pdict["bar"])
+        self.assertNotIn("bax", pdict["bar"])
+        self.assertNotIn("a", pdict["bar"]["baz"])
 
     def test_metadata_option_skip(self):
         self._create({"skip": True})