diff --git a/fiftyone/factory/repos/delegated_operation.py b/fiftyone/factory/repos/delegated_operation.py
index 0224a07e95f..ae3b42c8076 100644
--- a/fiftyone/factory/repos/delegated_operation.py
+++ b/fiftyone/factory/repos/delegated_operation.py
@@ -177,15 +177,15 @@ def queue_operation(self, **kwargs: Any) -> DelegatedOperationDocument:
                 raise ValueError("Missing required property '%s'" % prop)
             setattr(op, prop, kwargs.get(prop))
 
-        # also set the delegation target (not required)
         delegation_target = kwargs.get("delegation_target", None)
         if delegation_target:
             setattr(op, "delegation_target", delegation_target)
 
-        # also set the metadata (not required)
         metadata = kwargs.get("metadata", None)
         if metadata:
             setattr(op, "metadata", metadata)
+        else:
+            setattr(op, "metadata", {})
 
         context = None
         if isinstance(op.context, dict):
@@ -262,8 +262,6 @@ def update_run_state(
             else None
         )
 
-        needs_pipeline_update = False
-
         if run_state == ExecutionRunState.COMPLETED:
             update = {
                 "$set": {
@@ -278,7 +276,6 @@ def update_run_state(
                 update["$set"]["metadata.outputs_schema"] = (
                     outputs_schema or {}
                 )
-                needs_pipeline_update = True
 
         elif run_state == ExecutionRunState.FAILED:
             update = {
@@ -328,12 +325,6 @@ def update_run_state(
         if required_state is not None:
             collection_filter["run_state"] = required_state
 
-        # Using pipeline update instead of a single update doc fixes a case
-        #   where `metadata` is null and so accessing the dotted field
-        #   `metadata.output_schema` creates the document instead of erroring.
-        if needs_pipeline_update:
-            update = [update]
-
         doc = self._collection.find_one_and_update(
             filter=collection_filter,
             update=update,
diff --git a/tests/unittests/operators/delegated_tests.py b/tests/unittests/operators/delegated_tests.py
index e2f8bdbc402..bb8ed3b208a 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/operators/delegated_tests.py
+++ b/tests/unittests/operators/delegated_tests.py
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ def test_delegate_operation(
         self.assertIsNotNone(doc.queued_at)
         self.assertEqual(doc.label, "Mock Operator")
         self.assertEqual(doc.run_state, ExecutionRunState.QUEUED)
-        self.assertIsNone(doc.metadata)
+        self.assertEqual(doc.metadata, {})
 
         doc2_metadata = {"inputs_schema": {}}
         doc2 = self.svc.queue_operation(
@@ -227,7 +227,6 @@ def test_delegate_operation(
         self.assertIsNotNone(doc2.queued_at)
         self.assertEqual(doc2.label, "@voxelfiftyone/operator/foo")
         self.assertEqual(doc2.run_state, ExecutionRunState.QUEUED)
-        self.assertIsNotNone(doc2.metadata)
         self.assertEqual(doc2.metadata, doc2_metadata)
 
     def test_list_operations(self, mock_get_operator, mock_operator_exists):
@@ -485,35 +484,6 @@ def test_sets_progress(
         self.assertEqual(doc.status.label, "halfway there")
         self.assertIsNotNone(doc.status.updated_at)
 
-    def test_output_schema_null_metadata(
-        self, mock_get_operator, mock_operator_exists
-    ):
-        mock_outputs = MockOutputs()
-        doc = self.svc.queue_operation(
-            operator="@voxelfiftyone/operator/foo",
-            delegation_target="test_target",
-            context=ExecutionContext(request_params={"foo": "bar"}),
-        )
-
-        # Set metadata to null instead of being unset, to test that corner case
-        self.svc._repo._collection.find_one_and_update(
-            {"_id": bson.ObjectId(doc.id)}, {"$set": {"metadata": None}}
-        )
-
-        self.svc.set_completed(
-            doc.id,
-            result=ExecutionResult(outputs_schema=mock_outputs.to_json()),
-        )
-
-        doc = self.svc.get(doc_id=doc.id)
-        self.assertEqual(doc.run_state, ExecutionRunState.COMPLETED)
-        self.assertEqual(
-            doc.metadata,
-            {
-                "outputs_schema": mock_outputs.to_json(),
-            },
-        )
-
     @patch(
         "fiftyone.core.odm.utils.load_dataset",
     )