diff --git a/test/PandocSpec.hs b/test/PandocSpec.hs
index d43579b00..579fd1747 100644
--- a/test/PandocSpec.hs
+++ b/test/PandocSpec.hs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import Utils.Print
 import qualified Data.Set as Set
 import qualified Data.Map.Lazy as Map
 import qualified Data.Foldable as Fold
+import qualified Data.Text as T
 
 import Text.Pandoc
 import Text.Pandoc.Builder
@@ -21,8 +22,8 @@ instance Arbitrary ArbitraryMeta where
           = do (x1 :: Inlines) <- arbitrary
                (x2 :: [Inlines]) <- filter (not . Fold.null) <$> arbitrary
                (x3 :: Inlines) <- arbitrary
-               (x4 :: [(Text, Text)]) <- arbitrary
-               (x5 :: [(Text, Bool)]) <- arbitrary
+               (x4 :: [(Text, Text)]) <- filter (not . T.null . fst) <$> arbitrary
+               (x5 :: [(Text, Bool)]) <- filter (not . T.null . fst) <$> arbitrary
                return $ ArbitraryMeta
                       $ setMeta "title" x1
                       $ setMeta "author" x2
@@ -61,7 +62,8 @@ spec = do
         metaOriginal  = unArbitraryMeta abMetaOriginal
         pd = Pandoc metaOriginal blocks
         (Pandoc newMeta _) = addMeta metaOverwrite pd
-      mlist newMeta `shouldContain` mlist metaOverwrite
+        keysToPreserve = Map.keysSet $ unMeta metaOverwrite
+      mlist metaOverwrite `shouldMatchList` Map.toList (unMeta newMeta `Map.restrictKeys` keysToPreserve)
 
     it "should preserve untouched settings" $ do
       (abMetaOverwrite, abMetaOriginal, blocks) <- generate arbitrary
@@ -70,7 +72,10 @@ spec = do
         metaOriginal  = unArbitraryMeta abMetaOriginal
         pd = Pandoc metaOriginal blocks
         (Pandoc newMeta  _) = addMeta metaOverwrite pd
-      mlist newMeta `shouldContain` Map.toList (unMeta metaOriginal `Map.difference` unMeta metaOverwrite)
+        keysToPreserve = Map.keysSet (unMeta metaOriginal) `Set.difference` Map.keysSet (unMeta metaOverwrite)
+      Map.toList   (Map.restrictKeys (unMeta newMeta)     keysToPreserve) 
+        `shouldMatchList` 
+        Map.toList (Map.restrictKeys (unMeta metaOriginal) keysToPreserve)
 
     it "should preserve document blocks" $ do
         (metaOverwrite, pd) <- generate arbitrary