diff --git a/app/models/metadata_document_date.rb b/app/models/metadata_document_date.rb
index 82126ba3..312bb3af 100644
--- a/app/models/metadata_document_date.rb
+++ b/app/models/metadata_document_date.rb
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ class MetadataDocumentDate < MetadataTemplate
   end
 
   def value_from_document
+    return nil unless document.path
+
     document.date
   end
 
@@ -42,7 +44,7 @@ class MetadataDocumentDate < MetadataTemplate
           value_from_document || default_value
         end
       else
-        value_from_document || default_value
+        self[:value] || value_from_document || default_value
       end
   end