diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/actions/add.py b/src/calibre/gui2/actions/add.py
index dc709f221e..8c515d4c3b 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/actions/add.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/actions/add.py
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ from calibre.constants import preferred_encoding, filesystem_encoding
 from calibre.gui2.actions import InterfaceAction
 from calibre.gui2 import question_dialog
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata import MetaInformation
-from calibre.ebooks.metadata.sources.base import msprefs
 
 def get_filters():
     return [
@@ -181,17 +180,9 @@ class AddAction(InterfaceAction):
             except IndexError:
                 self.gui.library_view.model().books_added(self.isbn_add_dialog.value)
                 self.isbn_add_dialog.accept()
-                orig = msprefs['ignore_fields']
-                new = list(orig)
-                for x in ('title', 'authors'):
-                    if x in new:
-                        new.remove(x)
-                msprefs['ignore_fields'] = new
-                try:
-                    self.gui.iactions['Edit Metadata'].download_metadata(
-                        ids=self.add_by_isbn_ids)
-                finally:
-                    msprefs['ignore_fields'] = orig
+                self.gui.iactions['Edit Metadata'].download_metadata(
+                    ids=self.add_by_isbn_ids, ensure_fields=frozenset(['title',
+                        'authors']))
                 return
 
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/actions/edit_metadata.py b/src/calibre/gui2/actions/edit_metadata.py
index 28e2f21d23..527beae0ab 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/actions/edit_metadata.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/actions/edit_metadata.py
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ class EditMetadataAction(InterfaceAction):
         self.action_merge.setEnabled(enabled)
 
     # Download metadata {{{
-    def download_metadata(self, ids=None):
+    def download_metadata(self, ids=None, ensure_fields=None):
         if ids is None:
             rows = self.gui.library_view.selectionModel().selectedRows()
             if not rows or len(rows) == 0:
@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ class EditMetadataAction(InterfaceAction):
             ids = [db.id(row.row()) for row in rows]
         from calibre.gui2.metadata.bulk_download import start_download
         start_download(self.gui, ids,
-                Dispatcher(self.metadata_downloaded))
+                Dispatcher(self.metadata_downloaded),
+                ensure_fields=ensure_fields)
 
     def metadata_downloaded(self, job):
         if job.failed:
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/bulk_download.py b/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/bulk_download.py
index ad7018401b..182881f02d 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/bulk_download.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/bulk_download.py
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ def split_jobs(ids, batch_size=100):
         ids = ids[batch_size:]
     return ans
 
-def start_download(gui, ids, callback):
+def start_download(gui, ids, callback, ensure_fields=None):
     d = ConfirmDialog(ids, gui)
     ret = d.exec_()
     d.b.clicked.disconnect()
@@ -108,7 +108,8 @@ def start_download(gui, ids, callback):
     for batch in split_jobs(ids):
         job = ThreadedJob('metadata bulk download',
             _('Download metadata for %d books')%len(batch),
-            download, (batch, gui.current_db, d.identify, d.covers), {}, callback)
+            download, (batch, gui.current_db, d.identify, d.covers,
+                ensure_fields), {}, callback)
         gui.job_manager.run_threaded_job(job)
     gui.status_bar.show_message(_('Metadata download started'), 3000)
 
@@ -127,10 +128,10 @@ def get_job_details(job):
     det_msg = '\n'.join(det_msg)
     return id_map, failed_ids, failed_covers, all_failed, det_msg
 
-def merge_result(oldmi, newmi):
+def merge_result(oldmi, newmi, ensure_fields=None):
     dummy = Metadata(_('Unknown'))
     for f in msprefs['ignore_fields']:
-        if ':' not in f:
+        if ':' not in f and (ensure_fields and f not in ensure_fields):
             setattr(newmi, f, getattr(dummy, f))
     fields = set()
     for plugin in metadata_plugins(['identify']):
@@ -154,7 +155,7 @@ def merge_result(oldmi, newmi):
 
     return newmi
 
-def download(ids, db, do_identify, covers,
+def download(ids, db, do_identify, covers, ensure_fields,
         log=None, abort=None, notifications=None):
     ids = list(ids)
     metadata = [db.get_metadata(i, index_is_id=True, get_user_categories=False)
@@ -184,7 +185,7 @@ def download(ids, db, do_identify, covers,
                 pass
             if results:
                 all_failed = False
-                mi = merge_result(mi, results[0])
+                mi = merge_result(mi, results[0], ensure_fields=ensure_fields)
                 identifiers = mi.identifiers
                 if not mi.is_null('rating'):
                     # set_metadata expects a rating out of 10
@@ -193,7 +194,7 @@ def download(ids, db, do_identify, covers,
                 log.error('Failed to download metadata for', title)
                 failed_ids.add(i)
                 # We don't want set_metadata operating on anything but covers
-                mi = merge_result(mi, mi)
+                mi = merge_result(mi, mi, ensure_fields=ensure_fields)
         if covers:
             cdata = download_cover(log, title=title, authors=authors,
                     identifiers=identifiers)