diff --git a/src/calibre/db/lazy.py b/src/calibre/db/lazy.py
index 0b73b51ac0..566e51b32a 100644
--- a/src/calibre/db/lazy.py
+++ b/src/calibre/db/lazy.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ from functools import wraps
 from collections import MutableMapping, MutableSequence
 from copy import deepcopy
 
-from calibre.ebooks.metadata.book.base import Metadata, SIMPLE_GET, TOP_LEVEL_IDENTIFIERS, NULL_VALUES
+from calibre.ebooks.metadata.book.base import Metadata, SIMPLE_GET, TOP_LEVEL_IDENTIFIERS, NULL_VALUES, ALL_METADATA_FIELDS
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata.book.formatter import SafeFormat
 from calibre.utils.date import utcnow
 
@@ -350,3 +350,8 @@ class ProxyMetadata(Metadata):
             return field_metadata[field]
         return None
 
+    def all_field_keys(self):
+        um = ga(self, '_user_metadata')
+        return frozenset(ALL_METADATA_FIELDS.union(um.iterkeys()))
+
+
diff --git a/src/calibre/db/tests/reading.py b/src/calibre/db/tests/reading.py
index c242206539..dbeda9f6b0 100644
--- a/src/calibre/db/tests/reading.py
+++ b/src/calibre/db/tests/reading.py
@@ -495,5 +495,13 @@ class ReadingTest(BaseTest):
                     self.assertEqual(mi.format_field(field), pmi.format_field(field),
                                     'Custom field format: %s not the same for book %s' % (field, book_id))
 
+        # Test handling of recursive templates
+        cache.create_custom_column('comp2', 'comp2', 'composite', False, display={'composite_template':'{title}'})
+        cache.create_custom_column('comp1', 'comp1', 'composite', False, display={'composite_template':'foo{#comp2}'})
+        cache.close()
+        cache = self.init_cache()
+        mi, pmi = cache.get_metadata(1), cache.get_proxy_metadata(1)
+        self.assertEqual(mi.get('#comp1'), pmi.get('#comp1'))
+
     # }}}