diff --git a/picard/mbjson.py b/picard/mbjson.py
index 057c6d887..bb3e71e82 100644
--- a/picard/mbjson.py
+++ b/picard/mbjson.py
@@ -387,14 +387,18 @@ def media_formats_from_node(node):
     return " + ".join(formats)
 
 
+def _node_skip_empty_iter(node):
+    for key, value in node.items():
+        if value or value == 0:
+            yield key, value
+
+
 def track_to_metadata(node, track):
     m = track.metadata
     recording_to_metadata(node['recording'], m, track)
     m.add_unique('musicbrainz_trackid', node['id'])
     # overwrite with data we have on the track
-    for key, value in node.items():
-        if not value and value != 0:
-            continue
+    for key, value in _node_skip_empty_iter(node):
         if key in _TRACK_TO_METADATA:
             m[_TRACK_TO_METADATA[key]] = value
         elif key == 'length' and value:
@@ -408,9 +412,7 @@ def track_to_metadata(node, track):
 def recording_to_metadata(node, m, track=None):
     m.length = 0
     m.add_unique('musicbrainz_recordingid', node['id'])
-    for key, value in node.items():
-        if not value and value != 0:
-            continue
+    for key, value in _node_skip_empty_iter(node):
         if key in _RECORDING_TO_METADATA:
             m[_RECORDING_TO_METADATA[key]] = value
         elif key == 'user-rating':
@@ -466,9 +468,7 @@ def work_to_metadata(work, m):
 
 
 def medium_to_metadata(node, m):
-    for key, value in node.items():
-        if not value and value != 0:
-            continue
+    for key, value in _node_skip_empty_iter(node):
         if key in _MEDIUM_TO_METADATA:
             m[_MEDIUM_TO_METADATA[key]] = value
 
@@ -476,9 +476,7 @@ def medium_to_metadata(node, m):
 def artist_to_metadata(node, m):
     """Make meatadata dict from a JSON 'artist' node."""
     m.add_unique("musicbrainz_artistid", node['id'])
-    for key, value in node.items():
-        if not value and value != 0:
-            continue
+    for key, value in _node_skip_empty_iter(node):
         if key in _ARTIST_TO_METADATA:
             m[_ARTIST_TO_METADATA[key]] = value
         elif key == "area":
@@ -500,9 +498,7 @@ def release_to_metadata(node, m, album=None):
     """Make metadata dict from a JSON 'release' node."""
     config = get_config()
     m.add_unique('musicbrainz_albumid', node['id'])
-    for key, value in node.items():
-        if not value and value != 0:
-            continue
+    for key, value in _node_skip_empty_iter(node):
         if key in _RELEASE_TO_METADATA:
             m[_RELEASE_TO_METADATA[key]] = value
         elif key == 'status':
@@ -538,9 +534,7 @@ def release_to_metadata(node, m, album=None):
 def release_group_to_metadata(node, m, release_group=None):
     """Make metadata dict from a JSON 'release-group' node taken from inside a 'release' node."""
     m.add_unique('musicbrainz_releasegroupid', node['id'])
-    for key, value in node.items():
-        if not value and value != 0:
-            continue
+    for key, value in _node_skip_empty_iter(node):
         if key in _RELEASE_GROUP_TO_METADATA:
             m[_RELEASE_GROUP_TO_METADATA[key]] = value
         elif key == 'primary-type':
diff --git a/test/test_mbjson.py b/test/test_mbjson.py
index faf7f24e7..12f668c32 100644
--- a/test/test_mbjson.py
+++ b/test/test_mbjson.py
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ from test.picardtestcase import (
 from picard import config
 from picard.album import Album
 from picard.mbjson import (
+    _node_skip_empty_iter,
     _translate_artist_node,
     artist_to_metadata,
     countries_from_node,
@@ -64,6 +65,25 @@ settings = {
 }
 
 
+class MBJSONItersTest(PicardTestCase):
+    def test_node_skip_empty_iter(self):
+        d = {
+            'bool_false': False,
+            'bool_true': True,
+            'int_0': 0,
+            'int_1': 1,
+            'float_0': 0.0,
+            'float_1': 1.1,
+            'list_empty': [],
+            'list_non_empty': ['a'],
+            'dict_empty': {},
+            'dict_non_empty': {'a': 'b'},
+        }
+        expected = set(d) - {'list_empty', 'dict_empty'}
+        result = set({k: v for k, v in _node_skip_empty_iter(d)})
+        self.assertSetEqual(expected, result)
+
+
 class MBJSONTest(PicardTestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         super().setUp()