diff --git a/picard/metadata.py b/picard/metadata.py
index f8fabea4b..a8e20e5d4 100644
--- a/picard/metadata.py
+++ b/picard/metadata.py
@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@
 # along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
 # Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301,
 # USA.
-from collections.abc import MutableMapping
+from collections.abc import (
+    Iterable,
+    MutableMapping,
+)
 
 from PyQt5.QtCore import QObject
 
@@ -346,9 +349,9 @@ class Metadata(MutableMapping):
         self.deleted_tags.discard(name)
 
     def __setitem__(self, name, values):
-        if not isinstance(values, list):
+        if isinstance(values, str) or not isinstance(values, Iterable):
             values = [values]
-        values = [str(value) for value in values if value]
+        values = [str(value) for value in values if value or value == 0]
         if values:
             self.set(name, values)
         elif name in self._store:
diff --git a/test/test_metadata.py b/test/test_metadata.py
index 4424bf6b8..7f91e695a 100644
--- a/test/test_metadata.py
+++ b/test/test_metadata.py
@@ -200,6 +200,16 @@ class MetadataTest(PicardTestCase):
         self.assertIn('c', m.deleted_tags)
         self.assertEqual(m.length, 1234)
 
+    def test_metadata_mapping_init_zero(self):
+        m = Metadata(tag1='a', tag2=0, tag3='', tag4=None)
+        m['tag5'] = 0
+        m['tag1'] = ''
+        self.assertIn('tag1', m.deleted_tags)
+        self.assertEqual(m['tag2'], '0')
+        self.assertNotIn('tag3', m)
+        self.assertNotIn('tag4', m)
+        self.assertEqual(m['tag5'], '0')
+
     def test_metadata_mapping_del(self):
         m = self.metadata_d1
         self.assertEqual(m.getraw('a'), ['b'])
@@ -342,3 +352,13 @@ class MetadataTest(PicardTestCase):
         m1.remove_image(0)
         self.assertEqual(len(m1), 1) # one tag, zero image
         self.assertFalse(m1.images)
+
+    def test_metadata_mapping_iterable(self):
+        m = Metadata(tag_tuple=('a', 0))
+        m['tag_set'] = {'c', 'd'}
+        m['tag_dict'] = {'e': 1, 'f': 2}
+        m['tag_str'] = 'gh'
+        self.assertIn('0', m.getraw('tag_tuple'))
+        self.assertIn('c', m.getraw('tag_set'))
+        self.assertIn('e', m.getraw('tag_dict'))
+        self.assertIn('gh', m.getraw('tag_str'))