diff --git a/picard/formats/apev2.py b/picard/formats/apev2.py
index a29c319a3..beb23ee1e 100644
--- a/picard/formats/apev2.py
+++ b/picard/formats/apev2.py
@@ -189,17 +189,18 @@ class APEv2File(File):
             real_name = self._get_tag_name(tag)
             if real_name in ('Lyrics', 'Comment', 'Performer'):
                 tag_type = re.compile(r"\(%s\)" % tag.split(':', 1)[1])
-                for item in tags.get(real_name):
-                    if tag_type.search(item):
-                        tags.get(real_name).remove(item)
+                existing_tags = tags.get(real_name)
+                if existing_tags:
+                    for item in existing_tags:
+                        if tag_type.search(item):
+                            tags.get(real_name).remove(item)
             elif tag in ('totaltracks', 'totaldiscs'):
                 tagstr = real_name.lower() + 'number'
-                try:
+                if tagstr in metadata:
                     tags[real_name] = metadata[tagstr]
-                except KeyError:
-                    pass
             else:
-                del tags[real_name]
+                if real_name in tags:
+                    del tags[real_name]
 
     def _get_tag_name(self, name):
         if name.startswith('lyrics:'):
diff --git a/test/test_formats.py b/test/test_formats.py
index 74df658b6..a506cd2c5 100644
--- a/test/test_formats.py
+++ b/test/test_formats.py
@@ -219,6 +219,17 @@ class CommonTests:
                 self.assertIn('~rating', original_metadata.keys())
                 self.assertNotIn('~rating', new_metadata.keys())
 
+        @skipUnlessTestfile
+        def test_delete_non_existant_tags(self):
+            metadata = Metadata()
+            metadata.delete('albumartist')
+            metadata.delete('performer:drums')
+            metadata.delete('totaltracks')
+            new_metadata = save_and_load_metadata(self.filename, metadata)
+            self.assertNotIn('albumartist', new_metadata.keys())
+            self.assertNotIn('performer:drums', new_metadata.keys())
+            self.assertNotIn('totaltracks', new_metadata.keys())
+
         @skipUnlessTestfile
         def test_delete_complex_tags(self):
             metadata = Metadata()