diff --git a/code/FBXConverter.cpp b/code/FBXConverter.cpp
index aed4603f1..e9d680a0c 100644
--- a/code/FBXConverter.cpp
+++ b/code/FBXConverter.cpp
@@ -223,6 +223,9 @@ private:
 						name_carrier = nodes_chain.back();
 					}
 
+					//setup metadata on newest node
+					SetupNodeMetadata(*model, *nodes_chain.back());
+
 					// link all nodes in a row
 					aiNode* last_parent = &parent;
 					BOOST_FOREACH(aiNode* prenode, nodes_chain) {
@@ -754,7 +757,28 @@ private:
 			nd->mTransformation = nd->mTransformation * chain[i];
 		}
 	}
+	
+	// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+	void SetupNodeMetadata(const Model& model, aiNode& nd)
+	{
+		const PropertyTable& props = model.Props();
+
+		// find user defined properties
+		const std::string& userProps = PropertyGet<std::string>(props, "UDP3DSMAX", "");
+
+		//setup metadata //TODO: make metadata more friendly (eg. have Add()/Remove() functions to be easier to use)
+		aiMetadata* data = new aiMetadata();
+		data->mNumProperties = 1;
+		data->mKeys = new aiString[data->mNumProperties]();
+		data->mValues = new aiString[data->mNumProperties]();
+
+		//add user properties
+		data->mKeys[0].Set("UserProperties");
+		data->mValues[0].Set(userProps);
+
+		nd.mMetaData = data;
+	}
 
 	// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 	void ConvertModel(const Model& model, aiNode& nd, const aiMatrix4x4& node_global_transform)
diff --git a/code/IFCLoader.cpp b/code/IFCLoader.cpp
index 0af15228c..4c8feeab1 100644
--- a/code/IFCLoader.cpp
+++ b/code/IFCLoader.cpp
@@ -725,14 +725,14 @@ aiNode* ProcessSpatialStructure(aiNode* parent, const IfcProduct& el, Conversion
 		if (!properties.empty()) {
 			aiMetadata* data = new aiMetadata();
 			data->mNumProperties = properties.size();
-			data->mKeys = new aiString*[data->mNumProperties]();
-			data->mValues = new aiString*[data->mNumProperties]();
+			data->mKeys = new aiString[data->mNumProperties]();
+			data->mValues = new aiString[data->mNumProperties]();
 
 			unsigned int i = 0;
 			BOOST_FOREACH(const Metadata::value_type& kv, properties) {
-				data->mKeys[i] = new aiString(kv.first);
+				data->mKeys[i].Set(kv.first);
 				if (kv.second.length() > 0) {
-					data->mValues[i] = new aiString(kv.second);
+					data->mValues[i].Set(kv.second);
 				}				
 				++i;
 			}
diff --git a/include/assimp/metadata.h b/include/assimp/metadata.h
index c5dc0638f..942029ae6 100644
--- a/include/assimp/metadata.h
+++ b/include/assimp/metadata.h
@@ -62,11 +62,11 @@ struct aiMetadata
 	unsigned int mNumProperties;
 
 	/** Arrays of keys, may not be NULL. Entries in this array may not be NULL as well. */
-	C_STRUCT aiString** mKeys;
+	C_STRUCT aiString* mKeys;
 
 	/** Arrays of values, may not be NULL. Entries in this array may be NULL if the
 	  * corresponding property key has no assigned value. */
-	C_STRUCT aiString** mValues;
+	C_STRUCT aiString* mValues;
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 
@@ -83,26 +83,18 @@ struct aiMetadata
 	/** Destructor */
 	~aiMetadata()
 	{
-		if (mKeys && mValues) {
-			for (unsigned i=0; i<mNumProperties; ++i) {
-				if (mKeys[i]) {
-					delete mKeys[i];
-				}
-				if (mValues[i]) {
-					delete mValues[i];
-				}
-			}
+		if (mKeys)
 			delete [] mKeys;
+		if (mValues)
 			delete [] mValues;
-		}
 	}
 
 
 	inline bool Get(const aiString& key, aiString& value)
 	{
 		for (unsigned i=0; i<mNumProperties; ++i) {
-			if (mKeys[i] && *mKeys[i]==key) {
-				value=*mValues[i];
+			if (mKeys[i]==key) {
+				value=mValues[i];
 				return true;
 			}
 		}