diff --git a/sdafile/sda_file.py b/sdafile/sda_file.py
index f686f63..849ee56 100644
--- a/sdafile/sda_file.py
+++ b/sdafile/sda_file.py
@@ -296,12 +296,11 @@ def _copy_visitor(path, source, destination, labels):
 
             # Copy everything else
             source_obj = source[path]
-            destination.attrs.update(source.attrs)
             if isinstance(source_obj, h5py.Group):
-                destination.create_group(path)
+                dest_obj = destination.create_group(path)
             else:
                 ds = source_obj
-                destination.create_dataset(
+                dest_obj = destination.create_dataset(
                     path,
                     data=source_obj[()],
                     chunks=ds.chunks,
@@ -314,6 +313,8 @@ def _copy_visitor(path, source, destination, labels):
                     fillvalue=ds.fillvalue,
                 )
 
+            dest_obj.attrs.update(source_obj.attrs)
+
         pid, destination_path = tempfile.mkstemp()
         os.close(pid)
         with h5py.File(destination_path, 'w') as destination:
diff --git a/sdafile/tests/test_sda_file.py b/sdafile/tests/test_sda_file.py
index e636d24..aa95d21 100644
--- a/sdafile/tests/test_sda_file.py
+++ b/sdafile/tests/test_sda_file.py
@@ -705,9 +705,20 @@ def test_remove(self):
             sda_file.remove(*removed)
             self.assertEqual(sorted(sda_file.labels()), sorted(kept))
 
+            # Make sure metadata is preserved and data can be extracted
+            with sda_file._h5file('r') as h5file:
+                for label in kept:
+                    attrs = h5file[label].attrs
+                    self.assertIn('Deflate', attrs)
+                    self.assertIn('Description', attrs)
+                    self.assertIn('RecordType', attrs)
+                    self.assertIn('Empty', attrs)
+                    sda_file.extract(label)
+
             sda_file.remove(*kept)
             self.assertEqual(sda_file.labels(), [])
 
+            self.assertEqual(sda_file.FormatVersion, '1.1')
             self.assertNotEqual(sda_file.Updated, 'Unmodified')
 
     def test_probe(self):