diff --git a/src/gui/qgsmetadatawidget.cpp b/src/gui/qgsmetadatawidget.cpp
index 803d30a6aaf1..88fb8b97bc9d 100644
--- a/src/gui/qgsmetadatawidget.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/qgsmetadatawidget.cpp
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ QgsMetadataWidget::QgsMetadataWidget( QWidget *parent, QgsMapLayer *layer )
   if ( mLayer )
   {
     mMetadata.reset( mLayer->metadata().clone() );
+    setMode( LayerMetadata );
     setUiFromMetadata();
   }
 }
@@ -504,6 +505,8 @@ void QgsMetadataWidget::setUiFromMetadata()
 
   if ( QgsLayerMetadata *layerMetadata = dynamic_cast< QgsLayerMetadata * >( mMetadata.get() ) )
   {
+    // Encoding
+    comboEncoding->setCurrentText( layerMetadata->encoding() );
 
     // Fees
     lineEditFees->setText( layerMetadata->fees() );
@@ -663,6 +666,9 @@ void QgsMetadataWidget::saveMetadata( QgsAbstractMetadataBase *metadata )
       // Rights
       layerMetadata->setRights( mRightsModel->stringList() );
 
+      // Encoding
+      layerMetadata->setEncoding( comboEncoding->currentText() );
+
       // Constraints
       QList<QgsLayerMetadata::Constraint> constraints;
       for ( int row = 0; row < mConstraintsModel->rowCount() ; row++ )
diff --git a/tests/src/python/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/src/python/CMakeLists.txt
index 8da50d4e6444..4e94b20cceb8 100644
--- a/tests/src/python/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/src/python/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ ADD_PYTHON_TEST(PyQgsMapThemeCollection test_qgsmapthemecollection.py)
 ADD_PYTHON_TEST(PyQgsMapUnitScale test_qgsmapunitscale.py)
 ADD_PYTHON_TEST(PyQgsMargins test_qgsmargins.py)
 ADD_PYTHON_TEST(PyQgsMetadataBase test_qgsmetadatabase.py)
+ADD_PYTHON_TEST(PyQgsMetadataWidget test_qgsmetadatawidget.py)
 ADD_PYTHON_TEST(PyQgsMemoryProvider test_provider_memory.py)
 ADD_PYTHON_TEST(PyQgsMultiEditToolButton test_qgsmultiedittoolbutton.py)
 ADD_PYTHON_TEST(PyQgsNetworkContentFetcher test_qgsnetworkcontentfetcher.py)
diff --git a/tests/src/python/test_qgsmetadatawidget.py b/tests/src/python/test_qgsmetadatawidget.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..f6cd990a232c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/src/python/test_qgsmetadatawidget.py
@@ -0,0 +1,297 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+"""QGIS Unit tests for QgsMetadataWidget.
+
+Run with: ctest -V -R QgsMetadataWidget
+
+.. note:: This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+(at your option) any later version.
+"""
+__author__ = 'Nyall Dawson'
+__date__ = '20/03/2018'
+__copyright__ = 'Copyright 2018, The QGIS Project'
+# This will get replaced with a git SHA1 when you do a git archive
+__revision__ = '$Format:%H$'
+
+import qgis  # NOQA
+
+from qgis.PyQt.QtXml import QDomDocument
+
+from qgis.core import (QgsCoordinateReferenceSystem,
+                       QgsAbstractMetadataBase,
+                       QgsLayerMetadata,
+                       QgsProjectMetadata,
+                       QgsBox3d,
+                       QgsDateTimeRange)
+from qgis.gui import (QgsMetadataWidget)
+from qgis.PyQt.QtCore import (QDate,
+                              QTime,
+                              QDateTime)
+from qgis.testing import start_app, unittest
+
+start_app()
+
+
+class TestQgsMetadataWidget(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def testLayerMode(self):
+        """
+        Create a fully populated QgsLayerMetadata object, then set it to the widget and re-read back
+        the generated metadata to ensure that no content is lost.
+        """
+        w = QgsMetadataWidget()
+
+        m = QgsLayerMetadata()
+        m.setIdentifier('1234')
+        m.setParentIdentifier('xyz')
+        m.setLanguage('en-CA')
+        m.setType('dataset')
+        m.setTitle('roads')
+        m.setAbstract('my roads')
+        m.setFees('None')
+        m.setConstraints([QgsLayerMetadata.Constraint('None', 'access')])
+        m.setRights(['Copyright foo 2017'])
+        m.setLicenses(['WTFPL'])
+        m.setHistory(['history a', 'history b'])
+        m.setKeywords({
+            'GEMET': ['kw1', 'kw2'],
+            'gmd:topicCategory': ['natural'],
+        })
+        #m.setEncoding('utf-8')
+        m.setCrs(QgsCoordinateReferenceSystem.fromOgcWmsCrs('EPSG:4326'))
+
+        e = QgsLayerMetadata.Extent()
+        se = QgsLayerMetadata.SpatialExtent()
+        se.extentCrs = QgsCoordinateReferenceSystem.fromOgcWmsCrs('EPSG:4326')
+        se.bounds = QgsBox3d(-180, -90, 0, 180, 90, 0)
+        e.setSpatialExtents([se])
+        dates = [
+            QgsDateTimeRange(
+                QDateTime(QDate(2001, 12, 17), QTime(9, 30, 47)),
+                QDateTime(QDate(2001, 12, 17), QTime(9, 30, 47)))
+        ]
+        e.setTemporalExtents(dates)
+        m.setExtent(e)
+
+        c = QgsLayerMetadata.Contact()
+        c.name = 'John Smith'
+        c.organization = 'ACME'
+        c.position = 'staff'
+        c.voice = '1500 515 555'
+        c.fax = 'xx.xxx.xxx.xxxx'
+        c.email = 'foo@example.org'
+        c.role = 'pointOfContact'
+        address = QgsLayerMetadata.Address()
+        address.type = 'postal'
+        address.address = '123 Main Street'
+        address.city = 'anycity'
+        address.administrativeArea = 'anyprovince'
+        address.postalCode = '90210'
+        address.country = 'Canada'
+        c.addresses = [address]
+        m.setContacts([c])
+
+        l = QgsLayerMetadata.Link()
+        l.name = 'geonode:roads'
+        l.type = 'OGC:WMS'
+        l.description = 'my GeoNode road layer'
+        l.url = 'http://example.org/wms'
+
+        l2 = QgsLayerMetadata.Link()
+        l2.name = 'geonode:roads'
+        l2.type = 'OGC:WFS'
+        l2.description = 'my GeoNode road layer'
+        l2.url = 'http://example.org/wfs'
+
+        l3 = QgsLayerMetadata.Link()
+        l3.name = 'roads'
+        l3.type = 'WWW:LINK'
+        l3.description = 'full dataset download'
+        l3.url = 'http://example.org/roads.tgz'
+        l3.format = 'ESRI Shapefile'
+        l3.mimeType = 'application/gzip'
+        l3.size = '283676'
+
+        m.setLinks([l, l2, l3])
+
+        # set widget metadata
+        w.setMetadata(m)
+        self.assertEqual(w.mode(), QgsMetadataWidget.LayerMetadata)
+
+        m = w.metadata()
+        self.assertIsInstance(m, QgsLayerMetadata)
+
+        self.assertEqual(m.identifier(), '1234')
+        self.assertEqual(m.parentIdentifier(), 'xyz')
+        self.assertEqual(m.language(), 'en-CA')
+        self.assertEqual(m.type(), 'dataset')
+        self.assertEqual(m.title(), 'roads')
+        self.assertEqual(m.abstract(), 'my roads')
+        self.assertEqual(m.fees(), 'None')
+        self.assertEqual(m.constraints()[0].constraint, 'None')
+        self.assertEqual(m.constraints()[0].type, 'access')
+        self.assertEqual(m.rights(), ['Copyright foo 2017'])
+        self.assertEqual(m.licenses(), ['WTFPL'])
+        self.assertEqual(m.history(), ['history a', 'history b'])
+        #self.assertEqual(m.encoding(), 'utf-8')
+        self.assertEqual(
+            m.keywords(),
+            {'GEMET': ['kw1', 'kw2'], 'gmd:topicCategory': ['natural']})
+        self.assertEqual(m.crs().authid(), 'EPSG:4326')
+
+        extent = m.extent().spatialExtents()[0]
+        self.assertEqual(extent.extentCrs.authid(), 'EPSG:4326')
+        self.assertEqual(extent.bounds.xMinimum(), -180.0)
+        self.assertEqual(extent.bounds.yMinimum(), -90.0)
+        self.assertEqual(extent.bounds.xMaximum(), 180.0)
+        self.assertEqual(extent.bounds.yMaximum(), 90.0)
+        self.assertEqual(m.extent().temporalExtents()[0].begin(), QDateTime(QDate(2001, 12, 17), QTime(9, 30, 47)))
+        self.assertTrue(m.extent().temporalExtents()[0].isInstant())
+
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].name, 'John Smith')
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].organization, 'ACME')
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].position, 'staff')
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].voice, '1500 515 555')
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].fax, 'xx.xxx.xxx.xxxx')
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].email, 'foo@example.org')
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].role, 'pointOfContact')
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].addresses[0].type, 'postal')
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].addresses[0].address, '123 Main Street')
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].addresses[0].city, 'anycity')
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].addresses[0].administrativeArea, 'anyprovince')
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].addresses[0].postalCode, '90210')
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].addresses[0].country, 'Canada')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[0].name, 'geonode:roads')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[0].type, 'OGC:WMS')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[0].description, 'my GeoNode road layer')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[0].url, 'http://example.org/wms')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[1].name, 'geonode:roads')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[1].type, 'OGC:WFS')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[1].description, 'my GeoNode road layer')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[1].url, 'http://example.org/wfs')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[2].name, 'roads')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[2].type, 'WWW:LINK')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[2].description, 'full dataset download')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[2].url, 'http://example.org/roads.tgz')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[2].format, 'ESRI Shapefile')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[2].mimeType, 'application/gzip')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[2].size, '283676')
+
+    def testProjectMode(self):
+        """
+        Create a fully populated QgsProjectMetadata object, then set it to the widget and re-read back
+        the generated metadata to ensure that no content is lost.
+        """
+        w = QgsMetadataWidget()
+
+        m = QgsProjectMetadata()
+        m.setIdentifier('1234')
+        m.setParentIdentifier('xyz')
+        m.setLanguage('en-CA')
+        m.setType('project')
+        m.setTitle('roads')
+        m.setAbstract('my roads')
+        m.setHistory(['history a', 'history b'])
+        m.setKeywords({
+            'GEMET': ['kw1', 'kw2'],
+            'gmd:topicCategory': ['natural'],
+        })
+
+        c = QgsAbstractMetadataBase.Contact()
+        c.name = 'John Smith'
+        c.organization = 'ACME'
+        c.position = 'staff'
+        c.voice = '1500 515 555'
+        c.fax = 'xx.xxx.xxx.xxxx'
+        c.email = 'foo@example.org'
+        c.role = 'pointOfContact'
+        address = QgsAbstractMetadataBase.Address()
+        address.type = 'postal'
+        address.address = '123 Main Street'
+        address.city = 'anycity'
+        address.administrativeArea = 'anyprovince'
+        address.postalCode = '90210'
+        address.country = 'Canada'
+        c.addresses = [address]
+        m.setContacts([c])
+
+        l = QgsAbstractMetadataBase.Link()
+        l.name = 'geonode:roads'
+        l.type = 'OGC:WMS'
+        l.description = 'my GeoNode road layer'
+        l.url = 'http://example.org/wms'
+
+        l2 = QgsAbstractMetadataBase.Link()
+        l2.name = 'geonode:roads'
+        l2.type = 'OGC:WFS'
+        l2.description = 'my GeoNode road layer'
+        l2.url = 'http://example.org/wfs'
+
+        l3 = QgsAbstractMetadataBase.Link()
+        l3.name = 'roads'
+        l3.type = 'WWW:LINK'
+        l3.description = 'full dataset download'
+        l3.url = 'http://example.org/roads.tgz'
+        l3.format = 'ESRI Shapefile'
+        l3.mimeType = 'application/gzip'
+        l3.size = '283676'
+
+        m.setLinks([l, l2, l3])
+
+        m.setAuthor('my author')
+        m.setCreationDateTime(QDateTime(QDate(2001, 12, 17), QTime(9, 30, 47)))
+
+        # set widget metadata
+        w.setMetadata(m)
+        self.assertEqual(w.mode(), QgsMetadataWidget.ProjectMetadata)
+
+        m = w.metadata()
+        self.assertIsInstance(m, QgsProjectMetadata)
+
+        self.assertEqual(m.identifier(), '1234')
+        self.assertEqual(m.parentIdentifier(), 'xyz')
+        self.assertEqual(m.language(), 'en-CA')
+        self.assertEqual(m.type(), 'project')
+        self.assertEqual(m.title(), 'roads')
+        self.assertEqual(m.abstract(), 'my roads')
+        self.assertEqual(m.history(), ['history a', 'history b'])
+        self.assertEqual(
+            m.keywords(),
+            {'GEMET': ['kw1', 'kw2'], 'gmd:topicCategory': ['natural']})
+
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].name, 'John Smith')
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].organization, 'ACME')
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].position, 'staff')
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].voice, '1500 515 555')
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].fax, 'xx.xxx.xxx.xxxx')
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].email, 'foo@example.org')
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].role, 'pointOfContact')
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].addresses[0].type, 'postal')
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].addresses[0].address, '123 Main Street')
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].addresses[0].city, 'anycity')
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].addresses[0].administrativeArea, 'anyprovince')
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].addresses[0].postalCode, '90210')
+        self.assertEqual(m.contacts()[0].addresses[0].country, 'Canada')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[0].name, 'geonode:roads')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[0].type, 'OGC:WMS')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[0].description, 'my GeoNode road layer')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[0].url, 'http://example.org/wms')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[1].name, 'geonode:roads')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[1].type, 'OGC:WFS')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[1].description, 'my GeoNode road layer')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[1].url, 'http://example.org/wfs')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[2].name, 'roads')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[2].type, 'WWW:LINK')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[2].description, 'full dataset download')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[2].url, 'http://example.org/roads.tgz')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[2].format, 'ESRI Shapefile')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[2].mimeType, 'application/gzip')
+        self.assertEqual(m.links()[2].size, '283676')
+
+        self.assertEqual(m.author(), 'my author')
+        self.assertEqual(m.creationDateTime(), QDateTime(QDate(2001, 12, 17), QTime(9, 30, 47)))
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()