diff --git a/src/node/src/client.js b/src/node/src/client.js
index b90af42054a..e1bed3512e9 100644
--- a/src/node/src/client.js
+++ b/src/node/src/client.js
@@ -294,12 +294,13 @@ function makeUnaryRequestFunction(method, serialize, deserialize) {
       client_batch[grpc.opType.RECV_MESSAGE] = true;
       client_batch[grpc.opType.RECV_STATUS_ON_CLIENT] = true;
       call.startBatch(client_batch, function(err, response) {
+        response.status.metadata = Metadata._fromCoreRepresentation(
+              response.status.metadata);
         emitter.emit('status', response.status);
         if (response.status.code !== grpc.status.OK) {
           var error = new Error(response.status.details);
           error.code = response.status.code;
-          error.metadata = Metadata._fromCoreRepresentation(
-              response.status.metadata);
+          error.metadata = response.status.metadata;
           callback(error);
           return;
         } else {
@@ -371,12 +372,13 @@ function makeClientStreamRequestFunction(method, serialize, deserialize) {
       client_batch[grpc.opType.RECV_MESSAGE] = true;
       client_batch[grpc.opType.RECV_STATUS_ON_CLIENT] = true;
       call.startBatch(client_batch, function(err, response) {
+        response.status.metadata = Metadata._fromCoreRepresentation(
+              response.status.metadata);
         stream.emit('status', response.status);
         if (response.status.code !== grpc.status.OK) {
           var error = new Error(response.status.details);
           error.code = response.status.code;
-          error.metadata = Metadata._fromCoreRepresentation(
-              response.status.metadata);
+          error.metadata = response.status.metadata;
           callback(error);
           return;
         } else {
@@ -451,12 +453,13 @@ function makeServerStreamRequestFunction(method, serialize, deserialize) {
       var status_batch = {};
       status_batch[grpc.opType.RECV_STATUS_ON_CLIENT] = true;
       call.startBatch(status_batch, function(err, response) {
+        response.status.metadata = Metadata._fromCoreRepresentation(
+              response.status.metadata);
         stream.emit('status', response.status);
         if (response.status.code !== grpc.status.OK) {
           var error = new Error(response.status.details);
           error.code = response.status.code;
-          error.metadata = Metadata._fromCoreRepresentation(
-              response.status.metadata);
+          error.metadata = response.status.metadata;
           stream.emit('error', error);
           return;
         } else {
@@ -522,12 +525,13 @@ function makeBidiStreamRequestFunction(method, serialize, deserialize) {
       var status_batch = {};
       status_batch[grpc.opType.RECV_STATUS_ON_CLIENT] = true;
       call.startBatch(status_batch, function(err, response) {
+        response.status.metadata = Metadata._fromCoreRepresentation(
+              response.status.metadata);
         stream.emit('status', response.status);
         if (response.status.code !== grpc.status.OK) {
           var error = new Error(response.status.details);
           error.code = response.status.code;
-          error.metadata = Metadata._fromCoreRepresentation(
-              response.status.metadata);
+          error.metadata = response.status.metadata;
           stream.emit('error', error);
           return;
         } else {
diff --git a/src/node/src/metadata.js b/src/node/src/metadata.js
index ae7112f36e4..39514b25476 100644
--- a/src/node/src/metadata.js
+++ b/src/node/src/metadata.js
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ Metadata.prototype.clone = function() {
   var copy = new Metadata();
   copy._internal_repr = _.cloneDeep(this._internal_repr);
   return copy;
-}
+};
 
 /**
  * Gets the metadata in the format used by interal code. Intended for internal
@@ -160,7 +160,9 @@ Metadata.prototype._getCoreRepresentation = function() {
  */
 Metadata._fromCoreRepresentation = function(metadata) {
   var newMetadata = new Metadata();
-  newMetadata._internal_repr = _.cloneDeep(metadata);
+  if (metadata) {
+    newMetadata._internal_repr = _.cloneDeep(metadata);
+  }
   return newMetadata;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/node/src/server.js b/src/node/src/server.js
index 7ef28428b45..b6f162adf85 100644
--- a/src/node/src/server.js
+++ b/src/node/src/server.js
@@ -167,7 +167,10 @@ function setUpWritable(stream, serialize) {
       batch[grpc.opType.SEND_INITIAL_METADATA] =
           (new Metadata())._getCoreRepresentation();
     }
-    stream.status.metadata = stream.status.metadata._getCoreRepresentation();
+
+    if (stream.status.metadata) {
+      stream.status.metadata = stream.status.metadata._getCoreRepresentation();
+    }
     batch[grpc.opType.SEND_STATUS_FROM_SERVER] = stream.status;
     stream.call.startBatch(batch, function(){});
   }
@@ -181,7 +184,7 @@ function setUpWritable(stream, serialize) {
   function setStatus(err) {
     var code = grpc.status.UNKNOWN;
     var details = 'Unknown Error';
-    var metadata = {};
+    var metadata = new Metadata();
     if (err.hasOwnProperty('message')) {
       details = err.message;
     }
diff --git a/src/node/test/surface_test.js b/src/node/test/surface_test.js
index f000983a4aa..c7e63e98141 100644
--- a/src/node/test/surface_test.js
+++ b/src/node/test/surface_test.js
@@ -359,6 +359,7 @@ describe('Other conditions', function() {
     test_service = test_proto.lookup('TestService');
     server = new grpc.Server();
     var trailer_metadata = new grpc.Metadata();
+    trailer_metadata.add('trailer_present', 'yes');
     server.addProtoService(test_service, {
       unary: function(call, cb) {
         var req = call.request;