diff --git a/helpers/application_helper.rb b/helpers/application_helper.rb
index dbddbc5b..172170fa 100644
--- a/helpers/application_helper.rb
+++ b/helpers/application_helper.rb
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ def populate_from_params(obj, params)
           # Deal with empty strings for String and URI
           empty_string = value.is_a?(String) && value.empty?
           old_string_value_exists = obj.respond_to?(attribute) && (obj.send(attribute).is_a?(String) || obj.send(attribute).is_a?(RDF::URI))
+          old_string_value_exists = old_string_value_exists || (obj.respond_to?(attribute) && obj.send(attribute).is_a?(LinkedData::Models::Base))
           if old_string_value_exists && empty_string
             value = nil
           elsif empty_string
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ def populate_from_params(obj, params)
             # Replace the initial value with the object, handling Arrays as appropriate
             if value.is_a?(Array)
               value = value.map {|e| attr_cls.find(uri_as_needed(e)).include(attr_cls.attributes).first}
-            else
+            elsif !value.nil?
               value = attr_cls.find(uri_as_needed(value)).include(attr_cls.attributes).first
             end
           elsif attr_cls
diff --git a/test/controllers/test_ontologies_controller.rb b/test/controllers/test_ontologies_controller.rb
index dc79359b..34f8c4dc 100644
--- a/test/controllers/test_ontologies_controller.rb
+++ b/test/controllers/test_ontologies_controller.rb
@@ -254,6 +254,32 @@ def test_download_acl_only
   end
 
 
+  def test_detach_a_view
+    view = Ontology.find(@@view_acronym).include(:viewOf).first
+    ont =  view.viewOf
+    refute_nil view
+    refute_nil ont
+
+    remove_view_of = {viewOf: ''}
+    patch "/ontologies/#{@@view_acronym}", MultiJson.dump(remove_view_of), "CONTENT_TYPE" => "application/json"
+
+    assert last_response.status == 204
+
+    get "/ontologies/#{@@view_acronym}"
+    onto = MultiJson.load(last_response.body)
+    assert_nil onto["viewOf"]
+
+
+    add_view_of = {viewOf: @@acronym}
+    patch "/ontologies/#{@@view_acronym}", MultiJson.dump(add_view_of), "CONTENT_TYPE" => "application/json"
+
+    assert last_response.status == 204
+
+    get "/ontologies/#{@@view_acronym}"
+    onto = MultiJson.load(last_response.body)
+    assert_equal onto["viewOf"], ont.id.to_s
+  end
+
   private
 
   def check400(response)