diff --git a/comicapi/metadata/comet.py b/comicapi/metadata/comet.py
index e87616b..d8b67e7 100644
--- a/comicapi/metadata/comet.py
+++ b/comicapi/metadata/comet.py
@@ -119,10 +119,13 @@ class CoMet(Metadata):
     def set_metadata(self, metadata: GenericMetadata, archive: Archiver) -> bool:
         if self.supports_metadata(archive):
             success = True
+            xml = b""
+            if self.has_metadata(archive):
+                xml = archive.read_file(self.file)
             if self.file != self.comet_filename:
                 success = self.remove_metadata(archive)
-            xml = self._bytes_from_metadata(metadata, archive.read_file(self.comet_filename))
-            return success and archive.write_file(self.comet_filename, xml)
+
+            return success and archive.write_file(self.comet_filename, self._bytes_from_metadata(metadata, xml))
         else:
             logger.warning(f"Archive ({archive.name()}) does not support {self.name()} metadata")
         return False
diff --git a/comicapi/metadata/comicrack.py b/comicapi/metadata/comicrack.py
index e1faca0..7fea529 100644
--- a/comicapi/metadata/comicrack.py
+++ b/comicapi/metadata/comicrack.py
@@ -118,7 +118,10 @@ class ComicRack(Metadata):
 
     def set_metadata(self, metadata: GenericMetadata, archive: Archiver) -> bool:
         if self.supports_metadata(archive):
-            return archive.write_file(self.file, self._bytes_from_metadata(metadata, archive.read_file(self.file)))
+            xml = b""
+            if self.has_metadata(archive):
+                xml = archive.read_file(self.file)
+            return archive.write_file(self.file, self._bytes_from_metadata(metadata, xml))
         else:
             logger.warning(f"Archive ({archive.name()}) does not support {self.name()} metadata")
         return False