diff --git a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Rendering/Expressions/ExpressionMetadataProvider.cs b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Rendering/Expressions/ExpressionMetadataProvider.cs
index 7357f070a8..49d72c917f 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Rendering/Expressions/ExpressionMetadataProvider.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Rendering/Expressions/ExpressionMetadataProvider.cs
@@ -69,10 +69,15 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Rendering.Expressions
             return GetMetadataFromProvider(modelAccessor, typeof(TValue), propertyName, containerType, metadataProvider);
         }
 
-        public static ModelMetadata FromStringExpression([NotNull] string expression,
+        public static ModelMetadata FromStringExpression(string expression,
                                                          [NotNull] ViewDataDictionary viewData,
                                                          IModelMetadataProvider metadataProvider)
         {
+            if(string.IsNullOrEmpty(expression))
+            {
+                return viewData.ModelMetadata;
+            }
+
             if (expression.Length == 0)
             {
                 // Empty string really means "model metadata for the current model"
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Rendering/Html/HtmlHelper.cs b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Rendering/Html/HtmlHelper.cs
index 4702208de6..544b3f8a22 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Rendering/Html/HtmlHelper.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Rendering/Html/HtmlHelper.cs
@@ -254,13 +254,8 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Rendering
         /// <inheritdoc />
         public HtmlString DisplayName(string expression)
         {
-            var modelMetadata = string.IsNullOrEmpty(expression) ?
-                                           ViewData.ModelMetadata :
-                                           ExpressionMetadataProvider.FromStringExpression(
-                                                                               expression,
-                                                                               ViewData,
-                                                                               MetadataProvider);
-            return GenerateDisplayName(modelMetadata, expression);
+            var metadata = ExpressionMetadataProvider.FromStringExpression(expression, ViewData, MetadataProvider);
+            return GenerateDisplayName(metadata, expression);
         }
 
 
@@ -299,14 +294,9 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Rendering
         /// <inheritdoc />
         public HtmlString Label(string expression, string labelText, object htmlAttributes)
         {
-            var modelMetadata = string.IsNullOrEmpty(expression)?
-                                            ViewData.ModelMetadata :
-                                            ExpressionMetadataProvider.FromStringExpression(
-                                                                                expression,
-                                                                                ViewData,
-                                                                                MetadataProvider);
+            var metadata = ExpressionMetadataProvider.FromStringExpression(expression, ViewData, MetadataProvider);
             return GenerateLabel(
-                            modelMetadata,
+                            metadata,
                             expression,
                             labelText,
                             htmlAttributes);