diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/core/ReactiveAerospikeOperations.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/core/ReactiveAerospikeOperations.java
index ed78860ff..3b69c2901 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/core/ReactiveAerospikeOperations.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/core/ReactiveAerospikeOperations.java
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@
 import com.aerospike.client.reactor.IAerospikeReactorClient;
 import org.springframework.data.aerospike.core.model.GroupedEntities;
 import org.springframework.data.aerospike.core.model.GroupedKeys;
-import org.springframework.data.aerospike.query.FilterOperation;
-import org.springframework.data.aerospike.repository.query.CriteriaDefinition;
 import org.springframework.data.aerospike.repository.query.Query;
 import org.springframework.data.domain.Sort;
 import org.springframework.data.mapping.context.MappingContext;
@@ -519,15 +517,4 @@ <T> Mono<Void> createIndex(Class<T> entityClass, String indexName, String binNam
      * @return true if exists.
      */
     Mono<Boolean> indexExists(String indexName);
-
-    /**
-     * Find entities that have the given metadata field with the operation applied to its value.
-     *
-     * @param metadataFieldName Metadata field name.
-     * @param operation         Operation to be applied.
-     * @param value             Numerical value of the metadata field.
-     * @return Entities that satisfy the applied operation
-     */
-    <T> Flux<T> findByMetadata(CriteriaDefinition.AerospikeMetadata metadataFieldName, FilterOperation operation,
-                               long value, Class<T> entityClass);
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/core/ReactiveAerospikeTemplate.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/core/ReactiveAerospikeTemplate.java
index 9a0891395..e4ef0c107 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/core/ReactiveAerospikeTemplate.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/core/ReactiveAerospikeTemplate.java
@@ -37,12 +37,9 @@
 import org.springframework.data.aerospike.mapping.AerospikeMappingContext;
 import org.springframework.data.aerospike.mapping.AerospikePersistentEntity;
 import org.springframework.data.aerospike.mapping.AerospikePersistentProperty;
-import org.springframework.data.aerospike.query.FilterOperation;
 import org.springframework.data.aerospike.query.Qualifier;
 import org.springframework.data.aerospike.query.ReactorQueryEngine;
 import org.springframework.data.aerospike.query.cache.ReactorIndexRefresher;
-import org.springframework.data.aerospike.repository.query.AerospikeCriteria;
-import org.springframework.data.aerospike.repository.query.CriteriaDefinition;
 import org.springframework.data.aerospike.repository.query.Query;
 import org.springframework.data.aerospike.utility.Utils;
 import org.springframework.data.domain.Sort;
@@ -831,17 +828,6 @@ public Mono<Boolean> indexExists(String indexName) {
         return Mono.just(false);
     }
 
-    @Override
-    public <T> Flux<T> findByMetadata(CriteriaDefinition.AerospikeMetadata metadataFieldName, FilterOperation operation, long value, Class<T> entityClass) {
-        AerospikeCriteria criteria = new AerospikeCriteria(new Qualifier.QualifierBuilder()
-            .setMetadataField(metadataFieldName)
-            .setFilterOperation(operation)
-            .setValue1(Value.get(value)));
-        Query query = new Query(criteria);
-
-        return find(query, entityClass);
-    }
-
     @Override
     public IAerospikeReactorClient getAerospikeReactorClient() {
         return reactorClient;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/query/FilterOperation.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/query/FilterOperation.java
index 8a8e3faa5..a61e049b7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/query/FilterOperation.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/query/FilterOperation.java
@@ -1309,14 +1309,11 @@ private static Optional<Exp> getMetadataExp(Map<String, Object> qualifierMap) {
 
     // expecting value1 always be of type Long
     private static Long getValue1AsLongOrFail(Object value1) {
-        Long longValue1;
         try {
-            longValue1 = (Long) value1;
+            return (Long) value1;
         } catch (Exception e) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("Expecting value1 to be of type Long");
         }
-
-        return longValue1;
     }
 
     private static Exp mapMetadataExp(CriteriaDefinition.AerospikeMetadata metadataField) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/repository/query/ReactiveAerospikePartTreeQuery.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/repository/query/ReactiveAerospikePartTreeQuery.java
index f2d77704f..82c814f96 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/repository/query/ReactiveAerospikePartTreeQuery.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/aerospike/repository/query/ReactiveAerospikePartTreeQuery.java
@@ -60,16 +60,6 @@ public Object execute(Object[] parameters) {
                     excludeIdQualifier(qualifiers));
             }
         }
-//
-//        // queries that include metadata have their own processing flow
-//        if (parameters != null && parameters.length > 0) {
-//            AerospikeCriteria criteria = query.getAerospikeCriteria();
-//            if (isMetadataQuery(criteria)) {
-//                return runMetadataQuery(criteria, entityClass);
-//            }
-//        }
-//
-//
         return findByQuery(query, targetClass);
     }
 
@@ -91,9 +81,4 @@ protected Object findByIds(Iterable<?> iterable, Class<?> sourceClass, Class<?>
         return internalOperations.findByIdsInternal(IterableConverter.toList(iterable), sourceClass, targetClass,
             qualifiers);
     }
-
-    protected Object runMetadataQuery(AerospikeCriteria criteria, Class<?> entityClass) {
-        return operations.findByMetadata(criteria.getMetadataField(), criteria.getOperation(),
-            criteria.getValue1().toLong(), entityClass);
-    }
 }