diff --git a/product2dataset/product2dataset.py b/product2dataset/product2dataset.py
index f241bc73..b5a0e6f3 100644
--- a/product2dataset/product2dataset.py
+++ b/product2dataset/product2dataset.py
@@ -266,11 +266,10 @@ def convert(
         if pge_name == "L3_DISP_S1":
             logger.info("Removing superfluous data from DISP-S1 metadata")
             logger.info("dataset_met_json.keys() = " + str(dataset_met_json.keys()))
-            _DELETED_TEXT = None
 
             # Get rid of bunch of data that we don't care about but takes up a lot of space
-            dataset_met_json["runconfig"]["localize"] = _DELETED_TEXT # This list is the same as lineage so no point in duplicatingq
-            dataset_met_json["runconfig"]["input_file_group"]["input_file_paths"] = _DELETED_TEXT # This list is the same as lineage so no point in duplicating
+            dataset_met_json["runconfig"].pop("localize")# This list is the same as lineage so no point in duplicatingq
+            dataset_met_json["runconfig"]["input_file_group"].pop("input_file_paths") # This list is the same as lineage so no point in duplicating
 
             # "accountability" is added elsewhere in the code so we can't delete it here
             # dataset_met_json["accountability"]["L3_DISP_S1"]["inputs"] = _DELETED_TEXT # We don't consume this at all
@@ -278,9 +277,9 @@ def convert(
             for file in dataset_met_json["Files"]:
                 logger.info("Files keys: "+ str(file.keys()))
                 logger.info("Removing runconfig and lineage from each file")
-                file["lineage"] = _DELETED_TEXT  # Lineage for the entire product is already at metadata level so no point in duplicating for each file
-                file["runconfig"]["localize"] = _DELETED_TEXT  # this is superfulous
-                file["runconfig"]["input_file_group"]["input_file_paths"] = _DELETED_TEXT  # this is superfulous
+                file.pop("lineage")  # Lineage for the entire product is already at metadata level so no point in duplicating for each file
+                file["runconfig"].pop("localize")  # this is superfulous
+                file["runconfig"]["input_file_group"].pop("input_file_paths")  # this is superfulous
 
             logger.info("Reducing lineage string size by truncating basepath of lineage entries")
             if len(dataset_met_json["lineage"]) > 0: