diff --git a/modules/metadata/XmpReader.php b/modules/metadata/XmpReader.php
index 075aced..092c4b4 100644
--- a/modules/metadata/XmpReader.php
+++ b/modules/metadata/XmpReader.php
@@ -64,15 +64,19 @@ public function registerShortcuts( $value = '', $tag, $xmp ) {
 				$child_taxonomy_delimiter = pp_api::getOption('core', 'metadata', 'custom_taxonomies_tag_delimiter') ?: ':';
 				
 				// drop keywords uses as child taxonomies.
-				foreach ( $keywords as $k => $v ) {
+				
+				if ( $keywords ) {
 					
-					if ( ! strpos($v, $child_taxonomy_delimiter ) ) {
+					foreach ( $keywords as $k => $v ) {
 						
-						$nkeywords[] = $v;
+						if ( ! strpos($v, $child_taxonomy_delimiter ) ) {
+							
+							$nkeywords[] = $v;
+						}
 					}
+					
+					return implode( ', ', $nkeywords); 
 				}
-				
-				return implode( ', ', $nkeywords); 
 		}
 	}