diff --git a/includes/api/class-wc-rest-order-refunds-controller.php b/includes/api/class-wc-rest-order-refunds-controller.php
index 7a43d9ab504..8f23f2fa7eb 100644
--- a/includes/api/class-wc-rest-order-refunds-controller.php
+++ b/includes/api/class-wc-rest-order-refunds-controller.php
@@ -282,9 +282,15 @@ class WC_REST_Order_Refunds_Controller extends WC_REST_Orders_Controller {
 			'line_items'     => $request['line_items'],
 			'refund_payment' => is_bool( $request['api_refund'] ) ? $request['api_refund'] : true,
 			'restock_items'  => true,
-			'meta_data'      => empty( $request['meta_data'] ) ? null : $request['meta_data'],
 		) );
 
+		if(!empty( $request['meta_data'] ) && is_array( $request['meta_data'] )) {
+			foreach ( $request['meta_data'] as $meta ) {
+				$refund->update_meta_data( $meta['key'], $meta['value'], isset( $meta['id'] ) ? $meta['id'] : '' );
+			}
+			$refund->save_meta_data();
+		}
+
 		if ( is_wp_error( $refund ) ) {
 			return new WP_Error( 'woocommerce_rest_cannot_create_order_refund', $refund->get_error_message(), 500 );
 		}
diff --git a/includes/wc-order-functions.php b/includes/wc-order-functions.php
index cc23815a599..1f75eda82a8 100644
--- a/includes/wc-order-functions.php
+++ b/includes/wc-order-functions.php
@@ -475,7 +475,6 @@ function wc_create_refund( $args = array() ) {
 		'line_items'     => array(),
 		'refund_payment' => false,
 		'restock_items'  => false,
-		'meta_data'      => array(),
 	);
 
 	try {
@@ -499,10 +498,6 @@ function wc_create_refund( $args = array() ) {
 		$refund->set_parent_id( absint( $args['order_id'] ) );
 		$refund->set_refunded_by( get_current_user_id() ? get_current_user_id() : 1 );
 
-		foreach ( $args['meta_data'] as $meta ) {
-			$refund->update_meta_data( $meta['key'], $meta['value'], isset( $meta['id'] ) ? $meta['id'] : '' );
-		}
-
 		if ( ! is_null( $args['reason'] ) ) {
 			$refund->set_reason( $args['reason'] );
 		}