diff --git a/beets/autotag/match.py b/beets/autotag/match.py
index aa0c21dba..4232c719d 100644
--- a/beets/autotag/match.py
+++ b/beets/autotag/match.py
@@ -65,10 +65,10 @@ def current_metadata(items):
     fields = ['artist', 'album', 'albumartist', 'year', 'disctotal',
               'mb_albumid', 'label', 'catalognum', 'country', 'media',
               'albumdisambig']
-    for key in fields:
-        values = [getattr(item, key) for item in items if item]
-        likelies[key], freq = plurality(values)
-        consensus[key] = (freq == len(values))
+    for field in fields:
+        values = [item[field] for item in items if item]
+        likelies[field], freq = plurality(values)
+        consensus[field] = (freq == len(values))
 
     # If there's an album artist consensus, use this for the artist.
     if consensus['albumartist'] and likelies['albumartist']:
diff --git a/beetsplug/zero.py b/beetsplug/zero.py
index 30f287aea..b9768431c 100644
--- a/beetsplug/zero.py
+++ b/beetsplug/zero.py
@@ -85,12 +85,11 @@ class ZeroPlugin(BeetsPlugin):
             return
 
         for field, patterns in self.patterns.items():
-            try:
-                value = getattr(item, field)
-            except AttributeError:
+            if field not in item.keys():
                 log.error(u'[zero] no such field: {0}'.format(field))
                 continue
 
+            value = item[field]
             if self.match_patterns(value, patterns):
                 log.debug(u'[zero] {0}: {1} -> None'.format(field, value))
-                setattr(item, field, None)
+                item[field] = None