diff --git a/RecCalorimeter/src/components/CreateCaloCells.cpp b/RecCalorimeter/src/components/CreateCaloCells.cpp
index 87f5d9db..bdfe04d9 100644
--- a/RecCalorimeter/src/components/CreateCaloCells.cpp
+++ b/RecCalorimeter/src/components/CreateCaloCells.cpp
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 DECLARE_COMPONENT(CreateCaloCells)
 
 CreateCaloCells::CreateCaloCells(const std::string& name, ISvcLocator* svcLoc) :
-GaudiAlgorithm(name, svcLoc), m_geoSvc("GeoSvc", name), m_eventDataSvc("EventDataSvc", "CreateCaloCells") {
+GaudiAlgorithm(name, svcLoc), m_geoSvc("GeoSvc", name) {
   declareProperty("hits", m_hits, "Hits from which to create cells (input)");
   declareProperty("cells", m_cells, "The created calorimeter cells (output)");
 
@@ -63,12 +63,9 @@ StatusCode CreateCaloCells::initialize() {
   if (m_addPosition){
     m_volman = m_geoSvc->lcdd()->volumeManager();
   }
-  StatusCode sc_dataSvc = m_eventDataSvc.retrieve();
-  m_podioDataSvc = dynamic_cast<PodioDataSvc*>(m_eventDataSvc.get());
-  if (sc_dataSvc == StatusCode::FAILURE) {
-    error() << "Error retrieving Event Data Service" << endmsg;
-    return StatusCode::FAILURE;
-  }
+
+  // Copy over the CellIDEncoding string from the input collection to the output collection
+  m_cellsCellIDEncoding.put(m_hitsCellIDEncoding.get());
 
   return StatusCode::SUCCESS;
 }
@@ -131,9 +128,6 @@ StatusCode CreateCaloCells::execute() {
 
   // push the CaloHitCollection to event store
   m_cells.put(edmCellsCollection);
-  // Ship the metadata to the new collection
-  auto& coll_md = m_podioDataSvc->getProvider().getCollectionMetaData(m_cells.get()->getID());
-  coll_md.setValue("CellIDEncodingString", m_hits.getCollMetadataCellID(hits->getID()));
 
   debug() << "Output Cell collection size: " << edmCellsCollection->size() << endmsg;
 
diff --git a/RecCalorimeter/src/components/CreateCaloCells.h b/RecCalorimeter/src/components/CreateCaloCells.h
index c772f042..116a0217 100644
--- a/RecCalorimeter/src/components/CreateCaloCells.h
+++ b/RecCalorimeter/src/components/CreateCaloCells.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 // FCCSW
 #include "k4FWCore/DataHandle.h"
+#include "k4FWCore/MetaDataHandle.h"
 #include "k4Interface/ICalibrateCaloHitsTool.h"
 #include "k4Interface/ICalorimeterTool.h"
 #include "k4Interface/INoiseCaloCellsTool.h"
@@ -75,8 +76,11 @@ class CreateCaloCells : public GaudiAlgorithm {
 
   /// Handle for calo hits (input collection)
   DataHandle<edm4hep::SimCalorimeterHitCollection> m_hits{"hits", Gaudi::DataHandle::Reader, this};
+  /// Handle for the cellID encoding string of the input collection
+  MetaDataHandle<std::string> m_hitsCellIDEncoding{m_hits, "CellIDEncodingString", Gaudi::DataHandle::Reader};
   /// Handle for calo cells (output collection)
   DataHandle<edm4hep::CalorimeterHitCollection> m_cells{"cells", Gaudi::DataHandle::Writer, this};
+  MetaDataHandle<std::string> m_cellsCellIDEncoding{m_cells, "CellIDEncodingString", Gaudi::DataHandle::Writer};
   /// Name of the detector readout
   Gaudi::Property<std::string> m_readoutName{this, "readoutName", "ECalBarrelPhiEta", "Name of the detector readout"};
   /// Name of active volumes
@@ -105,8 +109,6 @@ class CreateCaloCells : public GaudiAlgorithm {
   /// Use only volume ID? If false, using PhiEtaSegmentation
   bool m_useVolumeIdOnly;
 
-  PodioDataSvc* m_podioDataSvc;
-  ServiceHandle<IDataProviderSvc> m_eventDataSvc;
   /// Pointer to the geometry service
   ServiceHandle<IGeoSvc> m_geoSvc;
   dd4hep::VolumeManager m_volman;
diff --git a/RecFCCeeCalorimeter/src/components/CreateCaloCellPositionsFCCee.cpp b/RecFCCeeCalorimeter/src/components/CreateCaloCellPositionsFCCee.cpp
index 99ff35fa..5609ab12 100644
--- a/RecFCCeeCalorimeter/src/components/CreateCaloCellPositionsFCCee.cpp
+++ b/RecFCCeeCalorimeter/src/components/CreateCaloCellPositionsFCCee.cpp
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 DECLARE_COMPONENT(CreateCaloCellPositionsFCCee)
 
 CreateCaloCellPositionsFCCee::CreateCaloCellPositionsFCCee(const std::string& name, ISvcLocator* svcLoc)
-    : GaudiAlgorithm(name, svcLoc), m_eventDataSvc("EventDataSvc", "CreateCaloCellPositionsFCCee") {
+    : GaudiAlgorithm(name, svcLoc) {
   declareProperty("hits", m_hits, "Hit collection (input)");
   declareProperty("positionsECalBarrelTool", m_cellPositionsECalBarrelTool,
                   "Handle for tool to retrieve cell positions in ECal Barrel");
@@ -31,12 +31,6 @@ CreateCaloCellPositionsFCCee::CreateCaloCellPositionsFCCee(const std::string& na
 StatusCode CreateCaloCellPositionsFCCee::initialize() {
   StatusCode sc = GaudiAlgorithm::initialize();
   if (sc.isFailure()) return sc;
-  StatusCode sc_dataSvc = m_eventDataSvc.retrieve();
-  m_podioDataSvc = dynamic_cast<PodioDataSvc*>(m_eventDataSvc.get());
-  if (sc_dataSvc == StatusCode::FAILURE) {
-    error() << "Error retrieving Event Data Service" << endmsg;
-    return sc_dataSvc;
-  }
 
   if (!m_cellPositionsECalBarrelTool) {
     error() << "CellPositionsTool for ECal Barrel is missing!" << endmsg;
@@ -67,6 +61,9 @@ StatusCode CreateCaloCellPositionsFCCee::initialize() {
     return StatusCode::FAILURE;
   }
 
+  // Copy over the CellIDEncoding string from the input collection to the output collection
+  m_positionedHitsCellIDEncoding.put(m_hitsCellIDEncoding.get());
+
   return StatusCode::SUCCESS;
 }
 
@@ -126,9 +123,6 @@ StatusCode CreateCaloCellPositionsFCCee::execute() {
     edmPositionedHitCollection->push_back(positionedHit);
   }
 
-  auto& coll_md = m_podioDataSvc->getProvider().getCollectionMetaData(m_positionedHits.get()->getID());
-  coll_md.setValue("CellIDEncodingString", m_hits.getCollMetadataCellID(hits->getID()));
-
   debug() << "Output positions collection size: " << edmPositionedHitCollection->size() << endmsg;
   return StatusCode::SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/RecFCCeeCalorimeter/src/components/CreateCaloCellPositionsFCCee.h b/RecFCCeeCalorimeter/src/components/CreateCaloCellPositionsFCCee.h
index a305d031..21e2996c 100644
--- a/RecFCCeeCalorimeter/src/components/CreateCaloCellPositionsFCCee.h
+++ b/RecFCCeeCalorimeter/src/components/CreateCaloCellPositionsFCCee.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 // FCCSW
 #include "k4FWCore/DataHandle.h"
+#include "k4FWCore/MetaDataHandle.h"
 #include "k4Interface/ICellPositionsTool.h"
 
 // Gaudi
@@ -91,10 +92,10 @@ class CreateCaloCellPositionsFCCee : public GaudiAlgorithm {
   dd4hep::DDSegmentation::BitFieldCoder* m_decoder = new dd4hep::DDSegmentation::BitFieldCoder("system:4");
   /// Input collection
   DataHandle<edm4hep::CalorimeterHitCollection> m_hits{"hits/hits", Gaudi::DataHandle::Reader, this};
+  MetaDataHandle<std::string> m_hitsCellIDEncoding{m_hits, "CellIDEncodingString", Gaudi::DataHandle::Reader};
   /// Output collection
   DataHandle<edm4hep::CalorimeterHitCollection> m_positionedHits{"hits/positionedHits", Gaudi::DataHandle::Writer, this};
-  PodioDataSvc* m_podioDataSvc;
-  ServiceHandle<IDataProviderSvc> m_eventDataSvc;
+  MetaDataHandle<std::string> m_positionedHitsCellIDEncoding{m_positionedHits, "CellIDEncodingString", Gaudi::DataHandle::Reader};
 
   int m_system_id = m_decoder->index("system");
   std::unordered_map<dd4hep::DDSegmentation::CellID, edm4hep::Vector3f> m_positions_cache{};