diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/enhancer/script/ItemEnhancerScript.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/enhancer/script/ItemEnhancerScript.java
index 3100920dc17c..bbe8a02122fa 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/enhancer/script/ItemEnhancerScript.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/enhancer/script/ItemEnhancerScript.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
  *
  */
 public class ItemEnhancerScript extends DSpaceRunnable<ItemEnhancerScriptConfiguration<ItemEnhancerScript>> {
+    private final int PAGE_SIZE = 20;
 
     private ItemService itemService;
 
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ public void internalRun() throws Exception {
 
         context.turnOffAuthorisationSystem();
         try {
-            enhanceItems();
+            enhanceItems(context);
             context.complete();
             handler.logInfo("Enhancement completed with success");
         } catch (Exception e) {
@@ -68,20 +69,28 @@ public void internalRun() throws Exception {
         }
     }
 
-    private void enhanceItems() {
-        findItemsToEnhance().forEachRemaining(this::enhanceItem);
+    private void enhanceItems(Context context) {
+        try {
+            int total = itemService.countArchivedItems(context);
+            for (int offset = 0; offset < total; offset += PAGE_SIZE) {
+                findItemsToEnhance(offset).forEachRemaining(this::enhanceItem);
+            }
+            context.commit();
+            context.clear();
+        } catch (SQLException e) {
+            throw new SQLRuntimeException(e);
+        }
     }
 
-    private Iterator<Item> findItemsToEnhance() {
+    private Iterator<Item> findItemsToEnhance(int offset) {
         try {
-            return itemService.findAll(context);
+            return itemService.findAll(context, PAGE_SIZE, offset);
         } catch (SQLException e) {
             throw new SQLRuntimeException(e);
         }
     }
 
     private void enhanceItem(Item item) {
-
         itemEnhancerService.enhance(context, item, force);
         uncacheItem(item);
     }
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/enhancer/service/ItemEnhancerService.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/enhancer/service/ItemEnhancerService.java
index d345c55e82f5..d7f7318249b2 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/enhancer/service/ItemEnhancerService.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/enhancer/service/ItemEnhancerService.java
@@ -24,7 +24,15 @@ public interface ItemEnhancerService {
 
     /**
      * Enhances the given item with all the item enhancers defined adding virtual
-     * metadata fields on it.
+     * metadata fields on it. ItemEnhancer will use the information stored in the
+     * source metadata to decide if virtual metadata must be calculated. This could
+     * lead to stale information if the given item is linked to the same related items
+     * than before but in the mean time the related items have been changed in a way
+     * that could affect the generated virtual metadata (for example a publication
+     * listing 3 authors assuming that we are flatting on the publication the information
+     * about the author current affiliation would not update the virtual affiliation
+     * if this method is invoked on the item without touching the author list - in this
+     * scenario you need to use the {@link #forceEnhancement(Context, Item)} method
      *
      * @param context the DSpace Context
      * @param item    the item to enhance
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/core/Context.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/core/Context.java
index 4d3079240c3d..ad82ee83a841 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/core/Context.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/core/Context.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.Logger;
 import org.dspace.authorize.ResourcePolicy;
 import org.dspace.content.DSpaceObject;
+import org.dspace.core.exception.SQLRuntimeException;
 import org.dspace.eperson.EPerson;
 import org.dspace.eperson.Group;
 import org.dspace.eperson.factory.EPersonServiceFactory;
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@
 import org.dspace.storage.rdbms.DatabaseConfigVO;
 import org.dspace.storage.rdbms.DatabaseUtils;
 import org.dspace.utils.DSpace;
+import org.hibernate.Session;
 import org.springframework.util.CollectionUtils;
 
 /**
@@ -451,6 +453,14 @@ public void commit() throws SQLException {
         }
     }
 
+    public void clear() {
+        try {
+            ((Session) dbConnection.getSession()).clear();
+            reloadContextBoundEntities();
+        } catch (SQLException e) {
+            throw new SQLRuntimeException(e);
+        }
+    }
 
     /**
      * Dispatch any events (cached in current Context) to configured EventListeners (consumers)