A system and method for handling of cross-system metadata in a system landscape with a hub and backend systems is presented. Reference metadata that is associated with a first backend system and that refers to metadata of a second backend system is stored in a storage associated with the first backend system, the storage further separately storing backend system metadata that is associated only with the first backend system. Connecting metadata, which establishes a connection between backend system metadata associated with the first backend system and backend system metadata of any other backend system, is stored separately. At 206, the first backend system is linked to the hub by the connecting metadata from storage associated with the first backend system to a hub storage associated with the hub. The connecting metadata is activated in the hub to link the first backend system with the second backend system.