diff --git a/includes/class-displayfeaturedimagegenesis-taxonomies.php b/includes/class-displayfeaturedimagegenesis-taxonomies.php
index 6846d97..6584fa5 100644
--- a/includes/class-displayfeaturedimagegenesis-taxonomies.php
+++ b/includes/class-displayfeaturedimagegenesis-taxonomies.php
@@ -104,10 +104,12 @@ class Display_Featured_Image_Genesis_Taxonomies extends Display_Featured_Image_G
 		if ( $GLOBALS['wp_version'] >= '4.4' ) {
 			$new_image      = $this->validate_taxonomy_image( $_POST['displayfeaturedimagegenesis']['term_image'] );
 			$displaysetting = displayfeaturedimagegenesis_term_image( $term_id );
-			if ( $displaysetting && '' === $new_image ) {
+			if ( false === $new_image ) {
 				delete_term_meta( $term_id, 'displayfeaturedimagegenesis' );
+				delete_option( "displayfeaturedimagegenesis_$term_id" );
 			} else if ( $displaysetting !== $new_image ) {
-				update_term_meta( $term_id, 'displayfeaturedimagegenesis', $new_image );
+				update_term_meta( $term_id, 'displayfeaturedimagegenesis', (int) $new_image );
+				delete_option( "displayfeaturedimagegenesis_$term_id" );
 			}
 		} else {
 			$displaysetting = get_option( "displayfeaturedimagegenesis_$term_id" );
@@ -147,6 +149,9 @@ class Display_Featured_Image_Genesis_Taxonomies extends Display_Featured_Image_G
 		$width     = $source[1];
 
 		// ok for field to be empty
+		if ( ! $new_value ) {
+			return false;
+		}
 		if ( $new_value && ( ! $valid || $width <= $medium ) ) {
 			$new_value = false;
 		}
diff --git a/includes/helper-functions.php b/includes/helper-functions.php
index 0d25d31..2a409cc 100644
--- a/includes/helper-functions.php
+++ b/includes/helper-functions.php
@@ -35,11 +35,11 @@ function display_featured_image_genesis_get_term_image_id( $image_id = '' ) {
 
 function displayfeaturedimagegenesis_term_image( $term_id, $image_id = '' ) {
 	if ( function_exists( 'get_term_meta' ) ) {
-		$image_id = get_term_meta( $term_id, 'displayfeaturedimagegenesis', true );
+		$image_id = (int) get_term_meta( $term_id, 'displayfeaturedimagegenesis', true );
 	}
 	if ( ! $image_id ) {
 		$term_meta = get_option( "displayfeaturedimagegenesis_$term_id" );
-		$image_id  = $term_meta['term_image'];
+		$image_id  = (int) $term_meta['term_image'];
 	}
 	return $image_id;
 }