diff --git a/ipykernel/ipkernel.py b/ipykernel/ipkernel.py
index aa22bbb0f..eba728335 100644
--- a/ipykernel/ipkernel.py
+++ b/ipykernel/ipkernel.py
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ async def do_execute(
         if hasattr(shell, "run_cell_async") and hasattr(shell, "should_run_async"):
             run_cell = shell.run_cell_async
             should_run_async = shell.should_run_async
-            accepts_params = _accepts_parameters(run_cell, ["cell_id"])
+            accepts_params = _accepts_parameters(run_cell, ["cell_id", "cell_meta"])
         else:
             should_run_async = lambda cell: False  # noqa: ARG005, E731
             # older IPython,
@@ -401,7 +401,7 @@ async def do_execute(
             async def run_cell(*args, **kwargs):
                 return shell.run_cell(*args, **kwargs)
 
-            accepts_params = _accepts_parameters(shell.run_cell, ["cell_id"])
+            accepts_params = _accepts_parameters(shell.run_cell, ["cell_id", "cell_meta"])
         try:
             # default case: runner is asyncio and asyncio is already running
             # TODO: this should check every case for "are we inside the runner",
@@ -413,6 +413,12 @@ async def run_cell(*args, **kwargs):
                 transformed_cell = code
                 preprocessing_exc_tuple = sys.exc_info()
 
+            do_execute_args = {}
+            if accepts_params["cell_meta"]:
+                do_execute_args["cell_meta"] = cell_meta
+            if accepts_params["cell_id"]:
+                do_execute_args["cell_id"] = cell_id
+
             if (
                 _asyncio_runner  # type:ignore[truthy-bool]
                 and shell.loop_runner is _asyncio_runner
@@ -423,23 +429,14 @@ async def run_cell(*args, **kwargs):
                     preprocessing_exc_tuple=preprocessing_exc_tuple,
                 )
             ):
-                if accepts_params["cell_id"]:
-                    coro = run_cell(
-                        code,
-                        store_history=store_history,
-                        silent=silent,
-                        transformed_cell=transformed_cell,
-                        preprocessing_exc_tuple=preprocessing_exc_tuple,
-                        cell_id=cell_id,
-                    )
-                else:
-                    coro = run_cell(
-                        code,
-                        store_history=store_history,
-                        silent=silent,
-                        transformed_cell=transformed_cell,
-                        preprocessing_exc_tuple=preprocessing_exc_tuple,
-                    )
+                coro = run_cell(
+                    code,
+                    store_history=store_history,
+                    silent=silent,
+                    transformed_cell=transformed_cell,
+                    preprocessing_exc_tuple=preprocessing_exc_tuple,
+                    **do_execute_args,
+                )
 
                 coro_future = asyncio.ensure_future(coro)
 
@@ -460,15 +457,9 @@ async def run_cell(*args, **kwargs):
                 # runner isn't already running,
                 # make synchronous call,
                 # letting shell dispatch to loop runners
-                if accepts_params["cell_id"]:
-                    res = shell.run_cell(
-                        code,
-                        store_history=store_history,
-                        silent=silent,
-                        cell_id=cell_id,
-                    )
-                else:
-                    res = shell.run_cell(code, store_history=store_history, silent=silent)
+                res = shell.run_cell(
+                    code, store_history=store_history, silent=silent, **do_execute_args
+                )
         finally:
             self._restore_input()
 
diff --git a/ipykernel/kernelbase.py b/ipykernel/kernelbase.py
index 7fa1fb9dc..27bd371c9 100644
--- a/ipykernel/kernelbase.py
+++ b/ipykernel/kernelbase.py
@@ -794,7 +794,7 @@ async def execute_request(self, stream, ident, parent):
             store_history = content.get("store_history", not silent)
             user_expressions = content.get("user_expressions", {})
             allow_stdin = content.get("allow_stdin", False)
-            cell_meta = parent.get("metadata", {})
+            cell_meta = parent.get("metadata", None)
             cell_id = cell_meta.get("cellId")
         except Exception:
             self.log.error("Got bad msg: ")
diff --git a/tests/inprocess/test_kernel.py b/tests/inprocess/test_kernel.py
index b965d9b89..ad663313a 100644
--- a/tests/inprocess/test_kernel.py
+++ b/tests/inprocess/test_kernel.py
@@ -119,3 +119,9 @@ async def test_do_execute(kc):
     kernel = InProcessKernel()
     await kernel.do_execute("a=1", True)
     assert kernel.shell.user_ns["a"] == 1
+
+
+async def test_cell_meta_do_execute():
+    kernel: InProcessKernel = InProcessKernel()
+    await kernel.do_execute("a=1", True, cell_meta={"testkey": "testvalue"})
+    assert kernel.shell.user_ns["a"] == 1