diff --git a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/actfm/EditPeopleControlSet.java b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/actfm/EditPeopleControlSet.java
index dd5c7eeb4..908e08f96 100644
--- a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/actfm/EditPeopleControlSet.java
+++ b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/actfm/EditPeopleControlSet.java
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ public class EditPeopleControlSet extends PopupControlSet {
                 @Override
                 public void run() {
                     ArrayList<JSONObject> collaborators = new ArrayList<JSONObject>();
-                    TodorooCursor<Metadata> tags = TagService.getInstance().getTags(task.getId());
+                    TodorooCursor<Metadata> tags = TagService.getInstance().getTags(task.getId(), true);
                     try {
                         Metadata metadata = new Metadata();
                         for(tags.moveToFirst(); !tags.isAfterLast(); tags.moveToNext()) {
diff --git a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/actfm/sync/ActFmSyncService.java b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/actfm/sync/ActFmSyncService.java
index f71c8256d..79c4f3ccc 100644
--- a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/actfm/sync/ActFmSyncService.java
+++ b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/actfm/sync/ActFmSyncService.java
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ public final class ActFmSyncService {
         }
 
         if(Flags.checkAndClear(Flags.TAGS_CHANGED) || newlyCreated) {
-            TodorooCursor<Metadata> cursor = TagService.getInstance().getTags(task.getId());
+            TodorooCursor<Metadata> cursor = TagService.getInstance().getTags(task.getId(), false);
             try {
                 if(cursor.getCount() == 0) {
                     params.add("tags");
diff --git a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/tags/TagCaseMigrator.java b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/tags/TagCaseMigrator.java
index 48fa80430..c29998099 100644
--- a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/tags/TagCaseMigrator.java
+++ b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/tags/TagCaseMigrator.java
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public class TagCaseMigrator {
     public void performTagCaseMigration(@SuppressWarnings("unused") Context context) {
         if (!Preferences.getBoolean(PREF_CASE_MIGRATION_PERFORMED, false)) {
             TagService.Tag[] allTagData = TagService.getInstance().getGroupedTags(
-                    TagService.GROUPED_TAGS_BY_ALPHA, Criterion.all);
+                    TagService.GROUPED_TAGS_BY_ALPHA, Criterion.all, false);
 
             boolean shouldShowDialog = false;
             for (int i = 0; i < allTagData.length - 1; i++) {
diff --git a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/tags/TagCustomFilterCriteriaExposer.java b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/tags/TagCustomFilterCriteriaExposer.java
index be9d7d32d..ebb821d15 100644
--- a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/tags/TagCustomFilterCriteriaExposer.java
+++ b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/tags/TagCustomFilterCriteriaExposer.java
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ public class TagCustomFilterCriteriaExposer extends BroadcastReceiver {
         // built in criteria: tags
         {
             TagService.Tag[] tags = TagService.getInstance().getGroupedTags(TagService.GROUPED_TAGS_BY_SIZE,
-                            TaskDao.TaskCriteria.activeAndVisible());
+                            TaskDao.TaskCriteria.activeAndVisible(), false);
             String[] tagNames = new String[tags.length];
             for(int i = 0; i < tags.length; i++)
                 tagNames[i] = tags[i].tag;
diff --git a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/tags/TagDetailExposer.java b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/tags/TagDetailExposer.java
index 3d890d606..70ef269e0 100644
--- a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/tags/TagDetailExposer.java
+++ b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/tags/TagDetailExposer.java
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ public class TagDetailExposer extends BroadcastReceiver {
     }
 
     public String getTaskDetails(long id) {
-        String tagList = TagService.getInstance().getTagsAsString(id);
+        String tagList = TagService.getInstance().getTagsAsString(id, false);
         if(tagList.length() == 0)
             return null;
 
diff --git a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/tags/TagService.java b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/tags/TagService.java
index e65dc142e..45482efdd 100644
--- a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/tags/TagService.java
+++ b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/tags/TagService.java
@@ -193,10 +193,15 @@ public final class TagService {
      * @param activeStatus criterion for specifying completed or uncompleted
      * @return empty array if no tags, otherwise array
      */
-    public Tag[] getGroupedTags(Order order, Criterion activeStatus) {
+    public Tag[] getGroupedTags(Order order, Criterion activeStatus, boolean includeEmergent) {
+        Criterion criterion;
+        if (includeEmergent)
+            criterion = Criterion.and(activeStatus, MetadataCriteria.withKey(KEY));
+        else
+            criterion = Criterion.and(activeStatus, MetadataCriteria.withKey(KEY), Criterion.not(TAG.in(getEmergentTags())));
         Query query = Query.select(TAG, REMOTE_ID, COUNT).
             join(Join.inner(Task.TABLE, Metadata.TASK.eq(Task.ID))).
-            where(Criterion.and(activeStatus, MetadataCriteria.withKey(KEY))).
+            where(criterion).
             orderBy(order).groupBy(TAG);
         TodorooCursor<Metadata> cursor = metadataDao.query(query);
         try {
@@ -211,15 +216,38 @@ public final class TagService {
         }
     }
 
+    private String[] getEmergentTags() {
+        TodorooCursor<TagData> emergent = tagDataService.query(Query.select(TagData.NAME)
+                .where(Functions.bitwiseAnd(TagData.FLAGS, TagData.FLAG_EMERGENT).gt(0)));
+        try {
+            String[] tags = new String[emergent.getCount()];
+            TagData data = new TagData();
+            for (int i = 0; i < emergent.getCount(); i++) {
+                emergent.moveToPosition(i);
+                data.readFromCursor(emergent);
+                tags[i] = data.getValue(TagData.NAME);
+            }
+            return tags;
+        } finally {
+            emergent.close();
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Return tags on the given task
      *
      * @param taskId
      * @return cursor. PLEASE CLOSE THE CURSOR!
      */
-    public TodorooCursor<Metadata> getTags(long taskId) {
-        Query query = Query.select(TAG, REMOTE_ID).where(Criterion.and(MetadataCriteria.withKey(KEY),
-                MetadataCriteria.byTask(taskId))).orderBy(Order.asc(Functions.upper(TAG)));
+    public TodorooCursor<Metadata> getTags(long taskId, boolean includeEmergent) {
+        Criterion criterion;
+        if (includeEmergent)
+            criterion = Criterion.and(MetadataCriteria.withKey(KEY),
+                    MetadataCriteria.byTask(taskId));
+        else
+            criterion = Criterion.and(MetadataCriteria.withKey(KEY),
+                    MetadataCriteria.byTask(taskId), Criterion.not(TAG.in(getEmergentTags())));
+        Query query = Query.select(TAG, REMOTE_ID).where(criterion).orderBy(Order.asc(Functions.upper(TAG)));
         return metadataDao.query(query);
     }
 
@@ -229,8 +257,8 @@ public final class TagService {
      * @param taskId
      * @return empty string if no tags, otherwise string
      */
-    public String getTagsAsString(long taskId) {
-        return getTagsAsString(taskId, ", ");
+    public String getTagsAsString(long taskId, boolean includeEmergent) {
+        return getTagsAsString(taskId, ", ", includeEmergent);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -239,9 +267,9 @@ public final class TagService {
      * @param taskId
      * @return empty string if no tags, otherwise string
      */
-    public String getTagsAsString(long taskId, String separator) {
+    protected String getTagsAsString(long taskId, String separator, boolean includeEmergent) {
         StringBuilder tagBuilder = new StringBuilder();
-        TodorooCursor<Metadata> tags = getTags(taskId);
+        TodorooCursor<Metadata> tags = getTags(taskId, includeEmergent);
         try {
             int length = tags.getCount();
             Metadata metadata = new Metadata();
@@ -285,7 +313,7 @@ public final class TagService {
         HashMap<String, Tag> tags = new HashMap<String, Tag>();
 
         Tag[] tagsByAlpha = getGroupedTags(TagService.GROUPED_TAGS_BY_ALPHA,
-                TaskCriteria.activeAndVisible());
+                TaskCriteria.activeAndVisible(), false);
         for(Tag tag : tagsByAlpha)
             if(!TextUtils.isEmpty(tag.tag))
                 tags.put(tag.tag, tag);
diff --git a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/tags/TagsControlSet.java b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/tags/TagsControlSet.java
index d538975c6..c1334d12a 100644
--- a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/tags/TagsControlSet.java
+++ b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/tags/TagsControlSet.java
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ public final class TagsControlSet extends PopupControlSet {
     public void readFromTask(Task task) {
         super.readFromTask(task);
         if(model.getId() != AbstractModel.NO_ID) {
-            TodorooCursor<Metadata> cursor = tagService.getTags(model.getId());
+            TodorooCursor<Metadata> cursor = tagService.getTags(model.getId(), false);
             LinkedHashSet<String> tags = new LinkedHashSet<String>(cursor.getCount());
             try {
                 for(cursor.moveToFirst(); !cursor.isAfterLast(); cursor.moveToNext()) {
diff --git a/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/provider/Astrid2TaskProvider.java b/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/provider/Astrid2TaskProvider.java
index ca5345d6a..5b4fc9f01 100644
--- a/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/provider/Astrid2TaskProvider.java
+++ b/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/provider/Astrid2TaskProvider.java
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ public class Astrid2TaskProvider extends ContentProvider {
 	public Cursor getTags() {
 
 		Tag[] tags = TagService.getInstance().getGroupedTags(TagService.GROUPED_TAGS_BY_SIZE,
-		        Criterion.all);
+		        Criterion.all, true);
 
 		MatrixCursor ret = new MatrixCursor(TAGS_FIELD_LIST);
 
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ public class Astrid2TaskProvider extends ContentProvider {
     			task.readFromCursor(cursor);
 
     			StringBuilder taskTags = new StringBuilder();
-    			TodorooCursor<Metadata> tagCursor = TagService.getInstance().getTags(task.getId());
+    			TodorooCursor<Metadata> tagCursor = TagService.getInstance().getTags(task.getId(), true);
     			try {
     			    for(tagCursor.moveToFirst(); !tagCursor.isAfterLast(); tagCursor.moveToNext())
     			        taskTags.append(tagCursor.get(TagService.TAG)).append(TAG_SEPARATOR);