diff --git a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/actfm/sync/messages/ChangesHappened.java b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/actfm/sync/messages/ChangesHappened.java
index 5b92d004f..c04a33a26 100644
--- a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/actfm/sync/messages/ChangesHappened.java
+++ b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/actfm/sync/messages/ChangesHappened.java
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public class ChangesHappened<TYPE extends RemoteModel, OE extends OutstandingEnt
     protected boolean serializeExtrasToJSON(JSONObject serializeTo) throws JSONException {
         // Process changes list and serialize to JSON
         JSONArray changesJson = changesToJSON();
-        if (changesJson == null)
+        if (changesJson == null || changesJson.length() == 0)
             return false;
         serializeTo.put(CHANGES_KEY, changesJson);
         return true;
diff --git a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/tags/TagService.java b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/tags/TagService.java
index 1de2d1709..499498bd7 100644
--- a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/tags/TagService.java
+++ b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/tags/TagService.java
@@ -248,6 +248,7 @@ public final class TagService {
                 tagData.setValue(TagData.NAME, tagName);
                 tagDataService.save(tagData);
             } else {
+                existingTag.moveToFirst();
                 tagData = new TagData(existingTag);
             }
             createLink(task, tagData.getValue(TagData.NAME), tagData.getValue(TagData.UUID));
diff --git a/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/dao/MetadataDao.java b/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/dao/MetadataDao.java
index 18a01cd95..9677793ef 100644
--- a/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/dao/MetadataDao.java
+++ b/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/dao/MetadataDao.java
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ public class MetadataDao extends DatabaseDao<Metadata> {
         m.setValue(OutstandingEntry.COLUMN_STRING_PROPERTY, addedOrRemoved);
         m.setValue(OutstandingEntry.VALUE_STRING_PROPERTY, tagUuid);
         database.insert(outstandingTable.name, null, m.getSetValues());
+        database.getDatabase().setTransactionSuccessful();
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/tests-sync/src/com/todoroo/astrid/sync/SyncMessageTest.java b/tests-sync/src/com/todoroo/astrid/sync/SyncMessageTest.java
index d0994c451..1c3f0f5a7 100644
--- a/tests-sync/src/com/todoroo/astrid/sync/SyncMessageTest.java
+++ b/tests-sync/src/com/todoroo/astrid/sync/SyncMessageTest.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ public class SyncMessageTest extends NewSyncTestCase {
 		try {
 			ChangesHappened<?, ?> changes = ChangesHappened.instantiateChangesHappened(t.getId(), ModelType.TYPE_TASK);
 			assertNotNull(changes.serializeToJSON());
+			assertTrue(changes.getChanges().size() > 0);
 			assertFalse(RemoteModel.NO_UUID.equals(changes.getUUID()));
 			assertEquals(t.getValue(Task.UUID), changes.getUUID());
 		} catch (Exception e) {