diff --git a/modules/actions/index.js b/modules/actions/index.js
index acb76f3ff..6eac6bfc6 100644
--- a/modules/actions/index.js
+++ b/modules/actions/index.js
@@ -33,3 +33,4 @@ export { actionStraighten } from './straighten';
 export { actionUnrestrictTurn } from './unrestrict_turn';
 export { actionReflect } from './reflect.js';
 export { actionDetachNode } from './detach_node';
+export { actionUpgradeTags } from './upgrade_tags';
diff --git a/modules/actions/upgrade_tags.js b/modules/actions/upgrade_tags.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..38ca76675
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/actions/upgrade_tags.js
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import _clone from 'lodash-es/clone';
+
+export function actionUpgradeTags(entityId, oldTags, replaceTags) {
+    return function(graph) {
+        var entity = graph.entity(entityId);
+        var tags = _clone(entity.tags);
+        var transferValue;
+        for (var oldTagKey in oldTags) {
+            if (oldTags[oldTagKey] === '*') {
+                transferValue = tags[oldTagKey];
+            }
+            delete tags[oldTagKey];
+        }
+        if (replaceTags) {
+            for (var replaceKey in replaceTags) {
+                var replaceValue = replaceTags[replaceKey];
+                if (replaceValue === '*') {
+                    if (tags[replaceKey]) {
+                        // any value is okay and there already
+                        // is one, so don't update it
+                        continue;
+                    } else {
+                        // otherwise assume `yes` is okay
+                        tags[replaceKey] = 'yes';
+                    }
+                } else if (replaceValue === '$1') {
+                    tags[replaceKey] = transferValue;
+                } else {
+                    tags[replaceKey] = replaceValue;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        return graph.replace(entity.update({tags: tags}));
+    };
+}
diff --git a/modules/validations/deprecated_tag.js b/modules/validations/deprecated_tag.js
index e72677814..56dba449d 100644
--- a/modules/validations/deprecated_tag.js
+++ b/modules/validations/deprecated_tag.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import _clone from 'lodash-es/clone';
 
 import { t } from '../util/locale';
-import { actionChangeTags } from '../actions';
+import { actionUpgradeTags, actionChangeTags } from '../actions';
 import { utilDisplayLabel, utilTagText } from '../util';
 import { validationIssue, validationIssueFix } from '../core/validator';
 
@@ -48,37 +48,11 @@ export function validationDeprecatedTag() {
                             icon: 'iD-icon-up',
                             title: t('issues.fix.' + (isCombo ? 'upgrade_tag_combo' : 'upgrade_tag') + '.title'),
                             onClick: function() {
-                                var entity = this.issue.entities[0];
-                                var tags = _clone(entity.tags);
-                                var replaceTags = this.issue.info.replaceTags;
                                 var oldTags = this.issue.info.oldTags;
+                                var replaceTags = this.issue.info.replaceTags;
                                 var fixTextID = Object.keys(oldTags).length > 1 ? 'upgrade_tag_combo' : 'upgrade_tag';
-                                var transferValue;
-                                for (var oldTagKey in oldTags) {
-                                    if (oldTags[oldTagKey] === '*') {
-                                        transferValue = tags[oldTagKey];
-                                    }
-                                    delete tags[oldTagKey];
-                                }
-                                for (var replaceKey in replaceTags) {
-                                    var replaceValue = replaceTags[replaceKey];
-                                    if (replaceValue === '*') {
-                                        if (tags[replaceKey]) {
-                                            // any value is okay and there already
-                                            // is one, so don't update it
-                                            continue;
-                                        } else {
-                                            // otherwise assume `yes` is okay
-                                            tags[replaceKey] = 'yes';
-                                        }
-                                    } else if (replaceValue === '$1') {
-                                        tags[replaceKey] = transferValue;
-                                    } else {
-                                        tags[replaceKey] = replaceValue;
-                                    }
-                                }
                                 context.perform(
-                                    actionChangeTags(entity.id, tags),
+                                    actionUpgradeTags(this.issue.entities[0].id, oldTags, replaceTags),
                                     t('issues.fix.' + fixTextID + '.annotation')
                                 );
                             }
diff --git a/test/index.html b/test/index.html
index 66bf09be9..8ac0e0974 100644
--- a/test/index.html
+++ b/test/index.html
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@
     <script src='spec/actions/unrestrict_turn.js'></script>
     <script src='spec/actions/reflect.js'></script>
     <script src='spec/actions/detach_node.js'></script>
+    <script src='spec/actions/upgrade_tags.js'></script>
 
     <script src='spec/behavior/hash.js'></script>
     <script src='spec/behavior/hover.js'></script>
diff --git a/test/spec/actions/upgrade_tags.js b/test/spec/actions/upgrade_tags.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..eba80416d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/spec/actions/upgrade_tags.js
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+describe('iD.actionUpgradeTags', function () {
+
+    it('upgrades a tag', function () {
+        var oldTags = { amenity: 'swimming_pool' },
+            newTags = { leisure: 'swimming_pool' },
+            entity = iD.Entity({ tags: { amenity: 'swimming_pool', name: 'Foo' }}),
+            graph  = iD.actionUpgradeTags(entity.id, oldTags, newTags)(iD.coreGraph([entity]));
+        expect(graph.entity(entity.id).tags).to.eql({ leisure: 'swimming_pool', name: 'Foo' });
+    });
+
+    it('upgrades a tag combination', function () {
+        var oldTags = { amenity: 'vending_machine', vending: 'news_papers' },
+            newTags = { amenity: 'vending_machine', vending: 'newspapers' },
+            entity = iD.Entity({ tags: { amenity: 'vending_machine', vending: 'news_papers', name: 'Foo' }}),
+            graph  = iD.actionUpgradeTags(entity.id, oldTags, newTags)(iD.coreGraph([entity]));
+        expect(graph.entity(entity.id).tags).to.eql({ amenity: 'vending_machine', vending: 'newspapers', name: 'Foo' });
+    });
+
+    it('upgrades a tag with multiple replacement tags', function () {
+        var oldTags = { natural: 'marsh' },
+            newTags = { natural: 'wetland', wetland: 'marsh' },
+            entity = iD.Entity({ tags: { natural: 'marsh', name: 'Foo' }}),
+            graph  = iD.actionUpgradeTags(entity.id, oldTags, newTags)(iD.coreGraph([entity]));
+        expect(graph.entity(entity.id).tags).to.eql({ natural: 'wetland', wetland: 'marsh', name: 'Foo' });
+    });
+
+    it('upgrades a tag with no replacement tags', function () {
+        var oldTags = { highway: 'no' },
+            newTags = undefined,
+            entity = iD.Entity({ tags: { highway: 'no', name: 'Foo' }}),
+            graph  = iD.actionUpgradeTags(entity.id, oldTags, newTags)(iD.coreGraph([entity]));
+        expect(graph.entity(entity.id).tags).to.eql({ name: 'Foo' });
+    });
+
+    it('upgrades a wildcard tag and moves the value', function () {
+        var oldTags = { color: '*' },
+            newTags = { colour: '$1' },
+            entity = iD.Entity({ tags: { color: 'red', name: 'Foo' }}),
+            graph  = iD.actionUpgradeTags(entity.id, oldTags, newTags)(iD.coreGraph([entity]));
+        expect(graph.entity(entity.id).tags).to.eql({ colour: 'red', name: 'Foo' });
+    });
+
+    it('upgrades a tag with a wildcard replacement and adds a default value', function () {
+        var oldTags = { amenity: 'shop' },
+            newTags = { shop: '*' },
+            entity = iD.Entity({ tags: { amenity: 'shop', name: 'Foo' }}),
+            graph  = iD.actionUpgradeTags(entity.id, oldTags, newTags)(iD.coreGraph([entity]));
+        expect(graph.entity(entity.id).tags).to.eql({ shop: 'yes', name: 'Foo' });
+    });
+
+    it('upgrades a tag with a wildcard replacement and maintains the existing value', function () {
+        var oldTags = { amenity: 'shop' },
+            newTags = { shop: '*' },
+            entity = iD.Entity({ tags: { amenity: 'shop', shop: 'supermarket', name: 'Foo' }}),
+            graph  = iD.actionUpgradeTags(entity.id, oldTags, newTags)(iD.coreGraph([entity]));
+        expect(graph.entity(entity.id).tags).to.eql({ shop: 'supermarket', name: 'Foo' });
+    });
+
+});