diff --git a/js/id/behavior/draw_way.js b/js/id/behavior/draw_way.js
index a99a0a745..c741abf90 100644
--- a/js/id/behavior/draw_way.js
+++ b/js/id/behavior/draw_way.js
@@ -110,14 +110,6 @@ iD.behavior.DrawWay = function(context, wayId, index, mode, baseGraph) {
         };
     }
 
-    function RemoveTemporaryTag(way) {
-        return function(graph) {
-            var area = graph.entity(wayId);
-            return graph
-                .replace(area.update({tags:_.omit(area.tags, '__area__')}));
-        };
-    }
-
     // Accept the current position of the temporary node and continue drawing.
     drawWay.add = function(loc) {
         var newNode = iD.Node({loc: loc});
@@ -171,8 +163,6 @@ iD.behavior.DrawWay = function(context, wayId, index, mode, baseGraph) {
 
         var way = context.entity(wayId);
         if (way) {
-            context.perform(
-                RemoveTemporaryTag(way));
             context.enter(iD.modes.Select(context, [way.id], true));
         } else {
             context.enter(iD.modes.Browse(context));
diff --git a/js/id/core/way.js b/js/id/core/way.js
index f39cf1eeb..9eb27650d 100644
--- a/js/id/core/way.js
+++ b/js/id/core/way.js
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ _.extend(iD.Way.prototype, {
     },
 
     isArea: function() {
-        if (this.tags.area === 'yes' || this.tags.__area__ === 'yes')
+        if (this.tags.area === 'yes')
             return true;
         if (!this.isClosed() || this.tags.area === 'no')
             return false;
diff --git a/js/id/modes/add_area.js b/js/id/modes/add_area.js
index 0efc78103..8bb5724d7 100644
--- a/js/id/modes/add_area.js
+++ b/js/id/modes/add_area.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ iD.modes.AddArea = function(context) {
             .on('start', start)
             .on('startFromWay', startFromWay)
             .on('startFromNode', startFromNode),
-        defaultTags = {__area__: 'yes'};
+        defaultTags = {area: 'yes'};
 
     function start(loc) {
         var graph = context.graph(),