diff --git a/js/id/presets/preset.js b/js/id/presets/preset.js
index 860d23973..ab9f77779 100644
--- a/js/id/presets/preset.js
+++ b/js/id/presets/preset.js
@@ -75,7 +75,11 @@ iD.presets.Preset = function(id, preset, fields) {
         tags = _.clone(tags);
 
         for (var k in applyTags) {
-            if (applyTags[k] !== '*') tags[k] = applyTags[k];
+            if (applyTags[k] === '*') {
+                tags[k] = 'yes';
+            } else {
+                tags[k] = applyTags[k];
+            }
         }
 
         for (var f in preset.fields) {
diff --git a/test/spec/presets/preset.js b/test/spec/presets/preset.js
index 8d13fa94c..fed0bfc52 100644
--- a/test/spec/presets/preset.js
+++ b/test/spec/presets/preset.js
@@ -64,9 +64,9 @@ describe('iD.presets.Preset', function() {
             expect(preset.applyTags({}, 'area')).to.eql({highway: 'residential'});
         });
 
-        it("does not add wildcard tags", function() {
+        it("adds wildcard tags with value 'yes'", function() {
             var preset = iD.presets.Preset('test', {tags: {building: '*'}});
-            expect(preset.applyTags({}, 'area')).to.eql({});
+            expect(preset.applyTags({}, 'area')).to.eql({building: 'yes'});
         });
 
         it("adds default tags of fields with matching geometry", function() {