diff --git a/js/id/actions/merge_remote_changes.js b/js/id/actions/merge_remote_changes.js
index 5f6fcfe94..f9e53b367 100644
--- a/js/id/actions/merge_remote_changes.js
+++ b/js/id/actions/merge_remote_changes.js
@@ -108,18 +108,21 @@ iD.actions.MergeRemoteChanges = function(id, remoteGraph, formatUser) {
         }
 
         var ccount = conflicts.length,
-            keys = _.reject(_.union(_.keys(base.tags), _.keys(remote.tags)), ignoreKey),
-            tags = _.clone(target.tags),
+            o = base.tags || {},
+            a = target.tags || {},
+            b = remote.tags || {},
+            keys = _.reject(_.union(_.keys(o), _.keys(a), _.keys(b)), ignoreKey),
+            tags = _.clone(a),
             changed = false;
 
         for (var i = 0; i < keys.length; i++) {
             var k = keys[i];
-            if (remote.tags[k] !== base.tags[k]) {  // tag modified remotely..
-                if (target.tags[k] && target.tags[k] !== remote.tags[k]) {
+            if (o[k] !== b[k] && a[k] !== b[k]) {   // changed remotely..
+                if (o[k] !== a[k]) {   // changed locally..
                     conflicts.push(t('merge_remote_changes.conflict.tags',
-                        { tag: k, local: target.tags[k], remote: remote.tags[k], user: user(remote.user) }));
+                        { tag: k, local: a[k], remote: b[k], user: user(remote.user) }));
                 } else {
-                    tags[k] = remote.tags[k];
+                    tags[k] = b[k];    // unchanged locally, accept remote tag..
                     changed = true;
                 }
             }
diff --git a/test/spec/actions/merge_remote_changes.js b/test/spec/actions/merge_remote_changes.js
index b90a1976c..2f0b31869 100644
--- a/test/spec/actions/merge_remote_changes.js
+++ b/test/spec/actions/merge_remote_changes.js
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ describe("iD.actions.MergeRemoteChanges", function () {
                 expect(graph.entity('a')).to.eql(local);
             });
 
-            it("doesn't merge nodes if changed tags conflict", function () {
+            it("doesn't merge nodes if changed tags conflict (tag change)", function () {
                 var localTags = {foo: 'foo_local'},                        // changed tag foo
                     remoteTags = {foo: 'foo_remote', bar: 'bar_remote'},   // changed tag foo, added tag bar
                     localLoc = [1, 1],      // didn't move node
@@ -123,7 +123,23 @@ describe("iD.actions.MergeRemoteChanges", function () {
                 expect(graph.entity('a')).to.eql(local);
             });
 
-            it("merges nodes if location is same and changed tags don't conflict", function () {
+            it("doesn't merge nodes if changed tags conflict (tag delete)", function () {
+                var localTags = {},                     // deleted tag foo
+                    remoteTags = {foo: 'foo_remote'},   // changed tag foo
+                    localLoc = [1, 1],      // didn't move node
+                    remoteLoc = [1, 1],     // didn't move node
+                    local = iD.Node({id: 'a', loc: localLoc, version: '1', v: 2, tags: localTags }),
+                    remote = iD.Node({id: 'a', loc: remoteLoc, version: '2', tags: remoteTags}),
+                    graph = makeGraph([local]),
+                    altGraph = makeGraph([remote]),
+                    action = iD.actions.MergeRemoteChanges('a', altGraph);
+
+                graph = action(graph);
+
+                expect(graph.entity('a')).to.eql(local);
+            });
+
+            it("merges nodes if location is same and changed tags don't conflict (tag change)", function () {
                 var localTags = {foo: 'foo_local'},                 // changed tag foo
                     remoteTags = {foo: 'foo', bar: 'bar_remote'},   // didn't change tag foo, added tag bar
                     localLoc = [1, 1],      // didn't move node
@@ -139,6 +155,23 @@ describe("iD.actions.MergeRemoteChanges", function () {
                 expect(graph.entity('a').version).to.eql('2');
                 expect(graph.entity('a').tags).to.eql({foo: 'foo_local', bar: 'bar_remote'});
             });
+
+            it("merges nodes if location is same and changed tags don't conflict (tag delete)", function () {
+                var localTags = {},                                 // deleted tag foo
+                    remoteTags = {foo: 'foo', bar: 'bar_remote'},   // didn't change tag foo, added tag bar
+                    localLoc = [1, 1],      // didn't move node
+                    remoteLoc = [1, 1],     // didn't move node
+                    local = iD.Node({id: 'a', loc: localLoc, version: '1', v: 2, tags: localTags }),
+                    remote = iD.Node({id: 'a', loc: remoteLoc, version: '2', tags: remoteTags}),
+                    graph = makeGraph([local]),
+                    altGraph = makeGraph([remote]),
+                    action = iD.actions.MergeRemoteChanges('a', altGraph);
+
+                graph = action(graph);
+
+                expect(graph.entity('a').version).to.eql('2');
+                expect(graph.entity('a').tags).to.eql({bar: 'bar_remote'});
+            });
         });
 
         describe("ways", function () {