diff --git a/src/CAD_to_OpenMC/assembly.py b/src/CAD_to_OpenMC/assembly.py
index a5e69bc..ecafb15 100644
--- a/src/CAD_to_OpenMC/assembly.py
+++ b/src/CAD_to_OpenMC/assembly.py
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ def import_stp_files(
                             tags_set = tags_set + 1
                             tag=g[0]
                     else:
-                        tag = tag
+                        e.tag = tag
                     if self.verbose > 1:
                         print(
                             f"INFO: Tagging volume #{vid} label:{s} with material {tag}"
diff --git a/tests/harnessRun.py b/tests/harnessRun.py
index 5bbc79f..bc0091a 100644
--- a/tests/harnessRun.py
+++ b/tests/harnessRun.py
@@ -3,11 +3,10 @@
 import pathlib as pl
 
 class HarnessRun:
-  def __init__(self):
-    infile = 'tests/7pin.step'
+  def __init__(self,infile='tests/7pin.step',tags=None):
     self.a = ab.Assembly(verbose=2)
     self.a.stp_files = [infile]
-    self.a.import_stp_files()
+    self.a.import_stp_files(tags=None)
     self.h5m = 'out.h5m'
 
   def merge(self):
diff --git a/tests/test_tags.py b/tests/test_tags.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e0c61a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_tags.py
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+import pytest
+import CAD_to_OpenMC.assembly as ab
+from tests.harnessRun import HarnessRun
+import pathlib as pl
+import subprocess as sp
+import sys
+
+class HarnessDB(HarnessRun):
+    def __init__(self,tags=None):
+        super().__init__(infile='examples/step_files/pincell1.step', tags=tags)
+        self.h5p = pl.Path('out_db.h5m')
+        self.tags=None
+
+    def run(self,merge=False, cleanup=True):
+        if merge:
+            self.merge()
+
+        self.a.solids_to_h5m(backend='db',h5m_filename=str(self.h5p), tags=self.tags)
+        assert self.h5p.exists()
+        assert self.is_validh5m(self.h5p)
+
+        if cleanup:
+            self.cleanup()
+
+
+    def check_tags(self,extra_tags=[]):
+        if self.tags is not None:
+            for tag in self.tags.values():
+                p1=sp.run(['grep','-qa',tag,str(self.h5p)])
+                assert p1.returncode == 0
+
+        for tag in extra_tags:
+            p1=sp.run(['grep','-qa',tag,str(self.h5p)])
+            assert p1.returncode == 0
+
+    def cleanup(self):
+        super().cleanup()
+        pwd=pl.Path('.')
+        for v in pwd.glob("vol*_face*"):
+            v.unlink()
+
+def testdb_wtags():
+    tags={'h2.*':'water','zirconium':'Zi','uo[0-9]':'uranium_oxide'}
+    t = HarnessDB(tags=tags)
+    t.run(merge=True, cleanup=False)
+    t.check_tags()
+    t.cleanup()
+
+def testdb_wpartialtags():
+    tags={'h2.*':'water','uo[0-9]':'uranium_oxide'}
+    t = HarnessDB(tags=tags)
+    t.run(merge=True, cleanup=False)
+    t.check_tags(['zirconium'])
+    t.cleanup()
+
+if __name__=='__main__':
+    testdb()
+    testdb_wmerge()