diff --git a/tags/tags-impl/impl/src/java/org/sakaiproject/tags/impl/TagServiceImpl.java b/tags/tags-impl/impl/src/java/org/sakaiproject/tags/impl/TagServiceImpl.java
index acd04bcab60b..ed1506c8a24c 100644
--- a/tags/tags-impl/impl/src/java/org/sakaiproject/tags/impl/TagServiceImpl.java
+++ b/tags/tags-impl/impl/src/java/org/sakaiproject/tags/impl/TagServiceImpl.java
@@ -137,12 +137,9 @@ public void updateTagAssociations(String collectionId, String itemId, List<Strin
             if (StringUtils.isEmpty(tagId) || oldAssociationIds.contains(tagId)) {
                 continue;
             }
-            byte[] bytes = tagId.getBytes();
-            byte[] copy = new byte[TAG_MAX_LABEL];
-            // new tag, we create it
-            if (bytes.length > TAG_MAX_LABEL) {
-                System.arraycopy(bytes, 0, copy, 0, TAG_MAX_LABEL);
-                tagId = new String(copy);
+            // we cut the tag
+            if (tagId.length() > TAG_MAX_LABEL) {
+                tagId = tagId.substring(0, TAG_MAX_LABEL);
             }
             // new association, check tag exists
             Tag t = tags.getForId(tagId).orElse(null);