diff --git a/app/controllers/profiles_controller.rb b/app/controllers/profiles_controller.rb
index 641355bbc..25aa1f3bb 100644
--- a/app/controllers/profiles_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/profiles_controller.rb
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ class ProfilesController < ApplicationController
   def update
     # upload and set new profile photo
     params[:profile] ||= {}
+    params[:tags] << params[:profile][:tag_string] unless params[:profile][:tag_string].nil?
     params[:profile][:tag_string] = (params[:tags]) ? params[:tags].gsub(',',' ') : ""
     params[:profile][:searchable] ||= false
     params[:profile][:photo] = Photo.where(:author_id => current_user.person.id,
diff --git a/spec/controllers/profiles_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/profiles_controller_spec.rb
index 21340e95d..4d760e3f8 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/profiles_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/profiles_controller_spec.rb
@@ -49,6 +49,15 @@ describe ProfilesController do
       put :update, params
       @user.person(true).profile.tag_list.to_set.should == ['apples', 'oranges'].to_set
     end
+    
+    it 'sets plaintext tags' do
+      params = { :id => @user.person.id,
+                 :tags => ',#apples,#oranges,',
+                 :profile => {:tag_string => '#pears'} }
+      
+      put :update, params
+      @user.person(true).profile.tag_list.to_set.should == ['apples', 'oranges', 'pears'].to_set
+    end
 
     context 'with a profile photo set' do
       before do