diff --git a/internal/storage/tags.go b/internal/storage/tags.go
index 464d75b..a2d3c19 100644
--- a/internal/storage/tags.go
+++ b/internal/storage/tags.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"regexp"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
-	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/axllent/mailpit/config"
 	"github.com/axllent/mailpit/internal/logger"
@@ -19,7 +18,6 @@ import (
 
 var (
 	addressPlusRe = regexp.MustCompile(`(?U)^(.*){1,}\+(.*)@`)
-	addTagMutex   sync.RWMutex
 )
 
 // SetMessageTags will set the tags for a given database ID, removing any not in the array
@@ -91,57 +89,43 @@ func SetMessageTags(id string, tags []string) ([]string, error) {
 
 // AddMessageTag adds a tag to a message
 func addMessageTag(id, name string) (string, error) {
-	// prevent two identical tags being added at the same time
-	addTagMutex.Lock()
-
-	var tagID int
-	var foundName sql.NullString
-
-	q := sqlf.From(tenant("tags")).
-		Select("ID").To(&tagID).
-		Select("Name").To(&foundName).
-		Where("Name = ?", name)
-
-	// if tag exists - add tag to message
-	if err := q.QueryRowAndClose(context.TODO(), db); err == nil {
-		addTagMutex.Unlock()
-		// check message does not already have this tag
-		var exists int
-
-		if err := sqlf.From(tenant("message_tags")).
-			Select("COUNT(ID)").To(&exists).
-			Where("ID = ?", id).
-			Where("TagID = ?", tagID).
-			QueryRowAndClose(context.Background(), db); err != nil {
-			return "", err
-		}
-		if exists > 0 {
-			// already exists
-			return foundName.String, nil
-		}
-
-		logger.Log().Debugf("[tags] adding tag \"%s\" to %s", name, id)
-
-		_, err := sqlf.InsertInto(tenant("message_tags")).
-			Set("ID", id).
-			Set("TagID", tagID).
-			ExecAndClose(context.TODO(), db)
-
-		return foundName.String, err
-	}
-
-	// new tag, add to the database
-	if _, err := sqlf.InsertInto(tenant("tags")).
-		Set("Name", name).
-		ExecAndClose(context.TODO(), db); err != nil {
-		addTagMutex.Unlock()
+	// Ensure the tag row exists; the UNIQUE index on Name makes concurrent inserts safe
+	if _, err := db.Exec(fmt.Sprintf(`INSERT OR IGNORE INTO %s (Name) VALUES (?)`, tenant("tags")), name); err != nil { // #nosec
 		return name, err
 	}
 
-	addTagMutex.Unlock()
+	var tagID int
+	var foundName string
 
-	// add tag to the message
-	return addMessageTag(id, name)
+	if err := sqlf.From(tenant("tags")).
+		Select("ID").To(&tagID).
+		Select("Name").To(&foundName).
+		Where("Name = ?", name).
+		QueryRowAndClose(context.TODO(), db); err != nil {
+		return name, err
+	}
+
+	// Check message does not already have this tag
+	var exists int
+	if err := sqlf.From(tenant("message_tags")).
+		Select("COUNT(ID)").To(&exists).
+		Where("ID = ?", id).
+		Where("TagID = ?", tagID).
+		QueryRowAndClose(context.Background(), db); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	if exists > 0 {
+		return foundName, nil
+	}
+
+	logger.Log().Debugf("[tags] adding tag \"%s\" to %s", name, id)
+
+	_, err := sqlf.InsertInto(tenant("message_tags")).
+		Set("ID", id).
+		Set("TagID", tagID).
+		ExecAndClose(context.TODO(), db)
+
+	return foundName, err
 }
 
 // deleteMessageTags deletes multiple tags from a message in a single query