diff --git a/gracedb/admin.py b/gracedb/admin.py
index 7e36d454e8d2ad5b3a2c1897a2a1bd103bf5505a..99754ff51345fb79b6f28c72365848d32b0b5da8 100644
--- a/gracedb/admin.py
+++ b/gracedb/admin.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class LabellingAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
 
 class TagAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
     list_display = [ 'name', 'displayName' ]
-    filter_vertical = [ 'eventlogs' ]
+    exclude = [ 'eventlogs' ]
 
 admin.site.register(Event, EventAdmin)
 admin.site.register(EventLog, EventLogAdmin)
diff --git a/gracedb/fixtures/initial_tags.json b/gracedb/fixtures/initial_tags.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..f3860bda18f6f5b2477a9662732e64764164698e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gracedb/fixtures/initial_tags.json
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+[
+ {"pk": 1,
+  "model": "gracedb.tag",
+  "fields": {
+  	"eventlogs": [],
+	"displayName": " Noise Curves",
+	"name": "psd"}
+ },
+ {"pk": 2,
+  "model": "gracedb.tag",
+  "fields": {
+  	"eventlogs": [],
+	"displayName": "Sky Localization",
+	"name": "sky_loc"}
+ },
+ {"pk": 3,
+  "model": "gracedb.tag",
+  "fields": {
+  	"eventlogs": [],
+	"displayName": "Strain Data",
+	"name": "strain"}
+ },
+ {"pk": 4,
+  "model": "gracedb.tag",
+  "fields": {
+  	"eventlogs": [],
+	"displayName": "Time-Frequency Info",
+	"name": "tfplots"}
+ },
+ {"pk": 5,
+  "model": "gracedb.tag",
+  "fields": {
+  	"eventlogs": [],
+	"displayName": "Significance Info",
+	"name": "sig_info"}
+ },
+ {"pk": 6,
+  "model": "gracedb.tag",
+  "fields": {
+  	"eventlogs": [],
+	"displayName": "Sound Files",
+	"name": "audio"}
+ }
+]
diff --git a/gracedb/migrations/0004_populate_tags.py b/gracedb/migrations/0004_populate_tags.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..3a52a16919c504eb63aab365160d37f5b5ddb10c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gracedb/migrations/0004_populate_tags.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+import datetime
+from south.db import db
+from south.v2 import DataMigration
+from django.db import models
+
+class Migration(DataMigration):
+
+    def forwards(self, orm):
+        from django.core.management import call_command
+        call_command("loaddata", "initial_tags.json")
+
+    complete_apps = ['gracedb']
+    symmetrical = True
diff --git a/templates/gracedb/event_detail.html b/templates/gracedb/event_detail.html
index c09d576e378d2cc6eb45e5953affdf1869014cee..b62e21615826fec224be35f81f54cb9c6c47accd 100644
--- a/templates/gracedb/event_detail.html
+++ b/templates/gracedb/event_detail.html
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@
             var cb1 = new ComboBox({
                 id: "newTagSelect",
                 name: "newTagSelect",
-                value: "insert tag here",
+                value: "",
 {% if blessed_tags %}                
                 store: blessedTagStore,
                 searchAttr: "name"
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@
             var cb2 = new ComboBox({
                 id: "existingTagSelect",
                 name: "existingTagSelect",
-                value: "None",
+                value: "",
 {% if blessed_tags %}                
                 store: blessedTagStore,
                 searchAttr: "name"