diff --git a/app/[leaflet_id]/publish/PublishPost.tsx b/app/[leaflet_id]/publish/PublishPost.tsx
index 6c45065e..f0378271 100644
--- a/app/[leaflet_id]/publish/PublishPost.tsx
+++ b/app/[leaflet_id]/publish/PublishPost.tsx
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ type Props = {
   record?: PubLeafletPublication.Record;
   posts_in_pub?: number;
   entitiesToDelete?: string[];
+  hasDraft: boolean;
 };
 
 export function PublishPost(props: Props) {
@@ -67,17 +68,29 @@ const PublishPostForm = (
   let params = useParams();
   let { rep } = useReplicache();
 
-  // Get tags from Replicache state (same as in the draft editor)
-  let tags = useSubscribe(rep, (tx) => tx.get<string[]>("publication_tags"));
+  // For publications with drafts, use Replicache; otherwise use local state
+  let replicacheTags = useSubscribe(rep, (tx) =>
+    tx.get<string[]>("publication_tags"),
+  );
+  let [localTags, setLocalTags] = useState<string[]>([]);
 
-  // Default to empty array if undefined
-  const currentTags = Array.isArray(tags) ? tags : [];
+  // Use Replicache tags only when we have a draft
+  const hasDraft = props.hasDraft;
+  const currentTags = hasDraft
+    ? Array.isArray(replicacheTags)
+      ? replicacheTags
+      : []
+    : localTags;
 
-  // Update tags via the same mutation used in the editor
+  // Update tags via Replicache mutation or local state depending on context
   const handleTagsChange = async (newTags: string[]) => {
-    await rep?.mutate.updatePublicationDraft({
-      tags: newTags,
-    });
+    if (hasDraft) {
+      await rep?.mutate.updatePublicationDraft({
+        tags: newTags,
+      });
+    } else {
+      setLocalTags(newTags);
+    }
   };
 
   async function submit() {
diff --git a/app/[leaflet_id]/publish/page.tsx b/app/[leaflet_id]/publish/page.tsx
index 9ee5917c..42690741 100644
--- a/app/[leaflet_id]/publish/page.tsx
+++ b/app/[leaflet_id]/publish/page.tsx
@@ -99,6 +99,11 @@ export default async function PublishLeafletPage(props: Props) {
     // If parsing fails, just use empty array
   }
 
+  // Check if a draft record exists (either in a publication or standalone)
+  let hasDraft =
+    data.leaflets_in_publications.length > 0 ||
+    data.leaflets_to_documents.length > 0;
+
   return (
     <ReplicacheProvider
       rootEntity={rootEntity}
@@ -116,6 +121,7 @@ export default async function PublishLeafletPage(props: Props) {
         record={publication?.record as PubLeafletPublication.Record | undefined}
         posts_in_pub={publication?.documents_in_publications[0]?.count}
         entitiesToDelete={entitiesToDelete}
+        hasDraft={hasDraft}
       />
     </ReplicacheProvider>
   );
diff --git a/components/Tags.tsx b/components/Tags.tsx
index 10b33ed3..5232d732 100644
--- a/components/Tags.tsx
+++ b/components/Tags.tsx
@@ -95,9 +95,13 @@ export const TagSearchInput = (props: {
     [tagInputValue],
   );
 
-  const filteredTags = searchResults.filter(
-    (tag) => !props.selectedTags.includes(tag.name),
-  );
+  const filteredTags = searchResults
+    .filter((tag) => !props.selectedTags.includes(tag.name))
+    .filter((tag) =>
+      tag.name.toLowerCase().includes(tagInputValue.toLowerCase()),
+    );
+
+  const showResults = tagInputValue.length >= 3;
 
   function clearTagInput() {
     setHighlightedIndex(0);
@@ -139,6 +143,7 @@ export const TagSearchInput = (props: {
   };
 
   const userInputResult =
+    showResults &&
     tagInputValue !== "" &&
     !filteredTags.some((tag) => tag.name === tagInputValue);
 
@@ -219,34 +224,42 @@ export const TagSearchInput = (props: {
           )}
           <hr className=" mb-[2px] border-border-light" />
 
-          {userInputResult && (
+          {showResults ? (
             <>
-              <TagResult
-                key={"userInput"}
-                index={0}
-                name={tagInputValue}
-                tagged={0}
-                highlighted={0 === highlightedIndex}
-                setHighlightedIndex={setHighlightedIndex}
-                onSelect={() => {
-                  selectTag(tagInputValue);
-                }}
-              />
+              {userInputResult && (
+                <TagResult
+                  key={"userInput"}
+                  index={0}
+                  name={tagInputValue}
+                  tagged={0}
+                  highlighted={0 === highlightedIndex}
+                  setHighlightedIndex={setHighlightedIndex}
+                  onSelect={() => {
+                    selectTag(tagInputValue);
+                  }}
+                />
+              )}
+              {filteredTags.map((tag, i) => (
+                <TagResult
+                  key={tag.name}
+                  index={userInputResult ? i + 1 : i}
+                  name={tag.name}
+                  tagged={tag.document_count}
+                  highlighted={
+                    (userInputResult ? i + 1 : i) === highlightedIndex
+                  }
+                  setHighlightedIndex={setHighlightedIndex}
+                  onSelect={() => {
+                    selectTag(tag.name);
+                  }}
+                />
+              ))}
             </>
+          ) : (
+            <div className="text-tertiary italic text-sm py-1">
+              type at least 3 characters to search
+            </div>
           )}
-          {filteredTags.map((tag, i) => (
-            <TagResult
-              key={tag.name}
-              index={userInputResult ? i + 1 : i}
-              name={tag.name}
-              tagged={tag.document_count}
-              highlighted={(userInputResult ? i + 1 : i) === highlightedIndex}
-              setHighlightedIndex={setHighlightedIndex}
-              onSelect={() => {
-                selectTag(tag.name);
-              }}
-            />
-          ))}
         </div>
       </Popover>
     </div>