diff --git a/apstra/design/tag.go b/apstra/design/tag.go
index b9b34772..9de8471b 100644
--- a/apstra/design/tag.go
+++ b/apstra/design/tag.go
@@ -115,9 +115,9 @@ func (o Tag) AttrTypes() map[string]attr.Type {
 	}
 }
 
-func (o *Tag) LoadApiData(_ context.Context, in *apstra.DesignTagData, _ *diag.Diagnostics) {
+func (o *Tag) LoadApiData(ctx context.Context, in *apstra.DesignTagData, diags *diag.Diagnostics) {
 	o.Name = types.StringValue(in.Label)
-	o.Description = types.StringValue(in.Description)
+	o.Description = utils.StringValueOrNull(ctx, in.Description, diags)
 }
 
 func (o *Tag) Request(_ context.Context, _ *diag.Diagnostics) *apstra.DesignTagRequest {
diff --git a/apstra/resource_tag.go b/apstra/resource_tag.go
index 4039f450..3b9ae56a 100644
--- a/apstra/resource_tag.go
+++ b/apstra/resource_tag.go
@@ -73,20 +73,17 @@ func (o *resourceTag) Read(ctx context.Context, req resource.ReadRequest, resp *
 			resp.State.RemoveResource(ctx)
 			return
 		}
-		resp.Diagnostics.AddError("error reading Tag", err.Error())
+		resp.Diagnostics.AddError("failed reading Tag", err.Error())
 		return
 	}
 
-	// create new state object
-	var newState design.Tag
-	newState.Id = types.StringValue(string(t.Id))
-	newState.LoadApiData(ctx, t.Data, &resp.Diagnostics)
+	state.LoadApiData(ctx, t.Data, &resp.Diagnostics)
 	if resp.Diagnostics.HasError() {
 		return
 	}
 
 	// set state
-	resp.Diagnostics.Append(resp.State.Set(ctx, &newState)...)
+	resp.Diagnostics.Append(resp.State.Set(ctx, &state)...)
 }
 
 // Update resource