diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/select-kit/components/mini-tag-chooser.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/select-kit/components/mini-tag-chooser.js.es6
index a40a62cad9a..2cdc5c5bb48 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/select-kit/components/mini-tag-chooser.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/select-kit/components/mini-tag-chooser.js.es6
@@ -169,9 +169,17 @@ export default ComboBox.extend(Tags, {
 
     results = results.filter(r => !context.get("selection").includes(r.id));
 
-    return results.map(result => {
+    results = results.map(result => {
       return { id: result.text, name: result.text, count: result.count };
     });
+
+    // if forbidden we probably have an existing tag which is not in the list of
+    // returned tags, so we manually add it at the top
+    if (json.forbidden) {
+      results.unshift({ id: json.forbidden, name: json.forbidden, count: 0 });
+    }
+
+    return results;
   },
 
   destroyTags(tags) {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/select-kit/components/tag-chooser.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/select-kit/components/tag-chooser.js.es6
index b9726fb674b..2ddd86b08aa 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/select-kit/components/tag-chooser.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/select-kit/components/tag-chooser.js.es6
@@ -108,8 +108,16 @@ export default MultiSelectComponent.extend(Tags, {
       results = results.sort((a, b) => a.id > b.id);
     }
 
-    return results.map(result => {
+    results = results.map(result => {
       return { id: result.text, name: result.text, count: result.count };
     });
+
+    // if forbidden we probably have an existing tag which is not in the list of
+    // returned tags, so we manually add it at the top
+    if (json.forbidden) {
+      results.unshift({ id: json.forbidden, name: json.forbidden, count: 0 });
+    }
+
+    return results;
   }
 });
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/select-kit/components/tag-group-chooser.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/select-kit/components/tag-group-chooser.js.es6
index 2a9713f9d32..b790b94b544 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/select-kit/components/tag-group-chooser.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/select-kit/components/tag-group-chooser.js.es6
@@ -72,8 +72,16 @@ export default MultiSelectComponent.extend(Tags, {
   _transformJson(context, json) {
     let results = json.results.sort((a, b) => a.id > b.id);
 
-    return results.map(result => {
+    results = results.map(result => {
       return { id: result.text, name: result.text, count: result.count };
     });
+
+    // if forbidden we probably have an existing tag which is not in the list of
+    // returned tags, so we manually add it at the top
+    if (json.forbidden) {
+      results.unshift({ id: json.forbidden, name: json.forbidden, count: 0 });
+    }
+
+    return results;
   },
 });