diff --git a/modules/backend/src/main/scala/docspell/backend/item/Merge.scala b/modules/backend/src/main/scala/docspell/backend/item/Merge.scala
index 06885313..12d27a28 100644
--- a/modules/backend/src/main/scala/docspell/backend/item/Merge.scala
+++ b/modules/backend/src/main/scala/docspell/backend/item/Merge.scala
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ object Merge {
           )
           _ <- EitherT.right[Error](
             NonEmptyList.fromList(items.tail.map(_.id)) match {
-              case Some(nel) => itemOps.setDeletedState(nel, collective)
+              case Some(nel) => itemOps.deleteItemMultiple(nel, collective)
               case None      => 0.pure[F]
             }
           )
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ object Merge {
 
       case CustomFieldType.Text =>
         val text = fields.toList
-          .map(fv => CustomFieldType.Text.parseValue(fv.value).toOption)
+          .flatMap(fv => CustomFieldType.Text.parseValue(fv.value).toOption)
           .mkString(", ")
         fields.head.copy(value = CustomFieldType.Text.valueString(text))
     }
diff --git a/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/records/RTagItem.scala b/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/records/RTagItem.scala
index 95c8d441..c4bec512 100644
--- a/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/records/RTagItem.scala
+++ b/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/records/RTagItem.scala
@@ -34,8 +34,21 @@ object RTagItem {
   def insert(v: RTagItem): ConnectionIO[Int] =
     DML.insert(T, T.all, fr"${v.tagItemId},${v.itemId},${v.tagId}")
 
-  def moveTags(from: Ident, to: Ident): ConnectionIO[Int] =
-    DML.update(T, T.itemId === from, DML.set(T.itemId.setTo(to)))
+  def moveTags(fromItem: Ident, toItem: Ident): ConnectionIO[Int] =
+    for {
+      both <- intersect(
+        Select(select(T.tagId), from(T), T.itemId === fromItem).distinct,
+        Select(select(T.tagId), from(T), T.itemId === toItem).distinct
+      ).build
+        .query[Ident]
+        .to[List]
+      skipIds = NonEmptyList.fromList(both)
+      n <- DML.update(
+        T,
+        T.itemId === fromItem &&? skipIds.map(ids => T.tagId.notIn(ids)),
+        DML.set(T.itemId.setTo(toItem))
+      )
+    } yield n
 
   def deleteItemTags(item: Ident): ConnectionIO[Int] =
     DML.delete(T, T.itemId === item)