diff --git a/state/execution.go b/state/execution.go
index aa4cd9c8..0033e7f3 100644
--- a/state/execution.go
+++ b/state/execution.go
@@ -69,16 +69,32 @@ func execBlockOnProxyApp(txEventPublisher types.TxEventPublisher, proxyAppConn p
 
 			// NOTE: if we count we can access the tx from the block instead of
 			// pulling it from the req
-			event := types.EventDataTx{
+			tx := types.Tx(req.GetDeliverTx().Tx)
+
+			tags := make(map[string]interface{})
+			for _, t := range txResult.Tags {
+				// basic validation
+				if t.Key == "" {
+					logger.Info("Got tag with an empty key (skipping)", "tag", t, "tx", tx)
+					continue
+				}
+
+				if t.ValueString != "" {
+					tags[t.Key] = t.ValueString
+				} else {
+					tags[t.Key] = t.ValueInt
+				}
+			}
+
+			txEventPublisher.PublishEventTx(types.EventDataTx{
 				Height: block.Height,
-				Tx:     types.Tx(req.GetDeliverTx().Tx),
+				Tx:     tx,
 				Data:   txResult.Data,
 				Code:   txResult.Code,
 				Log:    txResult.Log,
-				Tags:   txResult.Tags,
+				Tags:   tags,
 				Error:  txError,
-			}
-			txEventPublisher.PublishEventTx(event)
+			})
 		}
 	}
 	proxyAppConn.SetResponseCallback(proxyCb)
diff --git a/types/event_bus.go b/types/event_bus.go
index 479ae735..6091538e 100644
--- a/types/event_bus.go
+++ b/types/event_bus.go
@@ -82,16 +82,8 @@ func (b *EventBus) PublishEventVote(vote EventDataVote) error {
 func (b *EventBus) PublishEventTx(tx EventDataTx) error {
 	// no explicit deadline for publishing events
 	ctx := context.Background()
-	tags := make(map[string]interface{})
-	for _, t := range tx.Tags {
-		// TODO [@melekes]: validate, but where?
-		if t.ValueString != "" {
-			tags[t.Key] = t.ValueString
-		} else {
-			tags[t.Key] = t.ValueInt
-		}
-	}
-	// predefined tags should come last
+	tags := tx.Tags
+	// add predefined tags (they should overwrite any existing tags)
 	tags[EventTypeKey] = EventTx
 	tags[TxHashKey] = fmt.Sprintf("%X", tx.Tx.Hash())
 	b.pubsub.PublishWithTags(ctx, TMEventData{tx}, tags)
diff --git a/types/events.go b/types/events.go
index c9de20af..f20297d6 100644
--- a/types/events.go
+++ b/types/events.go
@@ -110,13 +110,13 @@ type EventDataNewBlockHeader struct {
 
 // All txs fire EventDataTx
 type EventDataTx struct {
-	Height int            `json:"height"`
-	Tx     Tx             `json:"tx"`
-	Data   data.Bytes     `json:"data"`
-	Log    string         `json:"log"`
-	Code   abci.CodeType  `json:"code"`
-	Tags   []*abci.KVPair `json:"tags"`
-	Error  string         `json:"error"` // this is redundant information for now
+	Height int                    `json:"height"`
+	Tx     Tx                     `json:"tx"`
+	Data   data.Bytes             `json:"data"`
+	Log    string                 `json:"log"`
+	Code   abci.CodeType          `json:"code"`
+	Tags   map[string]interface{} `json:"tags"`
+	Error  string                 `json:"error"` // this is redundant information for now
 }
 
 type EventDataProposalHeartbeat struct {