diff --git a/app/logical/d_text.rb b/app/logical/d_text.rb
index 8666b1f0e..db4d4c7d5 100644
--- a/app/logical/d_text.rb
+++ b/app/logical/d_text.rb
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ class DText
 
   def self.tag_request_message(obj)
     if obj.is_a?(TagRelationship)
-      if obj.is_approved?
+      if obj.is_active?
         "The #{obj.relationship} ##{obj.id} [[#{obj.antecedent_name}]] -> [[#{obj.consequent_name}]] has been approved."
       elsif obj.is_retired?
         "The #{obj.relationship} ##{obj.id} [[#{obj.antecedent_name}]] -> [[#{obj.consequent_name}]] has been retired."
diff --git a/app/models/tag_alias.rb b/app/models/tag_alias.rb
index 2f0dbca6a..9b3b0f42d 100644
--- a/app/models/tag_alias.rb
+++ b/app/models/tag_alias.rb
@@ -15,9 +15,8 @@ class TagAlias < TagRelationship
   end
 
   def process!(approver)
-    update!(approver: approver, status: "processing")
+    update!(approver: approver, status: "active")
     TagMover.new(antecedent_name, consequent_name, user: User.system).move!
-    update!(status: "active")
   rescue Exception => e
     update!(status: "error: #{e}")
     DanbooruLogger.log(e, tag_alias_id: id, antecedent_name: antecedent_name, consequent_name: consequent_name)
diff --git a/app/models/tag_implication.rb b/app/models/tag_implication.rb
index c91605004..a4e7649ab 100644
--- a/app/models/tag_implication.rb
+++ b/app/models/tag_implication.rb
@@ -126,9 +126,8 @@ class TagImplication < TagRelationship
       end
 
       CurrentUser.scoped(User.system) do
-        update(approver: approver, status: "processing")
+        update!(approver: approver, status: "active")
         update_posts
-        update(status: "active")
       end
     rescue Exception => e
       update(status: "error: #{e}")
diff --git a/app/models/tag_relationship.rb b/app/models/tag_relationship.rb
index 02675032c..921394458 100644
--- a/app/models/tag_relationship.rb
+++ b/app/models/tag_relationship.rb
@@ -15,8 +15,7 @@ class TagRelationship < ApplicationRecord
   belongs_to :antecedent_wiki, class_name: "WikiPage", foreign_key: "antecedent_name", primary_key: "title", optional: true
   belongs_to :consequent_wiki, class_name: "WikiPage", foreign_key: "consequent_name", primary_key: "title", optional: true
 
-  scope :active, -> {approved}
-  scope :approved, -> {where(status: %w[active processing])}
+  scope :active, -> {where(status: "active")}
   scope :deleted, -> {where(status: "deleted")}
   scope :expired, -> {where("created_at < ?", EXPIRY.days.ago)}
   scope :old, -> {where("created_at >= ? and created_at < ?", EXPIRY.days.ago, EXPIRY_WARNING.days.ago)}
@@ -24,7 +23,7 @@ class TagRelationship < ApplicationRecord
   scope :retired, -> {where(status: "retired")}
 
   before_validation :normalize_names
-  validates_format_of :status, :with => /\A(active|deleted|pending|processing|retired|error: .*)\Z/
+  validates_format_of :status, :with => /\A(active|deleted|pending|retired|error: .*)\Z/
   validates_presence_of :antecedent_name, :consequent_name
   validates :approver, presence: { message: "must exist" }, if: -> { approver_id.present? }
   validates :forum_topic, presence: { message: "must exist" }, if: -> { forum_topic_id.present? }
@@ -35,10 +34,6 @@ class TagRelationship < ApplicationRecord
     self.consequent_name = consequent_name.mb_chars.downcase.tr(" ", "_")
   end
 
-  def is_approved?
-    status.in?(%w[active processing])
-  end
-
   def is_rejected?
     status.in?(%w[retired deleted])
   end
@@ -73,13 +68,7 @@ class TagRelationship < ApplicationRecord
     end
 
     def status_matches(status)
-      status = status.downcase
-
-      if status == "approved"
-        where(status: %w[active processing])
-      else
-        where(status: status)
-      end
+      where(status: status.downcase)
     end
 
     def tag_matches(field, params)
@@ -89,7 +78,7 @@ class TagRelationship < ApplicationRecord
 
     def pending_first
       # unknown statuses return null and are sorted first
-      order(Arel.sql("array_position(array['processing', 'pending', 'active', 'deleted', 'retired'], status::text) NULLS FIRST, id DESC"))
+      order(Arel.sql("array_position(array['pending', 'active', 'deleted', 'retired'], status::text) NULLS FIRST, id DESC"))
     end
 
     def search(params)
diff --git a/app/views/tag_relationships/_search.html.erb b/app/views/tag_relationships/_search.html.erb
index 32d197ae0..719c921e3 100644
--- a/app/views/tag_relationships/_search.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/tag_relationships/_search.html.erb
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
   <%= f.simple_fields_for :consequent_tag do |fa| %>
     <%= fa.input :category, label: "To Category", collection: TagCategory.canonical_mapping.to_a, include_blank: true, selected: params.dig(:search, :consequent_tag, :category) %>
   <% end %>
-  <%= f.input :status, label: "Status", collection: %w[Approved Active Pending Deleted Retired Processing], include_blank: true, selected: params[:search][:status] %>
+  <%= f.input :status, label: "Status", collection: %w[Active Pending Deleted Retired], include_blank: true, selected: params[:search][:status] %>
   <%= f.input :order, label: "Order", collection: [%w[Created created_at], %w[Updated updated_at], %w[Name name], %w[Tag\ count tag_count], %w[Status status]], include_blank: true, selected: params[:search][:order] %>
   <%= f.submit "Search" %>
 <% end %>
diff --git a/test/unit/tag_alias_test.rb b/test/unit/tag_alias_test.rb
index a8fe21d20..604ce57fa 100644
--- a/test/unit/tag_alias_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/tag_alias_test.rb
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ class TagAliasTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
       should allow_value('active').for(:status)
       should allow_value('deleted').for(:status)
       should allow_value('pending').for(:status)
-      should allow_value('processing').for(:status)
       should allow_value('error: derp').for(:status)
 
       should_not allow_value('ACTIVE').for(:status)
diff --git a/test/unit/tag_implication_test.rb b/test/unit/tag_implication_test.rb
index 508c66221..85d7c6293 100644
--- a/test/unit/tag_implication_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/tag_implication_test.rb
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ class TagImplicationTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
       should allow_value('active').for(:status)
       should allow_value('deleted').for(:status)
       should allow_value('pending').for(:status)
-      should allow_value('processing').for(:status)
       should allow_value('error: derp').for(:status)
 
       should_not allow_value('ACTIVE').for(:status)