diff --git a/app/models/artist.rb b/app/models/artist.rb
index 6f7675d4d..e40820fef 100644
--- a/app/models/artist.rb
+++ b/app/models/artist.rb
@@ -8,10 +8,12 @@ class Artist < ApplicationRecord
 
   before_validation :normalize_name
   before_validation :normalize_other_names
-  after_save :create_version
-  after_save :clear_url_string_changed
   validate :validate_tag_category
   validates :name, tag_name: true, uniqueness: true
+  before_save :update_tag_category
+  after_save :create_version
+  after_save :clear_url_string_changed
+
   has_many :members, :class_name => "Artist", :foreign_key => "group_name", :primary_key => "name"
   has_many :urls, :dependent => :destroy, :class_name => "ArtistUrl", :autosave => true
   has_many :versions, -> {order("artist_versions.id ASC")}, :class_name => "ArtistVersion"
@@ -151,14 +153,20 @@ class Artist < ApplicationRecord
 
   module TagMethods
     def validate_tag_category
-      return unless !is_deleted? && name_changed?
+      return unless !is_deleted? && name_changed? && tag.present?
 
-      if tag.category_name == "General"
-        tag.update(category: Tag.categories.artist)
-      elsif tag.category_name != "Artist"
+      if tag.category_name != "Artist" && !tag.empty?
         errors[:base] << "'#{name}' is a #{tag.category_name.downcase} tag; artist entries can only be created for artist tags"
       end
     end
+
+    def update_tag_category
+      return unless !is_deleted? && name_changed? && tag.present?
+
+      if tag.category_name != "Artist" && tag.empty?
+        tag.update!(category: Tag.categories.artist)
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   module BanMethods
diff --git a/test/unit/artist_test.rb b/test/unit/artist_test.rb
index 58cd234ea..d82beccca 100644
--- a/test/unit/artist_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/artist_test.rb
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@ class ArtistTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
     context "that has been banned" do
       setup do
-        @post = FactoryBot.create(:post, :tag_string => "aaa")
         @artist = FactoryBot.create(:artist, :name => "aaa")
+        @post = FactoryBot.create(:post, :tag_string => "aaa")
         @admin = FactoryBot.create(:admin_user)
         @artist.ban!(banner: @admin)
         @post.reload
@@ -407,9 +407,9 @@ class ArtistTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
     end
 
     should "search on has_tag and return matches" do
-      post = FactoryBot.create(:post, tag_string: "bkub")
       bkub = FactoryBot.create(:artist, name: "bkub")
       none = FactoryBot.create(:artist, name: "none")
+      post = FactoryBot.create(:post, tag_string: "bkub")
 
       assert_equal(bkub.id, Artist.search(has_tag: "true").first.id)
       assert_equal(none.id, Artist.search(has_tag: "false").first.id)
@@ -443,8 +443,8 @@ class ArtistTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
         assert(Tag.exists?(name: "bkub", category: Tag.categories.artist))
       end
 
-      should "change the tag to an artist tag if it was a gentag" do
-        tag = FactoryBot.create(:tag, name: "abc", category: Tag.categories.general)
+      should "change the tag to an artist tag if it was an empty gentag" do
+        tag = FactoryBot.create(:tag, name: "abc", category: Tag.categories.general, post_count: 0)
         artist = FactoryBot.create(:artist, name: "abc")
 
         assert_equal(Tag.categories.artist, tag.reload.category)
@@ -461,7 +461,7 @@ class ArtistTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
     context "when renaming" do
       should "change the new tag to an artist tag if it was a gentag" do
-        tag = FactoryBot.create(:tag, name: "def", category: Tag.categories.general)
+        tag = FactoryBot.create(:tag, name: "def", category: Tag.categories.general, post_count: 0)
         artist = FactoryBot.create(:artist, name: "abc")
         artist.update(name: "def")