diff --git a/data/model/tag.py b/data/model/tag.py
index e22156dbf..f7aa6d5d8 100644
--- a/data/model/tag.py
+++ b/data/model/tag.py
@@ -727,30 +727,24 @@ def get_possibly_expired_tag(namespace, repo_name, tag_name):
                  Namespace.username == namespace)).get()
 
 def associate_generated_tag_manifest_with_tag(tag, manifest, storage_id_map):
-  try:
-    manifest = TagManifest.get(digest=manifest.digest)
-    manifest.tag = tag
-    manifest.save()
-    return manifest, False
-  except TagManifest.DoesNotExist:
-    oci_manifest = _populate_manifest_and_blobs(tag.repository, manifest, storage_id_map)
+  oci_manifest = _populate_manifest_and_blobs(tag.repository, manifest, storage_id_map)
 
-    with db_transaction():
-      try:
-        (Tag
-         .select()
-         .join(TagToRepositoryTag)
-         .where(TagToRepositoryTag.repository_tag == tag)).get()
-      except Tag.DoesNotExist:
-        oci_tag = Tag.create(repository=tag.repository, manifest=oci_manifest, name=tag.name,
-                             reversion=tag.reversion,
-                             lifetime_start_ms=tag.lifetime_start_ts * 1000,
-                             lifetime_end_ms=(tag.lifetime_end_ts * 1000
-                                              if tag.lifetime_end_ts else None),
-                             tag_kind=Tag.tag_kind.get_id('tag'))
-        TagToRepositoryTag.create(tag=oci_tag, repository_tag=tag, repository=tag.repository)
+  with db_transaction():
+    try:
+      (Tag
+        .select()
+        .join(TagToRepositoryTag)
+        .where(TagToRepositoryTag.repository_tag == tag)).get()
+    except Tag.DoesNotExist:
+      oci_tag = Tag.create(repository=tag.repository, manifest=oci_manifest, name=tag.name,
+                            reversion=tag.reversion,
+                            lifetime_start_ms=tag.lifetime_start_ts * 1000,
+                            lifetime_end_ms=(tag.lifetime_end_ts * 1000
+                                            if tag.lifetime_end_ts else None),
+                            tag_kind=Tag.tag_kind.get_id('tag'))
+      TagToRepositoryTag.create(tag=oci_tag, repository_tag=tag, repository=tag.repository)
 
-      return _associate_manifest(tag, oci_manifest), True
+    return _associate_manifest(tag, oci_manifest)
 
 
 def _associate_manifest(tag, oci_manifest):
diff --git a/data/registry_model/registry_pre_oci_model.py b/data/registry_model/registry_pre_oci_model.py
index b73085efa..db4b53ecb 100644
--- a/data/registry_model/registry_pre_oci_model.py
+++ b/data/registry_model/registry_pre_oci_model.py
@@ -482,8 +482,8 @@ class PreOCIModel(SharedModel, RegistryDataInterface):
     blob_query = self._lookup_repo_storages_by_content_checksum(repo, manifest.checksums)
     storage_map = {blob.content_checksum: blob.id for blob in blob_query}
     try:
-      tag_manifest, _ = model.tag.associate_generated_tag_manifest_with_tag(tag_obj, manifest,
-                                                                            storage_map)
+      tag_manifest = model.tag.associate_generated_tag_manifest_with_tag(tag_obj, manifest,
+                                                                         storage_map)
       assert tag_manifest
     except IntegrityError:
       tag_manifest = model.tag.get_tag_manifest(tag_obj)