diff --git a/server/AyaNova/biz/Search.cs b/server/AyaNova/biz/Search.cs
index 14d91fd5..1bf9ee61 100644
--- a/server/AyaNova/biz/Search.cs
+++ b/server/AyaNova/biz/Search.cs
@@ -396,7 +396,10 @@ namespace AyaNova.Biz
 
             public SearchIndexProcessObjectParameters AddWord(string s)
             {
-                Words.Add(s);
+                if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(s))
+                {
+                    Words.Add(s);
+                }
                 return this;
             }
             public SearchIndexProcessObjectParameters AddWord(uint u)
@@ -406,9 +409,15 @@ namespace AyaNova.Biz
             }
             public SearchIndexProcessObjectParameters AddWord(List<string> lWords)
             {
-                foreach (string s in lWords)
+                if (lWords != null)
                 {
-                    Words.Add(s);
+                    foreach (string s in lWords)
+                    {
+                        if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(s))
+                        {
+                            Words.Add(s);
+                        }
+                    }
                 }
 
                 return this;
diff --git a/server/AyaNova/biz/TagUtil.cs b/server/AyaNova/biz/TagUtil.cs
index 860030ab..d3d846e0 100644
--- a/server/AyaNova/biz/TagUtil.cs
+++ b/server/AyaNova/biz/TagUtil.cs
@@ -88,7 +88,12 @@ namespace AyaNova.Biz
 
         public static void ProcessUpdateTagsInRepository(AyContext ct, List<string> newTags, List<string> originalTags = null)
         {
-            if (newTags.Count == 0 && (originalTags == null || originalTags.Count == 0)) return;
+            //just in case no new tags are present which could mean a user removed all tags from a record so this
+            //needs to proceed with the code below even if newTags is null as long as originalTags isn't also null
+            if (newTags == null) newTags = new List<string>();
+            if (originalTags == null) originalTags = new List<string>();
+
+            if (newTags.Count == 0 && originalTags.Count == 0) return;
 
             List<string> deleteTags = new List<string>();
             List<string> addTags = new List<string>();