diff --git a/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm.nix b/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm.nix
index 67457e95a..51fe22bd0 100644
--- a/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm.nix
+++ b/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm.nix
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ let
 
   settingType = lib.types.oneOf [ lib.types.bool lib.types.int lib.types.str ];
 
+  escapedTags = map lib.escapeShellArg cfg.tags;
+
 in {
   meta.maintainers = [ lib.hm.maintainers.olmokramer ];
 
@@ -147,15 +149,14 @@ in {
         ${renderSettings cfg.settings}
 
         ${lib.optionalString (cfg.tags != [ ]) ''
-          if ${cfg.package}/bin/herbstclient object_tree tags.default &>/dev/null; then
-            herbstclient rename default ${
-              lib.escapeShellArg (builtins.head cfg.tags)
-            }
-          fi
-
-          for tag in ${lib.escapeShellArgs cfg.tags}; do
+          for tag in ${lib.concatStringsSep " " escapedTags}; do
             herbstclient add "$tag"
           done
+
+          if ${cfg.package}/bin/herbstclient object_tree tags.by-name.default &>/dev/null; then
+            herbstclient use ${lib.head escapedTags}
+            herbstclient merge_tag default ${lib.head escapedTags}
+          fi
         ''}
 
         ${renderKeybinds cfg.keybinds}
diff --git a/tests/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm/herbstluftwm-simple-config-autostart b/tests/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm/herbstluftwm-simple-config-autostart
index 5f101e0bb..78d4d7d56 100644
--- a/tests/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm/herbstluftwm-simple-config-autostart
+++ b/tests/modules/services/window-managers/herbstluftwm/herbstluftwm-simple-config-autostart
@@ -20,14 +20,15 @@ herbstclient set frame_bg_active_color '#000000'
 herbstclient set frame_gap '12'
 herbstclient set frame_padding '-12'
 
-if @herbstluftwm@/bin/herbstclient object_tree tags.default &>/dev/null; then
-  herbstclient rename default '1'
-fi
-
 for tag in '1' 'with space' 'wə1rd#ch@rs'\'''; do
   herbstclient add "$tag"
 done
 
+if @herbstluftwm@/bin/herbstclient object_tree tags.by-name.default &>/dev/null; then
+  herbstclient use '1'
+  herbstclient merge_tag default '1'
+fi
+
 
 herbstclient keybind Mod4-1 use 1
 herbstclient keybind Mod4-2 use 2