diff --git a/ankaios_sdk/_components/workload.py b/ankaios_sdk/_components/workload.py
index 012cf62a..82b61aad 100644
--- a/ankaios_sdk/_components/workload.py
+++ b/ankaios_sdk/_components/workload.py
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
     .. code-block:: python
 
         tags = workload.get_tags()
-        tags.pop("key1")
+        del tags["key1"]
         workload.update_tags(tags)
 
 - Print the updated workload:
@@ -246,34 +246,33 @@ def add_tag(self, key: str, value: str) -> None:
             key (str): The key of the tag.
             value (str): The value of the tag.
         """
-        tag = _ank_base.Tag(key=key, value=value)
-        self._workload.tags.tags.append(tag)
+        tag = {key: value}
+        self._workload.tags.tags.update(tag)
         if f"{self._main_mask}.tags" not in self.masks:
             self._add_mask(f"{self._main_mask}.tags.{key}")
 
-    def get_tags(self) -> list[tuple[str, str]]:
+    def get_tags(self) -> dict[str, str]:
         """
         Return the tags of the workload.
 
         Returns:
-            list: A list of tuples containing tag keys and values.
+            dict: A dict containing tag keys and values.
         """
-        tags = []
-        for tag in self._workload.tags.tags:
-            tags.append((tag.key, tag.value))
+        tags = {}
+        for key, value in self._workload.tags.tags.items():
+            tags.update({key: value})
         return tags
 
-    def update_tags(self, tags: list) -> None:
+    def update_tags(self, tags: dict) -> None:
         """
         Update the tags of the workload.
 
         Args:
-            tags (list): A list of tuples containing tag keys and values.
+            tags (dict): A dict containing tag keys and values.
         """
-        del self._workload.tags.tags[:]
-        for key, value in tags:
-            tag = _ank_base.Tag(key=key, value=value)
-            self._workload.tags.tags.append(tag)
+        self._workload.tags.tags.clear()
+        for key, value in tags.items():
+            self._workload.tags.tags.update({key: value})
         self.masks = [
             mask
             for mask in self.masks
@@ -436,12 +435,10 @@ def to_dict(self) -> dict:
                 workload_dict["dependencies"][dep_key] = (
                     _ank_base.AddCondition.Name(dep_value)
                 )
-        workload_dict["tags"] = []
+        workload_dict["tags"] = {}
         if self._workload.tags:
-            for tag in self._workload.tags.tags:
-                workload_dict["tags"].append(
-                    {"key": tag.key, "value": tag.value}
-                )
+            for key, value in self._workload.tags.tags.items():
+                workload_dict["tags"].update({key: value})
         workload_dict["controlInterfaceAccess"] = {}
         if self._workload.controlInterfaceAccess:
             workload_dict["controlInterfaceAccess"]["allowRules"] = []
@@ -490,8 +487,8 @@ def _from_dict(workload_name: str, dict_workload: dict) -> "Workload":
             for dep_key, dep_value in dict_workload["dependencies"].items():
                 workload = workload.add_dependency(dep_key, dep_value)
         if "tags" in dict_workload:
-            for tag in dict_workload["tags"]:
-                workload = workload.add_tag(tag["key"], tag["value"])
+            for key, value in dict_workload["tags"].items():
+                workload = workload.add_tag(key, value)
         if "controlInterfaceAccess" in dict_workload:
             if "allowRules" in dict_workload["controlInterfaceAccess"]:
                 for rule in dict_workload["controlInterfaceAccess"][
diff --git a/ankaios_sdk/_components/workload_builder.py b/ankaios_sdk/_components/workload_builder.py
index 25260001..1e347462 100644
--- a/ankaios_sdk/_components/workload_builder.py
+++ b/ankaios_sdk/_components/workload_builder.py
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ class WorkloadBuilder:
         wl_runtime_config (str): The runtime configuration.
         wl_restart_policy (str): The restart policy.
         dependencies (dict): The dependencies.
-        tags (list): The tags.
+        tags (dict): The tags.
     """
 
     def __init__(self) -> None:
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ def __init__(self) -> None:
         self.wl_runtime_config = None
         self.wl_restart_policy = None
         self.dependencies = {}
-        self.tags = []
+        self.tags = {}
         self.allow_rules = []
         self.deny_rules = []
         self.configs = {}
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ def add_tag(self, key: str, value: str) -> "WorkloadBuilder":
         Returns:
             WorkloadBuilder: The builder object.
         """
-        self.tags.append((key, value))
+        self.tags.update({key: value})
         return self
 
     def add_allow_state_rule(
diff --git a/tests/test_complete_state.py b/tests/test_complete_state.py
index 0d780feb..80544874 100644
--- a/tests/test_complete_state.py
+++ b/tests/test_complete_state.py
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ def test_to_dict():
                     "runtimeConfig": "image: control_interface_prod:0.1\\n",
                     "dependencies": {"nginx": "ADD_COND_RUNNING"},
                     "restartPolicy": "ALWAYS",
-                    "tags": [{"key": "owner", "value": "Ankaios team"}],
+                    "tags": {"owner": "Ankaios team"},
                     "controlInterfaceAccess": {
                         "allowRules": [
                             {
diff --git a/tests/test_workload_builder.py b/tests/test_workload_builder.py
index 5f9404dd..8a29d6df 100644
--- a/tests/test_workload_builder.py
+++ b/tests/test_workload_builder.py
@@ -109,11 +109,11 @@ def test_add_tag(
     """
     assert len(builder.tags) == 0
 
-    assert builder.add_tag("key_test", "abc") == builder
-    assert builder.tags == [("key_test", "abc")]
+    assert builder.add_tag("key_test_1", "abc") == builder
+    assert builder.tags == {"key_test_1": "abc"}
 
-    assert builder.add_tag("key_test", "bcd") == builder
-    assert builder.tags == [("key_test", "abc"), ("key_test", "bcd")]
+    assert builder.add_tag("key_test_2", "bcd") == builder
+    assert builder.tags == {"key_test_1": "abc", "key_test_2": "bcd"}
 
 
 def test_add_state_rule(
@@ -278,9 +278,7 @@ def test_build(
             "workload_test_other": _ank_base.AddCondition.ADD_COND_RUNNING
         }
     )
-    assert workload._workload.tags == _ank_base.Tags(
-        tags=[_ank_base.Tag(key="key_test", value="abc")]
-    )
+    assert workload._workload.tags == _ank_base.Tags(tags={"key_test": "abc"})
     assert workload._workload.controlInterfaceAccess.allowRules == [
         _ank_base.AccessRightsRule(
             stateRule=_ank_base.StateRule(
diff --git a/tests/workload/test_workload.py b/tests/workload/test_workload.py
index 7687d823..bc7c19c9 100644
--- a/tests/workload/test_workload.py
+++ b/tests/workload/test_workload.py
@@ -43,9 +43,7 @@
             runtime="podman",
             runtimeConfig=r"image: control_interface_prod:0.1\n",
             restartPolicy=_ank_base.ALWAYS,
-            tags=_ank_base.Tags(
-                tags=[_ank_base.Tag(key="owner", value="Ankaios team")]
-            ),
+            tags=_ank_base.Tags(tags={"owner": "Ankaios team"}),
             dependencies=_ank_base.Dependencies(
                 dependencies={"nginx": _ank_base.ADD_COND_RUNNING}
             ),
@@ -217,15 +215,15 @@ def test_tags(workload: Workload):  # pylint: disable=redefined-outer-name
     """
     assert len(workload.get_tags()) == 2
 
-    # Allow duplicate tags
+    # Disallow duplicate tags
     workload.add_tag("key1", "new_value1")
-    assert len(workload.get_tags()) == 3
+    assert len(workload.get_tags()) == 2
 
     tags = workload.get_tags()
-    tags = tags[1:]
+    _ = tags.pop(list(tags.keys())[0])
     workload.update_tags(tags)
 
-    assert len(workload.get_tags()) == 2
+    assert len(workload.get_tags()) == 1
 
 
 def test_rules(workload: Workload):  # pylint: disable=redefined-outer-name
@@ -334,10 +332,7 @@ def test_to_proto(workload: Workload):  # pylint: disable=redefined-outer-name
         "workload_test_other": _ank_base.ADD_COND_RUNNING
     }
     assert proto.tags == _ank_base.Tags(
-        tags=[
-            _ank_base.Tag(key="key1", value="value1"),
-            _ank_base.Tag(key="key2", value="value2"),
-        ]
+        tags={"key1": "value1", "key2": "value2"},
     )
 
 
@@ -401,7 +396,7 @@ def test_from_to_dict():
         ),
         (
             "update_tags",
-            {"tags": [("key1", "value1"), ("key2", "value2")]},
+            {"tags": {"key1": "value1", "key2": "value2"}},
             f"{WORKLOADS_PREFIX}.workload_test.tags",
         ),
         (