diff --git a/src/backend/services/story_service.ts b/src/backend/services/story_service.ts
index 917c0b09..63b55cf7 100644
--- a/src/backend/services/story_service.ts
+++ b/src/backend/services/story_service.ts
@@ -182,10 +182,6 @@ export class StoryService {
       target.coverImage = source.coverImage;
     }
 
-    if (locale !== sourceLocale && !target.tags) {
-      target.tags = source.tags;
-    }
-
     const resourceService = new ResourceService();
     const availableResources = await resourceService.listForLocale(locale);
     const targetFields = this.localisationFields(target);
@@ -247,10 +243,6 @@ export class StoryService {
       target.coverImage = source.coverImage;
     }
 
-    if (locale !== sourceLocale && !target.tags) {
-      target.tags = source.tags;
-    }
-
     const targetFields = this.localisationFields(target);
 
     return {
diff --git a/src/backend/stubs/tests/unit/story_service.stub b/src/backend/stubs/tests/unit/story_service.stub
index 3646960e..759aebdc 100644
--- a/src/backend/stubs/tests/unit/story_service.stub
+++ b/src/backend/stubs/tests/unit/story_service.stub
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ test.group('Story service', (group) => {
     assert.isUndefined(props);
   });
 
-  test('editProps prefills tags from source when translation tags are empty', async ({
+  test('editProps does not prefill tags from source when translation tags are empty', async ({
     assert,
   }) => {
     const story = await StoryFactory.with('localisations').create();
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ test.group('Story service', (group) => {
     );
 
     assert.isDefined(props);
-    assert.equal(props!.model.tags, 'gospel,john');
+    assert.equal(props!.model.tags, '');
     assert.equal(props!.source!.tags, 'gospel,john');
   });
 
diff --git a/src/frontend/stories/components/story-edit-details.story.vue b/src/frontend/stories/components/story-edit-details.story.vue
index 4fa27ee2..4d97a538 100644
--- a/src/frontend/stories/components/story-edit-details.story.vue
+++ b/src/frontend/stories/components/story-edit-details.story.vue
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ const translationLocaleModel = {
   title: '',
   coverImage: '',
   description: '',
-  tags: 'gospel,john',
+  tags: '',
 };
 
 const translationWithoutTagsModel = {
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ source locale only) classification fields, chapter template, and visibility.
 ## Variants
 
 - **Source locale** — single-column editable fields including chapter count and visibility
-- **Translation locale** — side-by-side editable and read-only columns; tags prefilled from source when empty
+- **Translation locale** — side-by-side editable and read-only columns; source tags shown in read-only column only
 - **Translation without tags** — translation mode where the source locale has no tags; both editable and read-only tag fields are empty
 - **Single template** — shows read-only Chapter Template when only one template is configured
 - **Multiple templates on edit** — read-only Chapter Template even when multiple templates are configured
diff --git a/src/frontend/stories/story-edit.story.vue b/src/frontend/stories/story-edit.story.vue
index db846001..76634f5b 100644
--- a/src/frontend/stories/story-edit.story.vue
+++ b/src/frontend/stories/story-edit.story.vue
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ const translationModel: StoryEditProps['model'] = {
   title: '',
   coverImage: '',
   description: '',
-  tags: 'gospel,john,new-testament',
+  tags: '',
   sections: [
     {
       id: 'section-1',
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ const arabicTranslationModel: StoryEditProps['model'] = {
   title: '',
   coverImage: '',
   description: '',
-  tags: 'gospel,john,new-testament',
+  tags: '',
   sections: [
     {
       id: 'section-1',
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ Saving posts attached resource IDs to the story localisation.
 - **Delete and save draft** — empty story, unpublished; shows Delete (`red`) and Save Changes (`secondary`)
 - **Without sections** — `storiesHasSections: true`; English source locale with no sections; Sections tab shows empty state message
 - **Validation errors on tabs** — `storiesHasSections: true`; failed publish validation; Details and Sections tabs show error indicators and inline field messages
-- **Translation locale** — Spanish edit with English source column; tags prefilled from source on Details tab
+- **Translation locale** — Spanish edit with English source column; source tags shown in read-only column only on Details tab
 - **Arabic translation locale** — `storiesHasSections: true`; Arabic edit on the left, English source on the right; RTL text in the translation column; side-by-side fields on Details and Sections tabs
 - **Translation without sections** — `storiesHasSections: true`; Spanish edit with English source column; source localisation has no sections, so the Sections tab is empty
 
diff --git a/src/types.ts b/src/types.ts
index 056d4a7f..adcb4c90 100644
--- a/src/types.ts
+++ b/src/types.ts
@@ -387,6 +387,7 @@ export interface StoryEditProps {
     title: string;
     coverImage: string;
     description: string;
+    tags: string | null;
     sections: StorySection[];
     resources: ResourceItem[];
   };