diff --git a/chrome/content/zotero/overlay.js b/chrome/content/zotero/overlay.js
index 66f520752..546f11263 100644
--- a/chrome/content/zotero/overlay.js
+++ b/chrome/content/zotero/overlay.js
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ var ZoteroPane = new function()
 			setTimeout("document.getElementById('zotero-tb-search').inputField.select();", 1);
 			
 			var d = new Date();
-			Zotero.purgeDataObjects(true);
+			Zotero.purgeDataObjects();
 			var d2 = new Date();
 			Zotero.debug("Purged data tables in " + (d2 - d) + " ms");
 			
diff --git a/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/data/item.js b/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/data/item.js
index 566db27ad..f45f7a238 100644
--- a/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/data/item.js
+++ b/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/data/item.js
@@ -908,11 +908,16 @@ Zotero.Item.prototype.removeCreator = function(orderIndex) {
 		this._loadCreators();
 	}
 	
-	if (!this._creators[orderIndex]) {
+	var creator = this.getCreator(orderIndex);
+	if (!creator) {
 		throw ('No creator exists at position ' + orderIndex
 			+ ' in Zotero.Item.removeCreator()');
 	}
 	
+	if (creator.ref.countLinkedItems() == 1) {
+		Zotero.Prefs.set('purge.creators', true);
+	}
+	
 	// Shift creator orderIndexes down, going to length+1 so we clear the last one
 	for (var i=orderIndex, max=this._creators.length+1; i<max; i++) {
 		var next = this._creators[i+1] ? this._creators[i+1] : false;
@@ -928,6 +933,7 @@ Zotero.Item.prototype.removeCreator = function(orderIndex) {
 		}
 		this._changedCreators[i] = true;
 	}
+	
 	return true;
 }
 
@@ -2982,6 +2988,10 @@ Zotero.Item.prototype.removeTag = function(tagID) {
 	
 	tag.removeItem(this.id);
 	tag.save();
+	
+	if (!tag.countLinkedItems()) {
+		Zotero.Prefs.set('purge.tags', true);
+	}
 }
 
 Zotero.Item.prototype.removeAllTags = function() {
diff --git a/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/data/tag.js b/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/data/tag.js
index 671b9fbec..a2ca49e15 100644
--- a/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/data/tag.js
+++ b/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/data/tag.js
@@ -177,6 +177,11 @@ Zotero.Tag.prototype.getLinkedItems = function (asIDs) {
 }
 
 
+Zotero.Tag.prototype.countLinkedItems = function () {
+	return this.getLinkedItems().length;
+}
+
+
 Zotero.Tag.prototype.addItem = function (itemID) {
 	var current = this.getLinkedItems(true);
 	if (current && current.indexOf(itemID) != -1) {
@@ -536,7 +541,6 @@ Zotero.Tag.prototype.erase = function () {
 	Zotero.DB.commitTransaction();
 	
 	Zotero.Prefs.set('purge.tags', true);
-	return;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/sync.js b/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/sync.js
index c9edfc96b..024ea48d5 100644
--- a/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/sync.js
+++ b/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/sync.js
@@ -389,6 +389,9 @@ Zotero.Sync.Runner = new function () {
 			throw ("Sync already running in Zotero.Sync.Runner.sync()");
 		}
 		
+		// Purge deleted objects so they don't cause sync errors (e.g., long tags)
+		Zotero.purgeDataObjects(true);
+		
 		_background = !!background;
 		
 		_queue = [
diff --git a/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/zotero.js b/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/zotero.js
index b4676b4d2..516994448 100644
--- a/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/zotero.js
+++ b/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/zotero.js
@@ -974,14 +974,13 @@ var Zotero = new function(){
 	/*
 	 * Clear entries that no longer exist from various tables
 	 */
-	this.purgeDataObjects = function () {
+	this.purgeDataObjects = function (skipStoragePurge) {
 		Zotero.Creators.purge();
 		Zotero.Tags.purge();
 		Zotero.Fulltext.purgeUnusedWords();
 		Zotero.Items.purge();
 		
-		var ZU = new Zotero.Utilities;
-		if (Zotero.Sync.Storage.active && ZU.probability(10)) {
+		if (!skipStoragePurge && Zotero.Sync.Storage.active && Zotero.Utilities.prototype.probability(10)) {
 			Zotero.Sync.Storage.purgeDeletedStorageFiles();
 		}
 	}