diff --git a/wp-includes/post.php b/wp-includes/post.php
index 4484caf9c8..d0ec83810b 100644
--- a/wp-includes/post.php
+++ b/wp-includes/post.php
@@ -2066,10 +2066,6 @@ function wp_insert_post($postarr = array(), $wp_error = false) {
 			$post_category = array();
 	}
 
-	// Set the default tag list
-	if ( !isset($tags_input) )
-		$tags_input = array();
-
 	if ( empty($post_author) )
 		$post_author = $user_ID;
 
@@ -2215,7 +2211,7 @@ function wp_insert_post($postarr = array(), $wp_error = false) {
 
 	wp_set_post_categories( $post_ID, $post_category );
 	// old-style tags_input
-	if ( !empty($tags_input) )
+	if ( isset( $tags_input ) )
 		wp_set_post_tags( $post_ID, $tags_input );
 	// new-style support for all tag-like taxonomies
 	if ( !empty($tax_input) ) {