diff --git a/pylib/anki/tags.py b/pylib/anki/tags.py
index 67ae46c20..7fa0d99ff 100644
--- a/pylib/anki/tags.py
+++ b/pylib/anki/tags.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 import pprint
 import re
-from typing import Collection, List, Match, Optional, Sequence, Tuple
+from typing import Collection, List, Match, Optional, Sequence
 
 import anki  # pylint: disable=unused-import
 import anki._backend.backend_pb2 as _pb
@@ -28,19 +28,15 @@ class TagManager:
     def __init__(self, col: anki.collection.Collection) -> None:
         self.col = col.weakref()
 
-    # all tags
+    # legacy add-on code expects a List return type
     def all(self) -> List[str]:
-        return [t.name for t in self.col._backend.all_tags()]
+        return list(self.col._backend.all_tags())
 
     def __repr__(self) -> str:
         d = dict(self.__dict__)
         del d["col"]
         return f"{super().__repr__()} {pprint.pformat(d, width=300)}"
 
-    # # List of (tag, usn)
-    def allItems(self) -> List[Tuple[str, int]]:
-        return [(t.name, t.usn) for t in self.col._backend.all_tags()]
-
     def tree(self) -> TagTreeNode:
         return self.col._backend.tag_tree()
 
diff --git a/rslib/backend.proto b/rslib/backend.proto
index 526488c2b..88d9271e8 100644
--- a/rslib/backend.proto
+++ b/rslib/backend.proto
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ message Bool {
   bool val = 1;
 }
 
+message StringList {
+  repeated string vals = 1;
+}
+
 // IDs used in RPC calls
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
@@ -212,7 +216,7 @@ service BackendService {
   // tags
 
   rpc ClearUnusedTags(Empty) returns (Empty);
-  rpc AllTags(Empty) returns (AllTagsOut);
+  rpc AllTags(Empty) returns (StringList);
   rpc SetTagCollapsed(SetTagCollapsedIn) returns (Empty);
   rpc ClearTag(String) returns (Empty);
   rpc TagTree(Empty) returns (TagTreeNode);
@@ -842,21 +846,11 @@ message AddOrUpdateDeckConfigLegacyIn {
   bool preserve_usn_and_mtime = 2;
 }
 
-message AllTagsOut {
-  repeated Tag tags = 1;
-}
-
 message SetTagCollapsedIn {
   string name = 1;
   bool collapsed = 2;
 }
 
-message Tag {
-  string name = 1;
-  sint32 usn = 2;
-  bool collapsed = 3;
-}
-
 message GetChangedTagsOut {
   repeated string tags = 1;
 }
diff --git a/rslib/src/backend/mod.rs b/rslib/src/backend/mod.rs
index 2f5894080..924235c05 100644
--- a/rslib/src/backend/mod.rs
+++ b/rslib/src/backend/mod.rs
@@ -1399,16 +1399,17 @@ impl BackendService for Backend {
     // tags
     //-------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-    fn all_tags(&self, _input: Empty) -> BackendResult<pb::AllTagsOut> {
-        let tags: Vec<pb::Tag> = self.with_col(|col| {
-            Ok(col
-                .storage
-                .all_tags()?
-                .into_iter()
-                .map(|t| t.into())
-                .collect())
-        })?;
-        Ok(pb::AllTagsOut { tags })
+    fn all_tags(&self, _input: Empty) -> BackendResult<pb::StringList> {
+        Ok(pb::StringList {
+            vals: self.with_col(|col| {
+                Ok(col
+                    .storage
+                    .all_tags()?
+                    .into_iter()
+                    .map(|t| t.name)
+                    .collect())
+            })?,
+        })
     }
 
     fn set_tag_collapsed(&self, input: pb::SetTagCollapsedIn) -> BackendResult<pb::Empty> {
diff --git a/rslib/src/tags.rs b/rslib/src/tags.rs
index 7994af592..1956b4e1e 100644
--- a/rslib/src/tags.rs
+++ b/rslib/src/tags.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 // License: GNU AGPL, version 3 or later; http://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl.html
 
 use crate::{
-    backend_proto::{Tag as TagProto, TagTreeNode},
+    backend_proto::TagTreeNode,
     collection::Collection,
     err::{AnkiError, Result},
     notes::{NoteID, TransformNoteOutput},
@@ -21,26 +21,6 @@ pub struct Tag {
     pub collapsed: bool,
 }
 
-impl From<Tag> for TagProto {
-    fn from(t: Tag) -> Self {
-        TagProto {
-            name: t.name,
-            usn: t.usn.0,
-            collapsed: t.collapsed,
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-impl From<TagProto> for Tag {
-    fn from(t: TagProto) -> Self {
-        Tag {
-            name: t.name,
-            usn: Usn(t.usn),
-            collapsed: t.collapsed,
-        }
-    }
-}
-
 impl Tag {
     pub fn new(name: String, usn: Usn) -> Self {
         Tag {