diff --git a/src/IlluminateTag.php b/src/IlluminateTag.php
index b01d10c..8c66ef3 100644
--- a/src/IlluminateTag.php
+++ b/src/IlluminateTag.php
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@
 use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Relations\HasMany;
 use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Relations\MorphTo;
 
+/** @property string $name */
+/** @property string $namespace */
+/** @property string $slug */
+/** @property int $count */
 class IlluminateTag extends Model
 {
     /**
diff --git a/src/TaggableTrait.php b/src/TaggableTrait.php
index 0b2046c..ce601f3 100644
--- a/src/TaggableTrait.php
+++ b/src/TaggableTrait.php
@@ -20,10 +20,12 @@
 
 namespace Cartalyst\Tags;
 
+use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Collection;
 use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
 use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Builder;
 use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Relations\MorphToMany;
 
+/** @property Collection<IlluminateTag> $tags */
 trait TaggableTrait
 {
     /**
@@ -172,10 +174,19 @@ public function tag($tags): bool
      */
     public function untag($tags = null): bool
     {
-        $tags = $tags ?: $this->tags->pluck('name')->all();
-
-        foreach ($this->prepareTags($tags) as $tag) {
-            $this->removeTag($tag);
+        if (empty($tags)) {
+            $tags = $this->tags;
+            if (!empty($tags)) {
+                $this->tags()->detach();
+                foreach ($tags as $tag) {
+                    $tag->update(['count' => $tag->count - 1]);
+                }
+                $this->tags = new Collection();
+            }
+        } else {
+            foreach ($this->prepareTags($tags) as $tag) {
+                $this->removeTag($tag);
+            }
         }
 
         return true;
@@ -214,24 +225,24 @@ public function setTags($tags, string $type = 'name'): bool
      */
     public function addTag(string $name): void
     {
-        $tag = $this->createTagsModel()->firstOrNew([
+        /** @var IlluminateTag $tag */
+        $tag = $this->createTagsModel()->firstOrCreate([
             'slug'      => $this->generateTagSlug($name),
             'namespace' => $this->getEntityClassName(),
+        ],  [
+            'count' => 1,
+            'name' => $name,
         ]);
 
-        if (! $tag->exists) {
-            $tag->name = $name;
-
-            $tag->save();
-        }
-
-        if (! $this->tags()->get()->contains($tag->id)) {
-            $tag->update(['count' => $tag->count + 1]);
-
+        if ($tag->wasRecentlyCreated || !$this->tags()->whereKey($tag)->exists()) {
+            if (!$tag->wasRecentlyCreated) {
+                $tag->update(['count' => $tag->count + 1]);
+            }
             $this->tags()->attach($tag);
+            if ($this->relationLoaded('tags')) {
+                $this->tags->add($tag);
+            }
         }
-
-        $this->load('tags');
     }
 
     /**
@@ -243,8 +254,8 @@ public function removeTag(string $name): void
 
         $namespace = $this->getEntityClassName();
 
-        $tag = $this
-            ->createTagsModel()
+        /** @var IlluminateTag $tag */
+        $tag = $this->tags()
             ->whereNamespace($namespace)
             ->where(function ($query) use ($name, $slug) {
                 $query
@@ -255,13 +266,19 @@ public function removeTag(string $name): void
             ->first()
         ;
 
-        if ($tag && $this->tags()->get()->contains($tag->id)) {
+        if ($tag) {
             $tag->update(['count' => $tag->count - 1]);
-
             $this->tags()->detach($tag);
-        }
 
-        $this->load('tags');
+            if ($this->relationLoaded('tags')) {
+                foreach($this->tags as $key => $loadedTag) {
+                    if ($loadedTag->getKey() === $tag->getKey()) {
+                        unset($this->tags[$key]);
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/tests/FunctionalTestCase.php b/tests/FunctionalTestCase.php
index 8326eba..864e12e 100644
--- a/tests/FunctionalTestCase.php
+++ b/tests/FunctionalTestCase.php
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 namespace Cartalyst\Tags\Tests;
 
 use Cartalyst\Tags\Tests\Stubs\Post;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\DB;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
 
 class FunctionalTestCase extends \Orchestra\Testbench\TestCase
@@ -77,4 +78,14 @@ protected function createPost()
     {
         return Post::create(['title' => 'My Test Post']);
     }
+
+    protected function withQueryCount($cb): int
+    {
+        DB::enableQueryLog();
+        call_user_func($cb);
+        $log = DB::getQueryLog();
+        DB::flushQueryLog();
+        DB::disableQueryLog();
+        return count($log);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/tests/IlluminateTagTest.php b/tests/IlluminateTagTest.php
index d7922df..b3385e1 100644
--- a/tests/IlluminateTagTest.php
+++ b/tests/IlluminateTagTest.php
@@ -24,10 +24,11 @@
 use Cartalyst\Tags\IlluminateTagged;
 use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Relations\HasMany;
 use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Relations\MorphTo;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\Attributes\Test;
 
 class IlluminateTagTest extends FunctionalTestCase
 {
-    /** @test */
+    #[Test]
     public function it_can_delete_a_tag_and_its_tagged_relations()
     {
         $post = $this->createPost();
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ public function it_can_delete_a_tag_and_its_tagged_relations()
         $this->assertCount(1, $post->tags);
     }
 
-    /** @test */
+    #[Test]
     public function it_has_a_taggable_relationship()
     {
         $tag = new IlluminateTag();
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ public function it_has_a_taggable_relationship()
         $this->assertInstanceOf(MorphTo::class, $tag->taggable());
     }
 
-    /** @test */
+    #[Test]
     public function it_has_a_tag_relationship()
     {
         $tag = new IlluminateTag();
@@ -61,7 +62,7 @@ public function it_has_a_tag_relationship()
         $this->assertInstanceOf(HasMany::class, $tag->tagged());
     }
 
-    /** @test */
+    #[Test]
     public function it_has_a_name_scope()
     {
         IlluminateTag::create(['name' => 'Foo', 'slug' => 'foo', 'namespace' => 'foo']);
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ public function it_has_a_name_scope()
         $this->assertCount(1, IlluminateTag::name('Foo')->get());
     }
 
-    /** @test */
+    #[Test]
     public function it_has_a_slug_scope()
     {
         IlluminateTag::create(['name' => 'Foo', 'slug' => 'foo', 'namespace' => 'foo']);
@@ -77,7 +78,7 @@ public function it_has_a_slug_scope()
         $this->assertCount(1, IlluminateTag::slug('foo')->get());
     }
 
-    /** @test */
+    #[Test]
     public function it_can_get_and_set_the_tagged_model()
     {
         $tag = new IlluminateTag();
diff --git a/tests/TaggableTraitTest.php b/tests/TaggableTraitTest.php
index 5c2d026..0d081d6 100644
--- a/tests/TaggableTraitTest.php
+++ b/tests/TaggableTraitTest.php
@@ -23,10 +23,12 @@
 use Cartalyst\Tags\IlluminateTag;
 use Cartalyst\Tags\Tests\Stubs\Post;
 use Cartalyst\Tags\Tests\Stubs\Post2;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\DB;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\Attributes\Test;
 
 class TaggableTraitTest extends FunctionalTestCase
 {
-    /** @test */
+    #[Test]
     public function it_can_add_a_single_tag()
     {
         $post1 = $this->createPost();
@@ -39,23 +41,26 @@ public function it_can_add_a_single_tag()
         $this->assertSame(['foo'], $post2->tags->pluck('slug')->toArray());
     }
 
-    /** @test */
+    #[Test]
     public function it_can_add_multiple_tags()
     {
         $post1 = $this->createPost();
         $post2 = $this->createPost();
         $post3 = $this->createPost();
 
-        $post1->tag('foo, bar');
-        $post2->tag(['foo', 'bar']);
-        $post3->tag(null);
-
+        $count = $this->withQueryCount(function () use ($post1, $post2, $post3) {
+            $post1->tag('foo, bar');
+            $post2->tag(['foo', 'bar']);
+            $post3->tag(null);
+        });
+        $this->assertLessThanOrEqual(14, $count); // Previously 22 queries
         $this->assertSame(['foo', 'bar'], $post1->tags->pluck('slug')->toArray());
         $this->assertSame(['foo', 'bar'], $post2->tags->pluck('slug')->toArray());
         $this->assertEmpty($post3->tags->pluck('slug')->toArray());
+
     }
 
-    /** @test */
+    #[Test]
     public function it_can_untag()
     {
         $post = $this->createPost();
@@ -70,21 +75,23 @@ public function it_can_untag()
         $this->assertEmpty($post->tags->pluck('slug')->toArray());
     }
 
-    /** @test */
+    #[Test]
     public function it_can_remove_all_tags()
     {
         $post = $this->createPost();
 
-        $post->tag('foo, bar, baz');
+        $queryCount = $this->withQueryCount(fn () => $post->tag('foo, bar, baz'));
 
         $this->assertCount(3, $post->tags);
+        $this->assertLessThanOrEqual(9, $queryCount);
 
-        $post->untag();
+        $queryCount = $this->withQueryCount(fn () => $post->untag());
 
         $this->assertCount(0, $post->tags);
+        $this->assertLessThanOrEqual(4, $queryCount);
     }
 
-    /** @test */
+    #[Test]
     public function it_can_set_tags()
     {
         $post = $this->createPost();
@@ -96,7 +103,7 @@ public function it_can_set_tags()
         $this->assertSame(['foo', 'bar'], $post->tags->pluck('slug')->toArray());
     }
 
-    /** @test */
+    #[Test]
     public function it_can_retrieve_tags()
     {
         $post = $this->createPost();
@@ -106,7 +113,7 @@ public function it_can_retrieve_tags()
         $this->assertCount(3, $post->tags);
     }
 
-    /** @test */
+    #[Test]
     public function it_can_retrieve_all_tags()
     {
         $post1 = $this->createPost();
@@ -119,7 +126,7 @@ public function it_can_retrieve_all_tags()
         $this->assertCount(0, Post2::allTags()->get());
     }
 
-    /** @test */
+    #[Test]
     public function it_can_retrieve_by_the_given_tags()
     {
         $post1 = $this->createPost();
@@ -135,7 +142,7 @@ public function it_can_retrieve_by_the_given_tags()
         $this->assertcount(1, Post::withTag('bat')->get());
     }
 
-    /** @test */
+    #[Test]
     public function it_can_retrieve_without_the_given_tags()
     {
         $post1 = $this->createPost();
@@ -151,7 +158,7 @@ public function it_can_retrieve_without_the_given_tags()
         $this->assertcount(1, Post::withoutTag('bat')->get());
     }
 
-    /** @test */
+    #[Test]
     public function it_can_get_and_set_the_tags_delimiter()
     {
         $post = new Post();
@@ -161,7 +168,7 @@ public function it_can_get_and_set_the_tags_delimiter()
         $this->assertSame(',', $post->getTagsDelimiter());
     }
 
-    /** @test */
+    #[Test]
     public function it_can_get_and_set_the_tags_model()
     {
         $post = new Post();
@@ -171,7 +178,7 @@ public function it_can_get_and_set_the_tags_model()
         $this->assertSame(IlluminateTag::class, $post->getTagsModel());
     }
 
-    /** @test */
+    #[Test]
     public function it_can_get_and_set_the_slug_generator_as_a_string()
     {
         $post = new Post();
@@ -181,7 +188,7 @@ public function it_can_get_and_set_the_slug_generator_as_a_string()
         $this->assertSame('Illuminate\Support\Str::slug', $post->getSlugGenerator());
     }
 
-    /** @test */
+    #[Test]
     public function it_can_get_and_set_the_slug_generator_as_a_closure()
     {
         $post = new Post();