diff --git a/lib/galaxy/managers/workflows.py b/lib/galaxy/managers/workflows.py
index 7404c78854a7..b54afd169066 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/managers/workflows.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/managers/workflows.py
@@ -1413,7 +1413,7 @@ def _workflow_to_dict_export(self, trans, stored=None, workflow=None, internal=F
         If `allow_upgrade`, the workflow and sub-workflows might use updated tool versions when refactoring.
         """
         annotation_str = ""
-        tag_str = ""
+        tags_list = []
         annotation_owner = None
         if stored is not None:
             if stored.id:
@@ -1424,7 +1424,7 @@ def _workflow_to_dict_export(self, trans, stored=None, workflow=None, internal=F
                     or self.get_item_annotation_str(trans.sa_session, annotation_owner, stored)
                     or ""
                 )
-                tag_str = stored.make_tag_string_list()
+                tags_list = stored.make_tag_string_list()
             else:
                 # dry run with flushed workflow objects, just use the annotation
                 annotations = stored.annotations
@@ -1437,7 +1437,7 @@ def _workflow_to_dict_export(self, trans, stored=None, workflow=None, internal=F
         data["format-version"] = "0.1"
         data["name"] = workflow.name
         data["annotation"] = annotation_str
-        data["tags"] = tag_str
+        data["tags"] = tags_list
         if workflow.uuid is not None:
             data["uuid"] = str(workflow.uuid)
         steps: Dict[int, Dict[str, Any]] = {}
diff --git a/lib/galaxy_test/api/test_workflows.py b/lib/galaxy_test/api/test_workflows.py
index 852f9bc806a2..81d52c6fcd50 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy_test/api/test_workflows.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy_test/api/test_workflows.py
@@ -7621,6 +7621,13 @@ def _all_user_invocation_ids(self):
         invocation_ids = [i["id"] for i in all_invocations_for_user.json()]
         return invocation_ids
 
+    def test_subworkflow_tags(self):
+        workflow = self.workflow_populator.load_workflow_from_resource("test_subworkflow_with_tags")
+        workflow_id = self.workflow_populator.create_workflow(workflow)
+        downloaded_workflow = self._download_workflow(workflow_id)
+        subworkflow = downloaded_workflow["steps"]["1"]["subworkflow"]
+        assert subworkflow["tags"] == []
+
 
 class TestAdminWorkflowsApi(BaseWorkflowsApiTestCase):
     require_admin_user = True
diff --git a/lib/galaxy_test/base/data/test_subworkflow_with_tags.ga b/lib/galaxy_test/base/data/test_subworkflow_with_tags.ga
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9b5fb172320a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/galaxy_test/base/data/test_subworkflow_with_tags.ga
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+{
+    "a_galaxy_workflow": "true",
+    "annotation": "Test main ",
+    "comments": [],
+    "format-version": "0.1",
+    "name": "Unnamed Workflow",
+    "report": {
+        "markdown": "\n# Workflow Execution Report\n\n## Workflow Inputs\n```galaxy\ninvocation_inputs()\n```\n\n## Workflow Outputs\n```galaxy\ninvocation_outputs()\n```\n\n## Workflow\n```galaxy\nworkflow_display()\n```\n"
+    },
+    "steps": {
+        "0": {
+            "annotation": "",
+            "content_id": null,
+            "errors": null,
+            "id": 0,
+            "input_connections": {},
+            "inputs": [],
+            "label": null,
+            "name": "Input dataset",
+            "outputs": [],
+            "position": {
+                "left": 0,
+                "top": 0
+            },
+            "tool_id": null,
+            "tool_state": "{\"optional\": false, \"tag\": null}",
+            "tool_version": null,
+            "type": "data_input",
+            "uuid": "967583e9-d2a6-444a-ba31-6fb749d03f9e",
+            "when": null,
+            "workflow_outputs": []
+        },
+        "1": {
+            "annotation": "",
+            "id": 1,
+            "input_connections": {
+                "0:Input dataset": {
+                    "id": 0,
+                    "input_subworkflow_step_id": 0,
+                    "output_name": "output"
+                }
+            },
+            "inputs": [],
+            "label": null,
+            "name": "Workflow with tags",
+            "outputs": [],
+            "position": {
+                "left": 249,
+                "top": 51
+            },
+            "subworkflow": {
+                "a_galaxy_workflow": "true",
+                "annotation": "",
+                "comments": [],
+                "format-version": "0.1",
+                "name": "Workflow with tags",
+                "report": {
+                    "markdown": "\n# Workflow Execution Report\n\n## Workflow Inputs\n```galaxy\ninvocation_inputs()\n```\n\n## Workflow Outputs\n```galaxy\ninvocation_outputs()\n```\n\n## Workflow\n```galaxy\nworkflow_display()\n```\n"
+                },
+                "steps": {
+                    "0": {
+                        "annotation": "",
+                        "content_id": null,
+                        "errors": null,
+                        "id": 0,
+                        "input_connections": {},
+                        "inputs": [],
+                        "label": null,
+                        "name": "Input dataset",
+                        "outputs": [],
+                        "position": {
+                            "left": 0,
+                            "top": 0.0
+                        },
+                        "tool_id": null,
+                        "tool_state": "{\"optional\": false, \"tag\": null}",
+                        "tool_version": null,
+                        "type": "data_input",
+                        "uuid": "eca9b088-ff50-4253-8387-01512f03ff2f",
+                        "when": null,
+                        "workflow_outputs": []
+                    },
+                    "1": {
+                        "annotation": "",
+                        "content_id": "addValue",
+                        "errors": null,
+                        "id": 1,
+                        "input_connections": {
+                            "input": {
+                                "id": 0,
+                                "output_name": "output"
+                            }
+                        },
+                        "inputs": [
+                            {
+                                "description": "runtime parameter for tool Add column",
+                                "name": "input"
+                            }
+                        ],
+                        "label": null,
+                        "name": "Add column",
+                        "outputs": [
+                            {
+                                "name": "out_file1",
+                                "type": "input"
+                            }
+                        ],
+                        "position": {
+                            "left": 123,
+                            "top": 112.0
+                        },
+                        "post_job_actions": {},
+                        "tool_id": "addValue",
+                        "tool_state": "{\"exp\": \"1\", \"input\": {\"__class__\": \"RuntimeValue\"}, \"iterate\": \"no\", \"__page__\": null, \"__rerun_remap_job_id__\": null}",
+                        "tool_version": "1.0.0",
+                        "type": "tool",
+                        "uuid": "7016e754-149b-402a-bb17-eb6cd4b1ab0a",
+                        "when": null,
+                        "workflow_outputs": []
+                    }
+                },
+                "uuid": "c33370a9-188f-4af8-bfcc-137c577c79ba"
+            },
+            "tool_id": null,
+            "type": "subworkflow",
+            "uuid": "90bdcd13-418a-49da-847e-02926942bf4b",
+            "when": null,
+            "workflow_outputs": []
+        }
+    },
+    "tags": [],
+    "uuid": "64d7fac3-6402-412b-9db6-490ffc18e129",
+    "version": 1
+}
\ No newline at end of file