diff --git a/lib/pleroma/activity/ir/topics.ex b/lib/pleroma/activity/ir/topics.ex
index fe2e8cb5c..2c74ac2bf 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/activity/ir/topics.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/activity/ir/topics.ex
@@ -48,14 +48,12 @@ defp item_creation_tags(tags, _, _) do
     tags
   end
 
-  defp hashtags_to_topics(%{data: %{"tag" => tags}}) do
-    tags
-    |> Enum.filter(&is_bitstring(&1))
-    |> Enum.map(fn tag -> "hashtag:" <> tag end)
+  defp hashtags_to_topics(object) do
+    object
+    |> Object.hashtags()
+    |> Enum.map(fn hashtag -> "hashtag:" <> hashtag end)
   end
 
-  defp hashtags_to_topics(_), do: []
-
   defp remote_topics(%{local: true}), do: []
 
   defp remote_topics(%{actor: actor}) when is_binary(actor),
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/object.ex b/lib/pleroma/object.ex
index 052ad413b..2088c7656 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/object.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/object.ex
@@ -47,17 +47,33 @@ def with_joined_activity(query, activity_type \\ "Create", join_type \\ :inner)
   end
 
   def create(data) do
-    Object.change(%Object{}, %{data: data})
+    %Object{}
+    |> Object.change(%{data: data})
     |> Repo.insert()
   end
 
   def change(struct, params \\ %{}) do
-    struct
-    |> cast(params, [:data])
-    |> validate_required([:data])
-    |> unique_constraint(:ap_id, name: :objects_unique_apid_index)
+    changeset =
+      struct
+      |> cast(params, [:data])
+      |> validate_required([:data])
+      |> unique_constraint(:ap_id, name: :objects_unique_apid_index)
+
+    if hashtags_changed?(struct, get_change(changeset, :data)) do
+      # TODO: modify assoc once it's introduced
+      changeset
+    else
+      changeset
+    end
   end
 
+  defp hashtags_changed?(%Object{} = struct, %{"tag" => _} = data) do
+    Enum.sort(embedded_hashtags(struct)) !=
+      Enum.sort(object_data_hashtags(data))
+  end
+
+  defp hashtags_changed?(_, _), do: false
+
   def get_by_id(nil), do: nil
   def get_by_id(id), do: Repo.get(Object, id)
 
@@ -344,4 +360,23 @@ def replies(object, opts \\ []) do
 
   def self_replies(object, opts \\ []),
     do: replies(object, Keyword.put(opts, :self_only, true))
+
+  def tags(%Object{data: %{"tag" => tags}}) when is_list(tags), do: tags
+
+  def tags(_), do: []
+
+  def hashtags(object), do: embedded_hashtags(object)
+
+  defp embedded_hashtags(%Object{data: data}) do
+    object_data_hashtags(data)
+  end
+
+  defp embedded_hashtags(_), do: []
+
+  defp object_data_hashtags(%{"tag" => tags}) when is_list(tags) do
+    # Note: AS2 map-type elements are ignored
+    Enum.filter(tags, &is_bitstring(&1))
+  end
+
+  defp object_data_hashtags(_), do: []
 end
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf/simple_policy.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf/simple_policy.ex
index 6cd91826d..e92091d66 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf/simple_policy.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf/simple_policy.ex
@@ -74,9 +74,11 @@ defp check_media_nsfw(
 
     object =
       if MRF.subdomain_match?(media_nsfw, actor_host) do
-        tags = (child_object["tag"] || []) ++ ["nsfw"]
-        child_object = Map.put(child_object, "tag", tags)
-        child_object = Map.put(child_object, "sensitive", true)
+        child_object =
+          child_object
+          |> Map.put("tag", (child_object["tag"] || []) ++ ["nsfw"])
+          |> Map.put("sensitive", true)
+
         Map.put(object, "object", child_object)
       else
         object
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/transmogrifier.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/transmogrifier.ex
index 565d32433..fd17793d0 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/transmogrifier.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/transmogrifier.ex
@@ -32,18 +32,18 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.Transmogrifier do
   """
   def fix_object(object, options \\ []) do
     object
-    |> strip_internal_fields
-    |> fix_actor
-    |> fix_url
-    |> fix_attachments
-    |> fix_context
+    |> strip_internal_fields()
+    |> fix_actor()
+    |> fix_url()
+    |> fix_attachments()
+    |> fix_context()
     |> fix_in_reply_to(options)
-    |> fix_emoji
-    |> fix_tag
-    |> set_sensitive
-    |> fix_content_map
-    |> fix_addressing
-    |> fix_summary
+    |> fix_emoji()
+    |> fix_tag()
+    |> set_sensitive()
+    |> fix_content_map()
+    |> fix_addressing()
+    |> fix_summary()
     |> fix_type(options)
   end
 
@@ -315,10 +315,9 @@ def fix_tag(%{"tag" => tag} = object) when is_list(tag) do
     tags =
       tag
       |> Enum.filter(fn data -> data["type"] == "Hashtag" and data["name"] end)
-      |> Enum.map(fn %{"name" => name} ->
-        name
-        |> String.slice(1..-1)
-        |> String.downcase()
+      |> Enum.map(fn
+        %{"name" => "#" <> hashtag} -> String.downcase(hashtag)
+        %{"name" => hashtag} -> String.downcase(hashtag)
       end)
 
     Map.put(object, "tag", tag ++ tags)
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/feed/feed_view.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/feed/feed_view.ex
index 30e0a2a55..1155c6a39 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/feed/feed_view.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/feed/feed_view.ex
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ def prepare_activity(activity, opts \\ []) do
 
     %{
       activity: activity,
+      object: object,
       data: Map.get(object, :data),
       actor: actor
     }
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/mastodon_api/views/status_view.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/mastodon_api/views/status_view.ex
index 2301e21cf..bd08aa203 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/mastodon_api/views/status_view.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/mastodon_api/views/status_view.ex
@@ -201,8 +201,10 @@ def render("show.json", %{activity: %{data: %{"object" => _object}} = activity}
     like_count = object.data["like_count"] || 0
     announcement_count = object.data["announcement_count"] || 0
 
-    tags = object.data["tag"] || []
-    sensitive = object.data["sensitive"] || Enum.member?(tags, "nsfw")
+    hashtags = Object.hashtags(object)
+    sensitive = object.data["sensitive"] || Enum.member?(hashtags, "nsfw")
+
+    tags = Object.tags(object)
 
     tag_mentions =
       tags
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/templates/feed/feed/_activity.atom.eex b/lib/pleroma/web/templates/feed/feed/_activity.atom.eex
index 3fd150c4e..6688830ba 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/templates/feed/feed/_activity.atom.eex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/templates/feed/feed/_activity.atom.eex
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
     <link type="text/html" href='<%= @data["external_url"] %>' rel="alternate"/>
   <% end %>
 
-  <%= for tag <- @data["tag"] || [] do %>
+  <%= for tag <- Pleroma.Object.hashtags(@object) do %>
     <category term="<%= tag %>"></category>
   <% end %>
 
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/templates/feed/feed/_activity.rss.eex b/lib/pleroma/web/templates/feed/feed/_activity.rss.eex
index 42960de7d..fc6d74b42 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/templates/feed/feed/_activity.rss.eex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/templates/feed/feed/_activity.rss.eex
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
     <link><%= @data["external_url"] %></link>
   <% end %>
 
-  <%= for tag <- @data["tag"] || [] do %>
+  <%= for tag <- Pleroma.Object.hashtags(@object) do %>
     <category term="<%= tag %>"></category>
   <% end %>
 
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/templates/feed/feed/_tag_activity.atom.eex b/lib/pleroma/web/templates/feed/feed/_tag_activity.atom.eex
index cf5874a91..c2de28fe4 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/templates/feed/feed/_tag_activity.atom.eex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/templates/feed/feed/_tag_activity.atom.eex
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
       <% end %>
     <% end %>
 
-    <%= for tag <- @data["tag"] || [] do %>
+    <%= for tag <- Pleroma.Object.hashtags(@object) do %>
       <category term="<%= tag %>"></category>
     <% end %>
 
diff --git a/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/transmogrifier/note_handling_test.exs b/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/transmogrifier/note_handling_test.exs
index b4a006aec..a33959d9f 100644
--- a/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/transmogrifier/note_handling_test.exs
+++ b/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/transmogrifier/note_handling_test.exs
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ test "it works for incoming notices with tag not being an array (kroeg)" do
       {:ok, %Activity{data: data, local: false}} = Transmogrifier.handle_incoming(data)
       object = Object.normalize(data["object"])
 
-      assert "test" in object.data["tag"]
+      assert "test" in Object.tags(object)
+      assert Object.hashtags(object) == ["test"]
     end
 
     test "it cleans up incoming notices which are not really DMs" do
@@ -220,7 +221,8 @@ test "it works for incoming notices with hashtags" do
       {:ok, %Activity{data: data, local: false}} = Transmogrifier.handle_incoming(data)
       object = Object.normalize(data["object"])
 
-      assert Enum.at(object.data["tag"], 2) == "moo"
+      assert Enum.at(Object.tags(object), 2) == "moo"
+      assert Object.hashtags(object) == ["moo"]
     end
 
     test "it works for incoming notices with contentMap" do
diff --git a/test/pleroma/web/common_api_test.exs b/test/pleroma/web/common_api_test.exs
index 585b2c174..1e98208fb 100644
--- a/test/pleroma/web/common_api_test.exs
+++ b/test/pleroma/web/common_api_test.exs
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@ test "it de-duplicates tags" do
 
     object = Object.normalize(activity)
 
-    assert object.data["tag"] == ["2hu"]
+    assert Object.tags(object) == ["2hu"]
   end
 
   test "it adds emoji in the object" do
diff --git a/test/pleroma/web/mastodon_api/views/status_view_test.exs b/test/pleroma/web/mastodon_api/views/status_view_test.exs
index f2a7469ed..6b8afc960 100644
--- a/test/pleroma/web/mastodon_api/views/status_view_test.exs
+++ b/test/pleroma/web/mastodon_api/views/status_view_test.exs
@@ -262,8 +262,8 @@ test "a note activity" do
       mentions: [],
       tags: [
         %{
-          name: "#{object_data["tag"]}",
-          url: "/tag/#{object_data["tag"]}"
+          name: "#{hd(object_data["tag"])}",
+          url: "/tag/#{hd(object_data["tag"])}"
         }
       ],
       application: %{