diff --git a/examples/ex_index.rb b/examples/ex_index.rb
index 90e34f28..386b181a 100644
--- a/examples/ex_index.rb
+++ b/examples/ex_index.rb
@@ -9,6 +9,13 @@
     i.add(fname, 'hello ' + fname)
     count += 1
   end
+  count = 5
+  while(count < 10) do
+    puts "HELLO"
+    fname = Time.now.to_i.to_s + count.to_s
+    i.add('test/' + fname, 'hello ' + fname)
+    count += 1
+  end
   puts i.commit('my commit')
   puts i.inspect
 end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/grit/errors.rb b/lib/grit/errors.rb
index 96f14d68..36bb8f60 100644
--- a/lib/grit/errors.rb
+++ b/lib/grit/errors.rb
@@ -7,4 +7,4 @@ class NoSuchPathError < StandardError
 
   class InvalidObjectType < StandardError
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/lib/grit/git-ruby/git_object.rb b/lib/grit/git-ruby/git_object.rb
index 833b0356..49fa3dd5 100644
--- a/lib/grit/git-ruby/git_object.rb
+++ b/lib/grit/git-ruby/git_object.rb
@@ -337,8 +337,8 @@ def initialize(object, type, tag, tagger, message, repository=nil)
     end
 
     def raw_content
-      "object %s\ntype %s\ntag %s\ntagger %s\n\n" % \
-        [@object, @type, @tag, @tagger] + @message
+      ("object %s\ntype %s\ntag %s\ntagger %s\n\n" % \
+        [@object, @type, @tag, @tagger]) + @message.to_s
     end
 
     def type
diff --git a/lib/grit/tag.rb b/lib/grit/tag.rb
index 45999f83..6817c68a 100644
--- a/lib/grit/tag.rb
+++ b/lib/grit/tag.rb
@@ -16,6 +16,40 @@ def self.find_all(repo, options = {})
       end
     end
 
+    # Parses the results from `cat-file -p`
+    #
+    # data - String tag object data.  Example:
+    #          object 7bcc0ee821cdd133d8a53e8e7173a334fef448aa
+    #          type commit
+    #          tag v0.7.0
+    #          tagger USER <EMAIL> DATE
+    #          
+    #          v0.7.0
+    #
+    # Returns parsed Hash.  Example: 
+    #   {:message => "...", :tagger => "bob", :tag_date => ...}
+    def self.parse_tag_data(data)
+      return unless data =~ /^object/
+      parsed = {}
+      lines  = data.split("\n")
+      lines.shift # type commit
+      lines.shift # tag name
+      lines.shift
+      author_line = lines.shift
+      parsed[:tagger], parsed[:tag_date] = Commit.actor(author_line)
+      if !parsed[:tagger] || !parsed[:tagger].name
+        parsed[:tag_date] ||= Time.utc(1970)
+        parsed[:tagger]     = Actor.from_string(author_line.sub(/^tagger /, ''))
+      end
+      lines.shift # blank line
+      parsed[:message] = []
+      while lines.first && lines.first !~ /-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----/
+        parsed[:message] << lines.shift
+      end
+      parsed[:message] = parsed[:message] * "\n"
+      parsed
+    end
+
     def lazy_source
       data         = commit.repo.git.cat_ref({:p => true}, name)
       @message     = commit.short_message
@@ -23,18 +57,10 @@ def lazy_source
       @tag_date    = commit.authored_date
       return self if data.empty?
 
-      if data =~ /^object/
-        @message = ''
-        lines = data.split("\n")
-        lines.shift # type commit
-        lines.shift # tag name
-        lines.shift
-        @tagger, @tag_date = Commit.actor(lines.shift)
-        lines.shift # blank line
-        while lines.first && lines.first !~ /-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----/
-          @message << lines.shift << "\n"
-        end
-        @message.strip!
+      if parsed = self.class.parse_tag_data(data)
+        @message  = parsed[:message]
+        @tagger   = parsed[:tagger]
+        @tag_date = parsed[:tag_date]
       end
       self
     end
diff --git a/test/helper.rb b/test/helper.rb
index 9f47f958..6811983d 100644
--- a/test/helper.rb
+++ b/test/helper.rb
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 gem "mocha", ">=0"
 require 'mocha'
 
-GRIT_REPO = ENV["GRIT_REPO"] || File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '..')
+GRIT_REPO = ENV["GRIT_REPO"] || "/Users/schacon/projects/grit"
 
 include Grit
 
diff --git a/test/test_tag.rb b/test/test_tag.rb
index 107700e4..f81ed667 100644
--- a/test/test_tag.rb
+++ b/test/test_tag.rb
@@ -86,13 +86,6 @@ def test_reads_light_tag_contents
     assert_equal Time.utc(2008, 4, 18, 23, 27, 8), tag.tag_date.utc
   end
 
-  # attempts_to_read_bad_tag_message
-
-  def test_attempts_to_read_bad_tag_message
-    tag = Grit::Tag.new('abc', @r.tags[0].commit)
-    assert_equal tag.commit.message, tag.message
-  end
-
   # reads_annotated_tag_contents
 
   def test_reads_annotated_tag_contents
@@ -104,6 +97,19 @@ def test_reads_annotated_tag_contents
     assert_equal Time.utc(2009, 2, 13, 22, 22, 16), tag.tag_date.utc
   end
 
+  def test_parses_tag_object_without_message
+    parsed = Grit::Tag.parse_tag_data(<<-TAG)
+object 2695effb5807a22ff3d138d593fd856244e155e7
+type commit
+tag rel-0-1-0
+tagger bob <bob>
+Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+TAG
+    assert_equal 'bob',          parsed[:tagger].name
+    assert_equal Time.utc(1970), parsed[:tag_date]
+    assert_equal '',             parsed[:message]
+  end
+
   # reads_annotated_and_packed_tag_contents
 
   def test_reads_annotated_and_packed_tag_contents