diff --git a/blog/external_blog_edit.php b/blog/external_blog_edit.php
index b28860a4d391d..458aaa30fea15 100644
--- a/blog/external_blog_edit.php
+++ b/blog/external_blog_edit.php
@@ -79,13 +79,16 @@
             $newexternal->description = (empty($data->description)) ? $rss->get_description() : $data->description;
             $newexternal->userid = $USER->id;
             $newexternal->url = $data->url;
-            $newexternal->filtertags = $data->filtertags;
+            $newexternal->filtertags = (!empty($data->filtertags)) ? $data->filtertags : null;
             $newexternal->timemodified = time();
 
             $newexternal->id = $DB->insert_record('blog_external', $newexternal);
             blog_sync_external_entries($newexternal);
-            tag_set('blog_external', $newexternal->id, explode(',', $data->autotags), 'core',
-                context_user::instance($newexternal->userid)->id);
+            if ($CFG->usetags) {
+                $autotags = (!empty($data->autotags)) ? $data->autotags : null;
+                tag_set('blog_external', $newexternal->id, explode(',', $autotags), 'core',
+                    context_user::instance($newexternal->userid)->id);
+            }
 
             break;
 
@@ -99,13 +102,15 @@
                 $external->description = (empty($data->description)) ? $rss->get_description() : $data->description;
                 $external->userid = $USER->id;
                 $external->url = $data->url;
-                $external->filtertags = $data->filtertags;
+                $external->filtertags = (!empty($data->filtertags)) ? $data->filtertags : null;
                 $external->timemodified = time();
 
                 $DB->update_record('blog_external', $external);
-                tag_set('blog_external', $external->id, explode(',', $data->autotags), 'core',
-                    context_user::instance($newexternal->userid)->id);
-
+                if ($CFG->usetags) {
+                    $autotags = (!empty($data->autotags)) ? $data->autotags : null;
+                    tag_set('blog_external', $external->id, explode(',', $autotags), 'core',
+                        context_user::instance($external->userid)->id);
+                }
             } else {
                 print_error('wrongexternalid', 'blog');
             }
diff --git a/blog/external_blog_edit_form.php b/blog/external_blog_edit_form.php
index 696e79af3c697..fb64d29f0d598 100644
--- a/blog/external_blog_edit_form.php
+++ b/blog/external_blog_edit_form.php
@@ -118,7 +118,9 @@ public function definition_after_data() {
         if ($id = $mform->getElementValue('id')) {
             $mform->setDefault('autotags', implode(',', tag_get_tags_array('blog_external', $id)));
             $mform->freeze('url');
-            $mform->freeze('filtertags');
+            if ($mform->elementExists('filtertags')) {
+                $mform->freeze('filtertags');
+            }
             // TODO change the filtertags element to a multiple select, using the tags of the external blog
             // Use $rss->get_channel_tags()
         }