diff --git a/src/config/parse_config.h b/src/config/parse_config.h
index 2a3330b7..dd88230c 100644
--- a/src/config/parse_config.h
+++ b/src/config/parse_config.h
@@ -1577,6 +1577,7 @@ bool parse_option(Config *config, char *key, char *value) {
 		config->default_nmaster = atoi(value);
 	} else if (strcmp(key, "tag_count") == 0) {
 		config->tag_count = CLAMP_INT(atoi(value), 1, 32);
+		tag_count = config->tag_count;
 	} else if (strcmp(key, "center_master_overspread") == 0) {
 		config->center_master_overspread = atoi(value);
 	} else if (strcmp(key, "center_when_single_stack") == 0) {
@@ -3494,6 +3495,7 @@ bool parse_config(void) {
 	config.scroller_proportion_preset_count = 0;
 	config.circle_layout = NULL;
 	config.circle_layout_count = 0;
+	config.tag_count = 9;
 	config.tag_rules = NULL;
 	config.tag_rules_count = 0;
 	config.cursor_theme = NULL;
diff --git a/src/ext-protocol/ext-workspace.h b/src/ext-protocol/ext-workspace.h
index fa07b1ca..61bf2ac2 100644
--- a/src/ext-protocol/ext-workspace.h
+++ b/src/ext-protocol/ext-workspace.h
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ static const char *get_name_from_tag(uint32_t tag, char *buf, size_t len) {
 		return "overview";
 	if (tag > (uint32_t)tag_count)
 		return NULL;
-	snprintf(buf, len, "%u", tag);
+	snprintf(buf, len, "%u", CLAMP_INT(tag, 1, 32));
 	return buf;
 }
 
@@ -188,4 +188,4 @@ void workspaces_init() {
 	ext_manager = wlr_ext_workspace_manager_v1_create(dpy, 1);
 	/* Initialize the global workspaces list */
 	wl_list_init(&workspaces);
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/mango.c b/src/mango.c
index 3e0ea8f6..c06a4116 100644
--- a/src/mango.c
+++ b/src/mango.c
@@ -5456,7 +5456,6 @@ void setup(void) {
 	setenv("XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP", "mango", 1);
 
 	parse_config();
-	tag_count = config.tag_count;
 	init_baked_points();
 
 	int32_t drm_fd, i, sig[] = {SIGCHLD, SIGINT, SIGTERM, SIGPIPE};