diff --git a/backend/app/database.py b/backend/app/database.py
index 6166e22..ec7edbf 100644
--- a/backend/app/database.py
+++ b/backend/app/database.py
@@ -277,27 +277,8 @@ def _run_migrations():
         Migration(
             name="008_create_tags_ref_count_triggers",
             sql="""
-            DO $$
-            BEGIN
-                DROP TRIGGER IF EXISTS tags_ref_count_insert_trigger ON tags;
-                CREATE TRIGGER tags_ref_count_insert_trigger
-                    AFTER INSERT ON tags
-                    FOR EACH ROW
-                    EXECUTE FUNCTION increment_artifact_ref_count();
-
-                DROP TRIGGER IF EXISTS tags_ref_count_delete_trigger ON tags;
-                CREATE TRIGGER tags_ref_count_delete_trigger
-                    AFTER DELETE ON tags
-                    FOR EACH ROW
-                    EXECUTE FUNCTION decrement_artifact_ref_count();
-
-                DROP TRIGGER IF EXISTS tags_ref_count_update_trigger ON tags;
-                CREATE TRIGGER tags_ref_count_update_trigger
-                    AFTER UPDATE ON tags
-                    FOR EACH ROW
-                    WHEN (OLD.artifact_id IS DISTINCT FROM NEW.artifact_id)
-                    EXECUTE FUNCTION update_artifact_ref_count();
-            END $$;
+            -- Tags table removed: triggers no longer needed (tag system removed)
+            DO $$ BEGIN NULL; END $$;
             """,
         ),
         Migration(
@@ -344,9 +325,11 @@ def _run_migrations():
         Migration(
             name="011_migrate_semver_tags_to_versions",
             sql=r"""
+            -- Migrate semver tags to versions (only if both tables exist - for existing databases)
             DO $$
             BEGIN
-                IF EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM information_schema.tables WHERE table_name = 'package_versions') THEN
+                IF EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM information_schema.tables WHERE table_name = 'package_versions')
+                   AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM information_schema.tables WHERE table_name = 'tags') THEN
                     INSERT INTO package_versions (id, package_id, artifact_id, version, version_source, created_by, created_at)
                     SELECT
                         gen_random_uuid(),