diff --git a/src/tagstudio/qt/modals/tag_search.py b/src/tagstudio/qt/modals/tag_search.py
index ca980a682..8f8c89a90 100644
--- a/src/tagstudio/qt/modals/tag_search.py
+++ b/src/tagstudio/qt/modals/tag_search.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
 class TagSearchPanel(PanelWidget):
     tag_chosen = Signal(int)
     lib: Library
-    driver: "QtDriver"
+    driver: "QtDriver | None" = None
     is_initialized: bool = False
     first_tag_id: int | None = None
     is_tag_chooser: bool
@@ -56,12 +56,11 @@ class TagSearchPanel(PanelWidget):
     def __init__(
         self,
         library: Library,
-        exclude: list[int] = None,
+        exclude: list[int] | None = None,
         is_tag_chooser: bool = True,
     ):
         super().__init__()
         self.lib = library
-        self.driver = None
         self.exclude = exclude or []
 
         self.is_tag_chooser = is_tag_chooser
@@ -194,7 +193,8 @@ def update_tags(self, query: str | None = None):
         create_button: QPushButton | None = None
         if self.create_button_in_layout and self.scroll_layout.count():
             create_button = self.scroll_layout.takeAt(self.scroll_layout.count() - 1).widget()  # type: ignore
-            create_button.deleteLater()
+            if create_button:
+                create_button.deleteLater()
             self.create_button_in_layout = False
 
         # Get results for the search query
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ def set_tag_widget(self, tag: Tag | None, index: int):
                 self.scroll_layout.addWidget(new_tw)
 
         # Assign the tag to the widget at the given index.
-        tag_widget: TagWidget = self.scroll_layout.itemAt(index).widget()
+        assert isinstance(tag_widget := self.scroll_layout.itemAt(index).widget(), TagWidget)
         tag_widget.set_tag(tag)
 
         # Set tag widget viability and potentially return early
@@ -279,14 +279,13 @@ def set_tag_widget(self, tag: Tag | None, index: int):
         tag_widget.has_remove = has_remove_button
 
         with catch_warnings(record=True):
+            tag_widget.on_click.disconnect()
             tag_widget.on_edit.disconnect()
             tag_widget.on_remove.disconnect()
-            tag_widget.bg_button.clicked.disconnect()
 
-        tag_id = tag.id
+        tag_widget.on_click.connect(lambda t=tag: self.edit_tag(t))
         tag_widget.on_edit.connect(lambda t=tag: self.edit_tag(t))
         tag_widget.on_remove.connect(lambda t=tag: self.delete_tag(t))
-        tag_widget.bg_button.clicked.connect(lambda: self.tag_chosen.emit(tag_id))
 
         if self.driver:
             tag_widget.search_for_tag_action.triggered.connect(
@@ -294,6 +293,8 @@ def set_tag_widget(self, tag: Tag | None, index: int):
                     self.driver.main_window.search_field.setText(f"tag_id:{tag_id}"),
                     self.driver.update_browsing_state(BrowsingState.from_tag_id(tag_id)),
                 )
+                if self.driver
+                else None
             )
             tag_widget.search_for_tag_action.setEnabled(True)
         else: