diff --git a/src/js/_enqueues/admin/tags.js b/src/js/_enqueues/admin/tags.js
index 4ff7aaa440..474088646e 100644
--- a/src/js/_enqueues/admin/tags.js
+++ b/src/js/_enqueues/admin/tags.js
@@ -101,9 +101,6 @@ jQuery( function($) {
 	$('#submit').on( 'click', function(){
 		var form = $(this).parents('form');
 
-		if ( ! validateForm( form ) )
-			return false;
-
 		if ( addingTerm ) {
 			// If we're adding a term, noop the button to avoid duplicate requests.
 			return false;
@@ -127,8 +124,14 @@ jQuery( function($) {
 
 			$('#ajax-response').empty();
 			res = wpAjax.parseAjaxResponse( r, 'ajax-response' );
-			if ( ! res || res.errors )
+
+			if ( res.errors && res.responses[0].errors[0].code === 'empty_term_name' ) {
+				validateForm( form );
+			}
+
+			if ( ! res || res.errors ) {
 				return;
+			}
 
 			parent = form.find( 'select#parent' ).val();
 
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php
index 964aba357f..a6ba2b678c 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php
@@ -1071,16 +1071,21 @@ function wp_ajax_add_tag() {
 	}
 
 	if ( ! $tag || is_wp_error( $tag ) ) {
-		$message = __( 'An error has occurred. Please reload the page and try again.' );
+		$message    = __( 'An error has occurred. Please reload the page and try again.' );
+		$error_code = 'error';
 
 		if ( is_wp_error( $tag ) && $tag->get_error_message() ) {
 			$message = $tag->get_error_message();
 		}
 
+		if ( is_wp_error( $tag ) && $tag->get_error_code() ) {
+			$error_code = $tag->get_error_code();
+		}
+
 		$x->add(
 			array(
 				'what' => 'taxonomy',
-				'data' => new WP_Error( 'error', $message ),
+				'data' => new WP_Error( $error_code, $message ),
 			)
 		);
 		$x->send();