diff --git a/heat/db/sqlalchemy/migrate_repo/versions/054_stack_tags_table.py b/heat/db/sqlalchemy/migrate_repo/versions/054_stack_tags_table.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..654e6372d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/heat/db/sqlalchemy/migrate_repo/versions/054_stack_tags_table.py
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+#
+#    Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+#    not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+#    a copy of the License at
+#
+#         http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+#    Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#    distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+#    WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+#    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+#    under the License.
+
+import sqlalchemy
+
+from heat.db.sqlalchemy import types as heat_db_types
+
+
+def upgrade(migrate_engine):
+    meta = sqlalchemy.MetaData(bind=migrate_engine)
+
+    stack = sqlalchemy.Table('stack', meta, autoload=True)
+    stack.c.tags.drop()
+
+    stack_tag = sqlalchemy.Table(
+        'stack_tag', meta,
+        sqlalchemy.Column('id',
+                          sqlalchemy.Integer,
+                          primary_key=True,
+                          nullable=False),
+        sqlalchemy.Column('created_at', sqlalchemy.DateTime),
+        sqlalchemy.Column('updated_at', sqlalchemy.DateTime),
+        sqlalchemy.Column('tag', sqlalchemy.Unicode(80)),
+        sqlalchemy.Column('stack_id',
+                          sqlalchemy.String(36),
+                          sqlalchemy.ForeignKey('stack.id'),
+                          nullable=False),
+        mysql_engine='InnoDB',
+        mysql_charset='utf8'
+    )
+    stack_tag.create()
+
+
+def downgrade(migrate_engine):
+    meta = sqlalchemy.MetaData(bind=migrate_engine)
+
+    stack = sqlalchemy.Table('stack', meta, autoload=True)
+    tags = sqlalchemy.Column('tags', heat_db_types.Json)
+    tags.create(stack)
+
+    stack_tag = sqlalchemy.Table('stack_tag', meta, autoload=True)
+    stack_tag.drop()
diff --git a/heat/db/sqlalchemy/models.py b/heat/db/sqlalchemy/models.py
index 81ee04e2fd..c7bf8d58ae 100644
--- a/heat/db/sqlalchemy/models.py
+++ b/heat/db/sqlalchemy/models.py
@@ -109,6 +109,22 @@ class RawTemplate(BASE, HeatBase):
     files = sqlalchemy.Column(types.Json)
 
 
+class StackTag(BASE, HeatBase):
+    """Key/value store of arbitrary stack tags."""
+
+    __tablename__ = 'stack_tag'
+
+    id = sqlalchemy.Column('id',
+                           sqlalchemy.Integer,
+                           primary_key=True,
+                           nullable=False)
+    tag = sqlalchemy.Column('tag', sqlalchemy.Unicode(80))
+    stack_id = sqlalchemy.Column('stack_id',
+                                 sqlalchemy.String(36),
+                                 sqlalchemy.ForeignKey('stack.id'),
+                                 nullable=False)
+
+
 class Stack(BASE, HeatBase, SoftDelete, StateAware):
     """Represents a stack created by the heat engine."""
 
@@ -139,8 +155,9 @@ class Stack(BASE, HeatBase, SoftDelete, StateAware):
                                               nullable=True)
     backup = sqlalchemy.Column('backup', sqlalchemy.Boolean)
     nested_depth = sqlalchemy.Column('nested_depth', sqlalchemy.Integer)
-    tags = sqlalchemy.Column('tags', types.Json)
     convergence = sqlalchemy.Column('convergence', sqlalchemy.Boolean)
+    tags = relationship(StackTag, cascade="all,delete",
+                        backref=backref('stack'))
 
     # Override timestamp column to store the correct value: it should be the
     # time the create/update call was issued, not the time the DB entry is