diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-stack-reusable-workflow.yml b/.github/workflows/test-stack-reusable-workflow.yml
index c1f7b2c9e..3f71cdcd3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-stack-reusable-workflow.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-stack-reusable-workflow.yml
@@ -546,21 +546,78 @@ jobs:
           pip install 'pyOpenSSL>=23.2.0'
 
           echo "=== Running version 0.49.1 to create datastore ==="
-          TESTING_SHUTDOWN_AFTER_DATASTORE_LOAD=1 python3 ./changedetection.py -C -d /tmp/data
-          echo "✓ Version 0.49.1 datastore created successfully"
+          python3 ./changedetection.py -C -d /tmp/data &
+          APP_PID=$!
+
+          # Wait for app to be ready
+          echo "Waiting for 0.49.1 to be ready..."
+          sleep 6
+
+          # Extract API key from datastore (0.49.1 uses url-watches.json)
+          API_KEY=$(jq -r '.settings.application.api_access_token // empty' /tmp/data/url-watches.json)
+          echo "API Key: ${API_KEY:0:8}..."
+
+          # Create a watch with tag "github-group-test" via API
+          echo "Creating test watch with tag via API..."
+          curl -X POST "http://127.0.0.1:5000/api/v1/watch" \
+            -H "x-api-key: ${API_KEY}" \
+            -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+            --show-error --fail \
+            --retry 6 --retry-delay 1 --retry-connrefused \
+            -d '{
+              "url": "https://example.com/upgrade-test",
+              "tag": "github-group-test"
+            }'
+
+          echo "✓ Created watch with tag 'github-group-test' in version 0.49.1"
+
+          # Stop the old version gracefully
+          kill $APP_PID
+          wait $APP_PID || true
+          echo "✓ Version 0.49.1 stopped"
 
           # Upgrade to current version
           git checkout ${{ github.ref_name }}
           pip install -r requirements.txt
 
-          echo "=== Running current version ${{ github.ref_name }} with old datastore ==="
+          echo "=== Running current version ${{ github.ref_name }} with old datastore (testing mode) ==="
           TESTING_SHUTDOWN_AFTER_DATASTORE_LOAD=1 python3 ./changedetection.py -d /tmp/data > /tmp/upgrade-test.log 2>&1
 
           echo "=== Upgrade test output ==="
           cat /tmp/upgrade-test.log
+          echo "✓ Datastore upgraded successfully"
+
+          # Now start the current version normally to verify the tag survived
+          echo "=== Starting current version to verify tag exists after upgrade ==="
+          timeout 20 python3 ./changedetection.py -d /tmp/data > /tmp/ui-test.log 2>&1 &
+          APP_PID=$!
+
+          # Wait for app to be ready and fetch UI
+          echo "Waiting for current version to be ready..."
+          sleep 5
+          curl --retry 6 --retry-delay 1 --retry-connrefused --silent http://127.0.0.1:5000 > /tmp/ui-output.html
+
+          # Verify tag exists in UI
+          if grep -q "github-group-test" /tmp/ui-output.html; then
+            echo "✓ Tag 'github-group-test' found in UI after upgrade"
+          else
+            echo "ERROR: Tag 'github-group-test' not found in UI after upgrade"
+            echo "=== UI Output ==="
+            cat /tmp/ui-output.html
+            echo "=== App Log ==="
+            cat /tmp/ui-test.log
+            kill $APP_PID || true
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          # Cleanup
+          kill $APP_PID || true
+          wait $APP_PID || true
 
           echo ""
-          echo "✓ Upgrade test passed: 0.49.1 → ${{ github.ref_name }}"
+          echo "✓✓✓ Upgrade test passed: 0.49.1 → ${{ github.ref_name }} ✓✓✓"
+          echo "    - Datastore migrated successfully"
+          echo "    - Tag 'github-group-test' survived upgrade"
 
           echo "✓ Upgrade test passed: 0.49.1 → ${{ github.ref_name }}"