diff --git a/src/script/functions/basic.cpp b/src/script/functions/basic.cpp
index fe25e939..0b0be30f 100644
--- a/src/script/functions/basic.cpp
+++ b/src/script/functions/basic.cpp
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ SCRIPT_FUNCTION(sort_text) {
 
 /// Replace the contents of a specific tag with the value of a script function
 String replace_tag_contents(String input, const String& tag, const ScriptValueP& contents, Context& ctx) {
-	assert_tagged(input);
+	assert_tagged(input, false);
 	String ret;
 	size_t start = 0, pos = input.find(tag);
 	while (pos != String::npos) {
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ String replace_tag_contents(String input, const String& tag, const ScriptValueP&
 		pos = input.find(tag, start);
 	}
 	ret.append(input, start, pos-start);
-	assert_tagged(ret);
+	assert_tagged(ret, false);
 	return ret;
 }
 
@@ -360,13 +360,13 @@ SCRIPT_FUNCTION(tag_contents) {
 SCRIPT_FUNCTION(remove_tag) {
 	SCRIPT_PARAM_C(String, input);
 	SCRIPT_PARAM_C(String, tag);
-	assert_tagged(input);
+	assert_tagged(input, false);
 	SCRIPT_RETURN(remove_tag(input, tag));
 }
 
 SCRIPT_FUNCTION(remove_tags) {
 	SCRIPT_PARAM_C(String, input);
-	assert_tagged(input);
+	assert_tagged(input, false);
 	SCRIPT_RETURN(untag_no_escape(input));
 }
 
diff --git a/src/util/tagged_string.cpp b/src/util/tagged_string.cpp
index e7ab57e5..f30ce876 100644
--- a/src/util/tagged_string.cpp
+++ b/src/util/tagged_string.cpp
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ String simplify_tagged_overlap(const String& str) {
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Verification
 
-void check_tagged(const String& str) {
+void check_tagged(const String& str, bool check_balance) {
 	for (size_t i = 0 ; i < str.size() ; ) {
 		if (str.GetChar(i) == _('<')) {
 			size_t end = skip_tag(str,i);
@@ -586,14 +586,16 @@ void check_tagged(const String& str) {
 					handle_warning(_("Invalid character in tag"),false);
 				}
 			}
-			if (str.GetChar(i+1) == _('/')) {
-				// close tag, don't check
-			} else if (is_substr(str,i,_("<hint"))) {
-				// no close tag for <hint> tags
-			} else {
-				size_t close = match_close_tag(str,i);
-				if (close == String::npos) {
-					handle_warning(_("Invalid tagged string: missing close tag for <") + tag_at(str,i) + _(">"),false);
+			if (check_balance) {
+				if (str.GetChar(i+1) == _('/')) {
+					// close tag, don't check
+				} else if (is_substr(str,i,_("<hint"))) {
+					// no close tag for <hint> tags
+				} else {
+					size_t close = match_close_tag(str,i);
+					if (close == String::npos) {
+						handle_warning(_("Invalid tagged string: missing close tag for <") + tag_at(str,i) + _(">"),false);
+					}
 				}
 			}
 			i = end;
diff --git a/src/util/tagged_string.hpp b/src/util/tagged_string.hpp
index a5d4bfad..2e65d0b7 100644
--- a/src/util/tagged_string.hpp
+++ b/src/util/tagged_string.hpp
@@ -183,11 +183,11 @@ String tagged_substr_replace(const String& input, size_t start, size_t end, cons
  *
  *  In case of an error, throws an exception.
  */
-void check_tagged(const String& str);
+void check_tagged(const String& str, bool check_balance = true);
 #ifdef _DEBUG
 	#define assert_tagged check_tagged
 #else
-	#define assert_tagged(_)
+	#define assert_tagged(_,_)
 #endif
 
 /// Simplify a tagged string