diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index b30c964..aff5eeb 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ func start(path *string) func(*cli.Cmd) {
 			duration = cmd.StringOpt("d duration", "25m", "duration of each stent")
 			count    = cmd.IntOpt("c count", 4, "number of working stents")
 			message  = cmd.StringArg("MESSAGE", "", "descriptive name of the given task")
+			tags     = cmd.StringsOpt("t tag", []string{}, "tags associated with this task")
 		)
 		cmd.Action = func() {
 			parsed, err := time.ParseDuration(*duration)
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ func start(path *string) func(*cli.Cmd) {
 			defer db.Close()
 			task := Task{
 				Message:  *message,
+				Tags:     *tags,
 				count:    *count,
 				duration: parsed,
 			}
diff --git a/store.go b/store.go
index b40fd03..6dbd65e 100644
--- a/store.go
+++ b/store.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	_ "github.com/mattn/go-sqlite3"
 	"os"
 	"os/user"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ func (s Store) CreateTask(task Task) (int, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return -1, err
 	}
-	_, err = tx.Exec("INSERT INTO task (message) VALUES ($1)", task.Message)
+	_, err = tx.Exec("INSERT INTO task (message,tags) VALUES ($1,$2)", task.Message, strings.Join(task.Tags, ","))
 	if err != nil {
 		tx.Rollback()
 		return -1, err
@@ -60,17 +61,19 @@ func (s Store) CreateRecord(taskID int, record Record) error {
 }
 
 func (s Store) ReadTasks() ([]*Task, error) {
-	rows, err := s.db.Query(`SELECT rowid,message FROM task`)
+	rows, err := s.db.Query(`SELECT rowid,message,tags FROM task`)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	tasks := []*Task{}
 	for rows.Next() {
+		var tags string
 		task := &Task{Records: []*Record{}}
-		err = rows.Scan(&task.ID, &task.Message)
+		err = rows.Scan(&task.ID, &task.Message, &tags)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
+		task.Tags = strings.Split(tags, ",")
 		records, err := s.ReadRecords(task.ID)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
@@ -131,7 +134,8 @@ func (s Store) Close() error { return s.db.Close() }
 func initDB(db *Store) error {
 	stmt := `
     CREATE TABLE task (
-	message TEXT
+	message TEXT,
+	tags TEXT
     );
     CREATE TABLE record (
 	task_id INTEGER,
diff --git a/types.go b/types.go
index 1763c21..86eda07 100644
--- a/types.go
+++ b/types.go
@@ -7,9 +7,11 @@ import (
 
 // Task describes some activity
 type Task struct {
-	ID       int       `json:"id"`
-	Message  string    `json:"message"`
-	Records  []*Record `json:"records"`
+	ID      int       `json:"id"`
+	Message string    `json:"message"`
+	Records []*Record `json:"records"`
+	// Free-form tags associated with this task
+	Tags     []string `json:"tags"`
 	count    int
 	duration time.Duration
 }