diff --git a/src/specify_cli/bundler/models/catalog.py b/src/specify_cli/bundler/models/catalog.py
index 53e83a52e7..59a45bcb1d 100644
--- a/src/specify_cli/bundler/models/catalog.py
+++ b/src/specify_cli/bundler/models/catalog.py
@@ -106,10 +106,11 @@ def to_dict(self) -> dict[str, Any]:
 
 
 def _parse_tags(value: Any, entry_id: str) -> tuple[str, ...]:
-    """Coerce a catalog entry's ``tags`` into a tuple of strings.
+    """Parse a catalog entry's ``tags`` into a tuple of strings.
 
     Catalogs are untrusted input: a bare string would otherwise be iterated
-    character-by-character, so reject anything that is not a list/tuple.
+    character-by-character, so reject anything that is not a list/tuple, and
+    reject any non-string member instead of silently coercing it.
     """
     if value is None:
         return ()
@@ -117,7 +118,11 @@ def _parse_tags(value: Any, entry_id: str) -> tuple[str, ...]:
         raise BundlerError(
             f"Catalog entry '{entry_id}': 'tags' must be a list of strings."
         )
-    return tuple(str(t) for t in value)
+    if any(not isinstance(item, str) for item in value):
+        raise BundlerError(
+            f"Catalog entry '{entry_id}': 'tags' must be a list of strings."
+        )
+    return tuple(value)
 
 
 def _parse_verified(value: Any, entry_id: str) -> bool:
diff --git a/tests/contract/test_catalog_schema.py b/tests/contract/test_catalog_schema.py
index 15a844118b..0e360ac1aa 100644
--- a/tests/contract/test_catalog_schema.py
+++ b/tests/contract/test_catalog_schema.py
@@ -238,6 +238,15 @@ def test_catalog_entry_rejects_string_tags():
         CatalogEntry.from_dict(data)
 
 
+def test_catalog_entry_rejects_non_string_tag_members():
+    from specify_cli.bundler.models.catalog import CatalogEntry
+
+    data = catalog_entry_dict("demo")
+    data["tags"] = ["valid", 1]
+    with pytest.raises(BundlerError, match="'tags' must be a list of strings"):
+        CatalogEntry.from_dict(data)
+
+
 def test_catalog_entry_rejects_non_boolean_verified():
     from specify_cli.bundler.models.catalog import CatalogEntry