diff --git a/plugins/out_s3/s3.c b/plugins/out_s3/s3.c
index b486a435b4d..36db7a4a4ec 100644
--- a/plugins/out_s3/s3.c
+++ b/plugins/out_s3/s3.c
@@ -1564,7 +1564,7 @@ static int add_to_queue(struct flb_s3 *ctx, struct s3_file *upload_file,
                  struct multipart_upload *m_upload_file, const char *tag, int tag_len)
 {
     struct upload_queue *upload_contents;
-    char *tag_cpy;
+    flb_sds_t tag_cpy;
 
     /* Create upload contents object and add to upload queue */
     upload_contents = flb_malloc(sizeof(struct upload_queue));
@@ -1580,16 +1580,15 @@ static int add_to_queue(struct flb_s3 *ctx, struct s3_file *upload_file,
     upload_contents->upload_time = -1;
 
     /* Necessary to create separate string for tag to prevent corruption */
-    tag_cpy = flb_malloc(tag_len);
-    if (tag_cpy == NULL) {
-        flb_free(upload_contents);
-        flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "Error allocating memory for tag in add_to_queue");
+    tag_cpy = flb_sds_create_len(tag, tag_len);
+    if (!tag_cpy) {
         flb_errno();
+        flb_free(upload_contents);
         return -1;
     }
-    strncpy(tag_cpy, tag, tag_len);
     upload_contents->tag = tag_cpy;
 
+
     /* Add entry to upload queue */
     mk_list_add(&upload_contents->_head, &ctx->upload_queue);
     return 0;
@@ -1599,7 +1598,7 @@ static int add_to_queue(struct flb_s3 *ctx, struct s3_file *upload_file,
 void remove_from_queue(struct upload_queue *entry)
 {
     mk_list_del(&entry->_head);
-    flb_free(entry->tag);
+    flb_sds_destroy(entry->tag);
     flb_free(entry);
     return;
 }
diff --git a/plugins/out_s3/s3.h b/plugins/out_s3/s3.h
index 3be84823eee..0f60aa90f0e 100644
--- a/plugins/out_s3/s3.h
+++ b/plugins/out_s3/s3.h
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
 struct upload_queue {
     struct s3_file *upload_file;
     struct multipart_upload *m_upload_file;
-    char *tag;
+    flb_sds_t tag;
     int tag_len;
 
     int retry_counter;