diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-device.c b/libfwupdplugin/fu-device.c
index 4554e0d3d..ce3dfb07d 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-device.c
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-device.c
@@ -1293,6 +1293,33 @@ fu_device_add_backend_tag(FuDevice *self, const gchar *backend_tag)
 	g_object_notify(G_OBJECT(self), "backend-tags");
 }
 
+/**
+ * fu_device_remove_backend_tag:
+ * @self: a #FuDevice
+ * @backend_tag: a tag, for example `bootloader` or `runtime-reload`
+ *
+ * Removes a backend tag, which allows the backend to identify the specific device for a specific
+ * phase.
+ *
+ * Since: 1.8.11
+ **/
+void
+fu_device_remove_backend_tag(FuDevice *self, const gchar *backend_tag)
+{
+	FuDevicePrivate *priv = GET_PRIVATE(self);
+	g_return_if_fail(FU_IS_DEVICE(self));
+	g_return_if_fail(backend_tag != NULL);
+
+	for (guint i = 0; i < priv->backend_tags->len; i++) {
+		const gchar *backend_tag_tmp = g_ptr_array_index(priv->backend_tags, i);
+		if (g_strcmp0(backend_tag_tmp, backend_tag) == 0) {
+			g_ptr_array_remove_index(priv->backend_tags, i);
+			g_object_notify(G_OBJECT(self), "backend-tags");
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 /**
  * fu_device_has_backend_tag:
  * @self: a #FuDevice
diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-device.h b/libfwupdplugin/fu-device.h
index acccb9ddf..ca7d58266 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-device.h
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-device.h
@@ -547,6 +547,8 @@ void
 fu_device_set_version_from_uint64(FuDevice *self, guint64 version_raw);
 void
 fu_device_add_backend_tag(FuDevice *self, const gchar *backend_tag);
+void
+fu_device_remove_backend_tag(FuDevice *self, const gchar *backend_tag);
 gboolean
 fu_device_has_backend_tag(FuDevice *self, const gchar *backend_tag);
 GPtrArray *
diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-self-test.c b/libfwupdplugin/fu-self-test.c
index 3969ba5b2..db0b62a7d 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-self-test.c
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-self-test.c
@@ -1217,6 +1217,8 @@ fu_device_func(void)
 	g_assert_cmpint(fu_device_get_backend_tags(device)->len, ==, 2);
 	g_assert_true(fu_device_has_backend_tag(device, "foo"));
 	g_assert_false(fu_device_has_backend_tag(device, "bazbazbazbazbaz"));
+	fu_device_remove_backend_tag(device, "foo");
+	g_assert_false(fu_device_has_backend_tag(device, "foo"));
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-usb-device.c b/libfwupdplugin/fu-usb-device.c
index 94c03f539..9b9b0c50a 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-usb-device.c
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-usb-device.c
@@ -86,15 +86,23 @@ fu_usb_device_finalize(GObject *object)
 	G_OBJECT_CLASS(fu_usb_device_parent_class)->finalize(object);
 }
 
-#if G_USB_CHECK_VERSION(0, 4, 1)
+#if G_USB_CHECK_VERSION(0, 4, 4)
 static void
 fu_usb_device_backend_tags_notify_cb(GObject *object, GParamSpec *pspec, FuUsbDevice *device)
 {
 	FuUsbDevicePrivate *priv = GET_PRIVATE(device);
 	GPtrArray *backend_tags = fu_device_get_backend_tags(FU_DEVICE(device));
+	g_autoptr(GPtrArray) usb_device_tags = g_usb_device_get_tags(priv->usb_device);
+
+	for (guint i = 0; i < usb_device_tags->len; i++) {
+		const gchar *tag = g_ptr_array_index(usb_device_tags, i);
+		if (!fu_device_has_backend_tag(FU_DEVICE(device), tag))
+			g_usb_device_remove_tag(priv->usb_device, tag);
+	}
 	for (guint i = 0; i < backend_tags->len; i++) {
-		const gchar *backend_tag = g_ptr_array_index(backend_tags, i);
-		g_usb_device_add_tag(priv->usb_device, backend_tag);
+		const gchar *tag = g_ptr_array_index(backend_tags, i);
+		if (!g_usb_device_has_tag(priv->usb_device, tag))
+			g_usb_device_add_tag(priv->usb_device, tag);
 	}
 }
 #endif
@@ -116,7 +124,7 @@ fu_usb_device_init(FuUsbDevice *device)
 				     NULL);
 #endif
 
-#if G_USB_CHECK_VERSION(0, 4, 1)
+#if G_USB_CHECK_VERSION(0, 4, 4)
 	/* copy this to the GUsbDevice */
 	g_signal_connect(FU_DEVICE(device),
 			 "notify::backend-tags",
diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fwupdplugin.map b/libfwupdplugin/fwupdplugin.map
index f18158527..5385f4c73 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fwupdplugin.map
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fwupdplugin.map
@@ -1162,3 +1162,9 @@ LIBFWUPDPLUGIN_1.8.10 {
     fu_pefile_firmware_new;
   local: *;
 } LIBFWUPDPLUGIN_1.8.9;
+
+LIBFWUPDPLUGIN_1.8.11 {
+  global:
+    fu_device_remove_backend_tag;
+  local: *;
+} LIBFWUPDPLUGIN_1.8.10;