diff --git a/internal/manager/task_stash_box_tag.go b/internal/manager/task_stash_box_tag.go
index d7d987a6d..37859ba61 100644
--- a/internal/manager/task_stash_box_tag.go
+++ b/internal/manager/task_stash_box_tag.go
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ func (t *stashBoxBatchPerformerTagTask) findStashBoxPerformer(ctx context.Contex
 				performer = mergedPerformer
 			}
 		}
-	case t.performer != nil:
+	case t.performer != nil: // tagging or updating existing performer
 		var remoteID string
 		if err := r.WithReadTxn(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
 			qb := r.Performer
@@ -123,6 +123,9 @@ func (t *stashBoxBatchPerformerTagTask) findStashBoxPerformer(ctx context.Contex
 					performer = mergedPerformer
 				}
 			}
+		} else {
+			// find by performer name instead
+			performer, err = client.FindPerformerByName(ctx, t.performer.Name)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -328,6 +331,9 @@ func (t *stashBoxBatchStudioTagTask) findStashBoxStudio(ctx context.Context) (*m
 
 		if remoteID != "" {
 			studio, err = client.FindStudio(ctx, remoteID)
+		} else {
+			// find by studio name instead
+			studio, err = client.FindStudio(ctx, t.studio.Name)
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/models/model_scraped_item.go b/pkg/models/model_scraped_item.go
index 570f6034b..4254a9876 100644
--- a/pkg/models/model_scraped_item.go
+++ b/pkg/models/model_scraped_item.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ func (s *ScrapedStudio) ToStudio(endpoint string, excluded map[string]bool) *Stu
 	ret := NewStudio()
 	ret.Name = strings.TrimSpace(s.Name)
 
-	if s.RemoteSiteID != nil && endpoint != "" {
+	if s.RemoteSiteID != nil && endpoint != "" && *s.RemoteSiteID != "" {
 		ret.StashIDs = NewRelatedStashIDs([]StashID{
 			{
 				Endpoint:  endpoint,
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ func (s *ScrapedStudio) ToPartial(id string, endpoint string, excluded map[strin
 		}
 	}
 
-	if s.RemoteSiteID != nil && endpoint != "" {
+	if s.RemoteSiteID != nil && endpoint != "" && *s.RemoteSiteID != "" {
 		ret.StashIDs = &UpdateStashIDs{
 			StashIDs: existingStashIDs,
 			Mode:     RelationshipUpdateModeSet,
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ func (p *ScrapedPerformer) ToPerformer(endpoint string, excluded map[string]bool
 		}
 	}
 
-	if p.RemoteSiteID != nil && endpoint != "" {
+	if p.RemoteSiteID != nil && endpoint != "" && *p.RemoteSiteID != "" {
 		ret.StashIDs = NewRelatedStashIDs([]StashID{
 			{
 				Endpoint:  endpoint,
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ func (p *ScrapedPerformer) ToPartial(endpoint string, excluded map[string]bool,
 		}
 	}
 
-	if p.RemoteSiteID != nil && endpoint != "" {
+	if p.RemoteSiteID != nil && endpoint != "" && *p.RemoteSiteID != "" {
 		ret.StashIDs = &UpdateStashIDs{
 			StashIDs: existingStashIDs,
 			Mode:     RelationshipUpdateModeSet,
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ func (t *ScrapedTag) ToTag(endpoint string, excluded map[string]bool) *Tag {
 	ret := NewTag()
 	ret.Name = t.Name
 
-	if t.RemoteSiteID != nil && endpoint != "" {
+	if t.RemoteSiteID != nil && endpoint != "" && *t.RemoteSiteID != "" {
 		ret.StashIDs = NewRelatedStashIDs([]StashID{
 			{
 				Endpoint:  endpoint,