diff --git a/mercurial/revset.py b/mercurial/revset.py
--- a/mercurial/revset.py
+++ b/mercurial/revset.py
@@ -1167,12 +1167,18 @@ def tag(repo, subset, x):
     args = getargs(x, 0, 1, _("tag takes one or no arguments"))
     cl = repo.changelog
     if args:
-        tn = getstring(args[0],
-                       # i18n: "tag" is a keyword
-                       _('the argument to tag must be a string'))
-        if not repo.tags().get(tn, None):
-            raise util.Abort(_("tag '%s' does not exist") % tn)
-        s = set([cl.rev(n) for t, n in repo.tagslist() if t == tn])
+        pattern = getstring(args[0],
+                            # i18n: "tag" is a keyword
+                            _('the argument to tag must be a string'))
+        kind, pattern, matcher = _stringmatcher(pattern)
+        if kind == 'literal':
+            if not repo.tags().get(pattern, None):
+                raise util.Abort(_("tag '%s' does not exist") % pattern)
+            s = set([cl.rev(n) for t, n in repo.tagslist() if t == pattern])
+        else:
+            s = set([cl.rev(n) for t, n in repo.tagslist() if matcher(t)])
+            if not s:
+                raise util.Abort(_("no tags exist that match '%s'") % pattern)
     else:
         s = set([cl.rev(n) for t, n in repo.tagslist() if t != 'tip'])
     return [r for r in subset if r in s]
diff --git a/tests/test-revset.t b/tests/test-revset.t
--- a/tests/test-revset.t
+++ b/tests/test-revset.t
@@ -369,6 +369,22 @@ quoting needed
   6
   $ log 'tag(tip)'
   9
+
+we can use patterns when searching for tags
+
+  $ log 'tag("1..*")'
+  abort: tag '1..*' does not exist
+  [255]
+  $ log 'tag("re:1..*")'
+  6
+  $ log 'tag("re:[0-9].[0-9]")'
+  6
+  $ log 'tag("literal:1.0")'
+  6
+  $ log 'tag("re:0..*")'
+  abort: no tags exist that match '0..*'
+  [255]
+
   $ log 'tag(unknown)'
   abort: tag 'unknown' does not exist
   [255]