diff --git a/lib/fluentd/plugin/out_syslog.rb b/lib/fluentd/plugin/out_syslog.rb
index 67fd248..391da4e 100644
--- a/lib/fluentd/plugin/out_syslog.rb
+++ b/lib/fluentd/plugin/out_syslog.rb
@@ -78,11 +78,15 @@ def emit(tag, es, chain)
           time = Time.now
         end
         @packet.time = time
-        @packet.tag      = if tag_key
-                              record[tag_key][0..31].gsub(/[\[\]]/,'') # tag is trimmed to 32 chars for syslog_protocol gem compatibility
-                           else
-                              tag[0..31] # tag is trimmed to 32 chars for syslog_protocol gem compatibility
-                           end
+        @packet.tag = if @tag_key
+                        begin
+                          record[@tag_key][0..31].gsub(/[\[\]]/,'') # tag is trimmed to 32 chars for syslog_protocol gem compatibility
+                        rescue
+                          tag[0..31] # tag is trimmed to 32 chars for syslog_protocol gem compatibility
+                        end
+                      else
+                          tag[0..31] # tag is trimmed to 32 chars for syslog_protocol gem compatibility
+                      end
         packet = @packet.dup
         packet.content = record[@payload_key]
         @socket.send(packet.assemble, 0, @remote_syslog, @port)
diff --git a/lib/fluentd/plugin/out_syslog_buffered.rb b/lib/fluentd/plugin/out_syslog_buffered.rb
index 6f6f456..9044f85 100644
--- a/lib/fluentd/plugin/out_syslog_buffered.rb
+++ b/lib/fluentd/plugin/out_syslog_buffered.rb
@@ -102,11 +102,15 @@ def send_to_syslog(tag, time, record)
         time = Time.now
       end
       @packet.time = time
-      @packet.tag      = if tag_key
-                           record[tag_key][0..31].gsub(/[\[\]]/,'') # tag is trimmed to 32 chars for syslog_protocol gem compatibility
-                         else
-                           tag[0..31] # tag is trimmed to 32 chars for syslog_protocol gem compatibility
-                         end
+      @packet.tag = if @tag_key
+                      begin
+                        record[@tag_key][0..31].gsub(/[\[\]]/,'') # tag is trimmed to 32 chars for syslog_protocol gem compatibility
+                      rescue
+                        tag[0..31] # tag is trimmed to 32 chars for syslog_protocol gem compatibility
+                      end
+                    else
+                        tag[0..31] # tag is trimmed to 32 chars for syslog_protocol gem compatibility
+                    end
       packet = @packet.dup
       packet.content = record[@payload_key]
       begin