# Uncertain initial value when I use system.tag.configure!

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/uncertain-initial-value-when-i-use-system-tag-configure/40208>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Created:** [November 2, 2020, 2:15pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/uncertain-initial-value-when-i-use-system-tag-configure/40208 "2020-11-02T14:15:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 2

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**Author:** ![justin.brzozoski](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/justin.brzozoski/32/13452_2.png) [@justin.brzozoski](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/justin.brzozoski)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2020, 3:51pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/uncertain-initial-value-when-i-use-system-tag-configure/40208/2 "2020-11-02T15:51:30Z")

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Unfortunately, setting some properties at the top level of a tag with system.tag.configure, even to what should be their current value, causes weird side effects. I bumped into this with the [tag quality](http://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/unexpected-behavior-configuring-tag-sets-quality-to-good/32767). The simplest solution I’ve found is to pass only the bare minimum config back into system.tag.configure when using “merge” mode.  
Try this:

````auto
def overrideAlarmConfig(tagPath, alarmName, alarmProperty, value):
	tagName = tagPath.split('/')[-1]
	basePath = tagPath.rsplit('/',1)[0]
	config = [{ 'name':tagName, 'alarms':[ { 'name':alarmName, alarmProperty:value }] } ]
	system.tag.configure(basePath, config, 'm')

overrideAlarmConfig("[default]D33/BO01/PIT_1001/PR2/MINS", "High", "enabled", 'true')```

````

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