diff --git a/lfs.c b/lfs.c
index 09f61c4f..97c78257 100644
--- a/lfs.c
+++ b/lfs.c
@@ -619,7 +619,7 @@ enum lfsr_tag_type {
     // some tag modifiers
     // in-device only
     LFSR_TAG_WIDE           = 0x4000,
-    LFSR_TAG_GROW           = 0x2000,
+    LFSR_TAG_GROW           = 0x3000, // note generic grows need the rm-bit
     LFSR_TAG_RM             = 0x1000,
 
     // in-device only
@@ -632,8 +632,9 @@ enum lfsr_tag_type {
 
 // some tag modifiers
 #define LFSR_TAG_WIDE(tag) (LFSR_TAG_WIDE | LFSR_TAG_##tag)
-#define LFSR_TAG_GROW(tag) (LFSR_TAG_GROW | LFSR_TAG_##tag)
-#define LFSR_TAG_RM(tag)   (LFSR_TAG_RM   | LFSR_TAG_##tag)
+// if we're growing an explict tag, we don't need the rm-bit
+#define LFSR_TAG_GROW(tag) ((LFSR_TAG_GROW & ~LFSR_TAG_RM) | LFSR_TAG_##tag)
+#define LFSR_TAG_RM(tag)   (LFSR_TAG_RM | LFSR_TAG_##tag)
 
 // some other tag encodings with their own subfields
 #define LFSR_TAG_ALT(d, c, key) \
@@ -4090,7 +4091,7 @@ static int lfsr_btree_commit(lfs_t *lfs, lfsr_btree_t *btree,
                     bid+rid, BRANCH, 0,
                     BUF(scratch_buf, scratch_dsize));
             scratch_attrs[1] = LFSR_ATTR(
-                    bid+rid, GROW(RM), -rbyd.weight + rbyd_.weight,
+                    bid+rid, GROW, -rbyd.weight + rbyd_.weight,
                     NULL);
             attrs = scratch_attrs;
             attr_count = 2;
@@ -4228,7 +4229,7 @@ static int lfsr_btree_commit(lfs_t *lfs, lfsr_btree_t *btree,
                     bid+rid, BRANCH, 0,
                     BUF(scratch1_buf, scratch1_dsize));
             scratch_attrs[1] = LFSR_ATTR(
-                    bid+rid, GROW(RM), -rbyd.weight + rbyd_.weight,
+                    bid+rid, GROW, -rbyd.weight + rbyd_.weight,
                     NULL);
         }
         scratch_attrs[2] = LFSR_ATTR(
@@ -4333,7 +4334,7 @@ static int lfsr_btree_commit(lfs_t *lfs, lfsr_btree_t *btree,
                 bid+rid, BRANCH, 0,
                 BUF(scratch_buf, scratch_dsize));
         scratch_attrs[2] = LFSR_ATTR(
-                bid+rid, GROW(RM), -rbyd.weight + rbyd_.weight,
+                bid+rid, GROW, -rbyd.weight + rbyd_.weight,
                 NULL);
         attrs = scratch_attrs;
         attr_count = 3;
diff --git a/tests/test_btree.toml b/tests/test_btree.toml
index 08e02aca..748d7d06 100644
--- a/tests/test_btree.toml
+++ b/tests/test_btree.toml
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ code = '''
         // the struct tag
         return lfsr_btree_commit(lfs, btree, LFSR_ATTRS(
                 LFSR_ATTR(bid, WIDE(TAG(tag)), 0, DATA(data)),
-                LFSR_ATTR(bid, GROW(RM), weight - weight_, NULL)));
+                LFSR_ATTR(bid, GROW, weight - weight_, NULL)));
     }
 
     static int lfsr_btree_pop(lfs_t *lfs, lfsr_btree_t *btree, lfs_size_t bid) {
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ code = '''
         }
 
         return lfsr_btree_commit(lfs, btree, LFSR_ATTRS(
-                LFSR_ATTR(bid, GROW(RM), +weight1-weight_, NULL),
+                LFSR_ATTR(bid, GROW, +weight1-weight_, NULL),
                 LFSR_ATTR(bid-(weight_-1)+weight1-1, TAG(tag1), 0, DATA(data1)),
                 (lfsr_data_size(&name) > 0
                     ? LFSR_ATTR(bid-(weight_-1)+weight1,
diff --git a/tests/test_rbyd.toml b/tests/test_rbyd.toml
index e3c86582..423d9ed4 100644
--- a/tests/test_rbyd.toml
+++ b/tests/test_rbyd.toml
@@ -10542,7 +10542,7 @@ code = '''
             lfs_bd_flush(&lfs, &lfs.pcache, &lfs.rcache, false) => 0;
 
             lfsr_rbyd_commit(&lfs, &rbyd, LFSR_ATTRS(
-                    LFSR_ATTR(j*W+W-1, GROW(RM), -D, NULL))) => 0;
+                    LFSR_ATTR(j*W+W-1, GROW, -D, NULL))) => 0;
             assert(rbyd.weight == N*W-D);
 
             lfsr_rbyd_fetch(&lfs, &rbyd, rbyd.block, CFG->block_size) => 0;
@@ -11460,7 +11460,7 @@ code = '''
             sim_weights[rid] += weight;
             // update our rbyd
             lfsr_rbyd_commit(&lfs, &rbyd, LFSR_ATTRS(
-                    LFSR_ATTR(weighted_rid+weight_-1, GROW(RM), +weight,
+                    LFSR_ATTR(weighted_rid+weight_-1, GROW, +weight,
                         NULL))) => 0;
         } else if (op == 3) {
             // get the correct weight from the sim
@@ -11472,7 +11472,7 @@ code = '''
             sim_weights[rid] -= weight;
             // update our rbyd
             lfsr_rbyd_commit(&lfs, &rbyd, LFSR_ATTRS(
-                    LFSR_ATTR(weighted_rid+weight_-1, GROW(RM), -weight,
+                    LFSR_ATTR(weighted_rid+weight_-1, GROW, -weight,
                         NULL))) => 0;
         }
     }