diff --git a/med/choice.hpp b/med/choice.hpp
index 89f38da..9e5aad2 100644
--- a/med/choice.hpp
+++ b/med/choice.hpp
@@ -174,14 +174,7 @@ struct choice_enc : choice_if
 		}
 		else
 		{
-			//tag of this IE isn't in header
-			if constexpr (!explicit_meta_in<mi, typename TO::header_type>())
-			{
-				using tag_t = get_info_t<meta::list_first_t<mi>>;
-				tag_t const tag{};
-				//TODO: how to not modify?
-				const_cast<TO&>(to).header().set_tag(tag.get());
-			}
+			if(!to.header().is_tag_set()) { MED_THROW_EXCEPTION(unknown_tag, name<TO>(), to.index()); }
 			med::encode(encoder, to.header());
 			//skip 1st TAG meta-info as it's encoded in header
 			sl::ie_encode<type_context<IE_CHOICE, meta::list_rest_t<mi>>>(encoder, to.template as<IE>());
@@ -256,6 +249,9 @@ struct choice_header
 template <AHasGetTag HEADER>
 struct choice_header<HEADER>
 {
+	// each compound header for a choice must have bool is_tag_set() method together with get_tag()
+	static_assert(std::is_same<bool, decltype(std::declval<HEADER>().is_tag_set())>());
+
 	static constexpr bool plain_header = false; //compound header e.g. a sequence
 
 	using header_type = HEADER;
@@ -319,6 +315,17 @@ class choice : public IE<IE_CHOICE>
 			m_index = idx;
 			new (&m_storage) type{};
 		}
+		if constexpr (!choice::plain_header)
+		{
+			// we must not do it on a decode stage when the header tag has been already set
+			if(!this->header().is_tag_set())
+			{
+				using TAG_TYPE = get_meta_tag_t<get_meta_info_t<type>>;
+				static_assert(!std::is_void<TAG_TYPE>());
+				TAG_TYPE tag;
+				this->header().set_tag(tag.get());
+			}
+		}
 		return *ie;
 	}
 
diff --git a/ut/choice.cpp b/ut/choice.cpp
index 9784b49..3178a60 100644
--- a/ut/choice.cpp
+++ b/ut/choice.cpp
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ struct UNKNOWN : med::sequence<
 struct U8  : med::value<uint8_t>{};
 struct U16 : med::value<uint16_t>{};
 struct U32 : med::value<uint32_t>{};
+struct string : med::ascii_string<> {};
 
 //choice based on plain value selector
 struct plain : med::choice<
@@ -124,6 +125,31 @@ struct plain : med::choice<
 
 using PLAIN = M<L, plain>;
 
+struct hdr : med::sequence<
+	M<U8>,
+	O<U16>
+>
+{
+	bool is_tag_set() const { return get<U8>().is_set(); }
+	auto get_tag() const    { return get<U8>().get(); }
+	void set_tag(uint8_t v) { return ref<U8>().set(v); }
+};
+
+//choice based on a compound header selector
+struct compound : med::choice< hdr,
+	M< C<0x00>, U8  >,
+	M< C<0x02>, U16 >,
+	M< C<0x04>, string >
+>
+{};
+
+struct SEQ : med::sequence<
+	  O< U32 >
+	, M< U16 >
+	, M< compound >
+>
+{};
+
 } //end: namespace cho
 
 using namespace std::string_view_literals;
@@ -214,4 +240,59 @@ TEST(choice, nibble_tag)
 	EXPECT_FALSE(pf->is_set());
 }
 #endif
+TEST(choice, tag_in_compound)
+{
+	uint8_t buffer[128];
+	med::encoder_context ctx{ buffer };
+
+	cho::compound msg;
+	msg.ref<string>().set("12345678"sv);
+	ASSERT_TRUE(msg.header().is_tag_set());
+
+	msg.header().clear();
+	ASSERT_FALSE(msg.header().is_tag_set());
+
+	msg.ref<string>();
+	ASSERT_TRUE(msg.header().is_tag_set());
+
+	msg.header().clear();
+	msg.ref<string>().set("12345678"sv);
+	ASSERT_TRUE(msg.header().is_tag_set());
+
+	msg.header().ref<U16>().set(0xff);
+
+	encode(med::octet_encoder{ctx}, msg);
+	EXPECT_STREQ(
+		"04 00 FF 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 ",
+		as_string(ctx.buffer())
+	);
+
+	msg.clear();
+	ASSERT_FALSE(msg.header().is_tag_set());
+
+	med::decoder_context dctx;
+	dctx.reset(ctx.buffer().get_start(), ctx.buffer().get_offset());
+	decode(med::octet_decoder{dctx}, msg);
+
+	auto* pf = msg.get<string>();
+	ASSERT_NE(nullptr, pf);
+	ASSERT_TRUE(msg.header().is_tag_set());
+}
+
+TEST(choice, m_choice_in_seq)
+{
+	uint8_t buffer[128];
+	med::encoder_context ctx{ buffer };
+
+	SEQ msg;
+
+	msg.ref<U16>().set(1);
+	msg.ref<compound>().ref<string>().set("12345678"sv);
+
+	encode(med::octet_encoder{ctx}, msg);
+	EXPECT_STREQ(
+		"00 01 04 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 ",
+		as_string(ctx.buffer())
+	);
+}
 //NOTE: choice compound is tested in length.cpp ppp::proto
diff --git a/ut/copy.cpp b/ut/copy.cpp
index bcfb537..ddddeb3 100644
--- a/ut/copy.cpp
+++ b/ut/copy.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ struct hdr : med::sequence<
 	M<word>
 >
 {
+	bool is_tag_set() const { return get<byte>().is_set(); }
 	auto get_tag() const    { return get<byte>().get(); }
 	void set_tag(uint8_t v) { return ref<byte>().set(v); }
 };
diff --git a/ut/diameter.cpp b/ut/diameter.cpp
index 6d218a0..66d532b 100644
--- a/ut/diameter.cpp
+++ b/ut/diameter.cpp
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ struct header : med::sequence<
 	M<end_to_end_id>
 >
 {
+	bool is_tag_set() const                     { return get<cmd_code>().is_set(); }
 	std::size_t get_tag() const                 { return get<cmd_code>().get() + (flags().request() ? REQUEST : 0); }
 	void set_tag(std::size_t tag)               { ref<cmd_code>().set(tag & 0xFFFFFF); flags().request(tag & REQUEST); }
 
diff --git a/ut/length.cpp b/ut/length.cpp
index 76186d5..7c3dfc9 100644
--- a/ut/length.cpp
+++ b/ut/length.cpp
@@ -203,6 +203,7 @@ struct hdr : med::sequence<
 	M<id>
 >
 {
+	bool is_tag_set() const { return get<code>().is_set(); }
 	auto get_tag() const    { return get<code>().get(); }
 	void set_tag(uint8_t v) { return ref<code>().set(v); }