diff --git a/src/org/oscim/core/TagSet.java b/src/org/oscim/core/TagSet.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a0545cc2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/org/oscim/core/TagSet.java
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2013 Hannes Janetzek
+ *
+ * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the
+ * terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free Software
+ * Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
+ * WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A
+ * PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License along with
+ * this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+package org.oscim.core;
+
+public class TagSet {
+	public static TagSet EMPTY_TAG_SET = new TagSet();
+
+	public Tag[] tags;
+	public int numTags;
+
+	private TagSet() {
+
+	}
+
+	public TagSet(int count) {
+		tags = new Tag[count];
+	}
+
+	public void clear() {
+		numTags = 0;
+	}
+
+	/** find Tag by key - NOTE: key must be internal() */
+	public Tag get(String key) {
+		for (int i = 0; i < numTags; i++) {
+			if (tags[i].key == key)
+				return tags[i];
+		}
+		return null;
+	}
+
+	public void add(Tag tag) {
+		if (numTags >= tags.length) {
+			Tag[] tmp = tags;
+			tags = new Tag[numTags + 4];
+			System.arraycopy(tmp, 0, tags, 0, numTags);
+		}
+		tags[numTags++] = tag;
+	}
+
+	public boolean contains(Tag tag) {
+		for (int i = 0; i < numTags; i++) {
+			Tag t = tags[i];
+			if (t == tag || (t.key == tag.key && (t.value == t.value)))
+				return true;
+		}
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	public boolean hasKey(String[] keys) {
+		for (int i = 0; i < numTags; i++) {
+			Tag t = tags[i];
+			for (String key : keys)
+				if (key == t.key)
+					return true;
+		}
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	public boolean hasKey(String key) {
+		for (int i = 0; i < numTags; i++) {
+			Tag t = tags[i];
+			if (key == t.key)
+				return true;
+		}
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	public boolean hasValue(String[] vals) {
+		for (int i = 0; i < numTags; i++) {
+			Tag t = tags[i];
+			for (String value : vals)
+				if (value == t.value)
+					return true;
+		}
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	public boolean hasValue(String value) {
+		for (int i = 0; i < numTags; i++) {
+			Tag t = tags[i];
+			if (value == t.value)
+				return true;
+		}
+		return false;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/org/oscim/core/osm/OSMElement.java b/src/org/oscim/core/osm/OSMElement.java
index 666281c3..5edc36e7 100644
--- a/src/org/oscim/core/osm/OSMElement.java
+++ b/src/org/oscim/core/osm/OSMElement.java
@@ -14,12 +14,14 @@
  */
 package org.oscim.core.osm;
 
+import org.oscim.core.TagSet;
+
 public abstract class OSMElement {
 
-	public final TagGroup tags;
+	public final TagSet tags;
 	public final long id;
 
-	public OSMElement(TagGroup tags, long id) {
+	public OSMElement(TagSet tags, long id) {
 		assert tags != null;
 		this.tags = tags;
 		this.id = id;
diff --git a/src/org/oscim/core/osm/OSMMember.java b/src/org/oscim/core/osm/OSMMember.java
index 7e1fc6d1..ddf0e26d 100644
--- a/src/org/oscim/core/osm/OSMMember.java
+++ b/src/org/oscim/core/osm/OSMMember.java
@@ -15,7 +15,11 @@
 package org.oscim.core.osm;
 
 public class OSMMember {
-
+	public enum MemberType{
+		NODE,
+		WAY,
+		RELATIOM
+	}
 	static final boolean useDebugLabels = true;
 
 	public final String role;
diff --git a/src/org/oscim/core/osm/OSMNode.java b/src/org/oscim/core/osm/OSMNode.java
index 7eae59c9..52af395c 100644
--- a/src/org/oscim/core/osm/OSMNode.java
+++ b/src/org/oscim/core/osm/OSMNode.java
@@ -14,11 +14,15 @@
  */
 package org.oscim.core.osm;
 
+import org.oscim.core.TagSet;
+
 public class OSMNode extends OSMElement {
+	//public static EMPTY_NODE = new OSMNode()
+
 	public final double lat;
 	public final double lon;
 
-	public OSMNode(double lat, double lon, TagGroup tags, long id) {
+	public OSMNode(double lat, double lon, TagSet tags, long id) {
 		super(tags, id);
 		this.lat = lat;
 		this.lon = lon;
diff --git a/src/org/oscim/core/osm/OSMRelation.java b/src/org/oscim/core/osm/OSMRelation.java
index fb75cb52..4a54763e 100644
--- a/src/org/oscim/core/osm/OSMRelation.java
+++ b/src/org/oscim/core/osm/OSMRelation.java
@@ -17,13 +17,15 @@ package org.oscim.core.osm;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 
+import org.oscim.core.TagSet;
+
 public class OSMRelation extends OSMElement {
 
 	public final List<OSMMember> relationMembers;
 
 	// content added after constructor call
 
-	public OSMRelation(TagGroup tags, long id, int initialMemberSize) {
+	public OSMRelation(TagSet tags, long id, int initialMemberSize) {
 		super(tags, id);
 		this.relationMembers =
 				new ArrayList<OSMMember>(initialMemberSize);
diff --git a/src/org/oscim/core/osm/OSMWay.java b/src/org/oscim/core/osm/OSMWay.java
index e15be68d..ecb66ab5 100644
--- a/src/org/oscim/core/osm/OSMWay.java
+++ b/src/org/oscim/core/osm/OSMWay.java
@@ -16,14 +16,14 @@ package org.oscim.core.osm;
 
 import java.util.List;
 
+import org.oscim.core.TagSet;
+
 public class OSMWay extends OSMElement {
 
 	public final List<OSMNode> nodes;
 
-	public OSMWay(TagGroup tags, long id, List<OSMNode> nodes) {
+	public OSMWay(TagSet tags, long id, List<OSMNode> nodes) {
 		super(tags, id);
-		for (OSMNode node : nodes)
-			assert node != null;
 		this.nodes = nodes;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/org/oscim/core/osm/TagGroup.java b/src/org/oscim/core/osm/TagGroup.java
deleted file mode 100644
index 24090f0d..00000000
--- a/src/org/oscim/core/osm/TagGroup.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,31 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright 2013 Hannes Janetzek
- *
- * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the
- * terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free Software
- * Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
- *
- * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
- * WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A
- * PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
- *
- * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License along with
- * this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
- */
-package org.oscim.core.osm;
-
-import java.util.Map;
-
-public class TagGroup  {
-	public final static TagGroup EMPTY_TAG_GROUP = new TagGroup();
-
-	public final Map<String, String> tags;
-
-	public TagGroup(Map<String,String> tags) {
-		this.tags = tags;
-	}
-
-	private TagGroup(){
-		this.tags = null;
-	}
-}
diff --git a/src/org/oscim/utils/overpass/OverpassAPIReader.java b/src/org/oscim/utils/overpass/OverpassAPIReader.java
index 488cfd7a..1d4355ae 100644
--- a/src/org/oscim/utils/overpass/OverpassAPIReader.java
+++ b/src/org/oscim/utils/overpass/OverpassAPIReader.java
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@
 
 package org.oscim.utils.overpass;
 
-import static org.oscim.core.osm.TagGroup.EMPTY_TAG_GROUP;
-
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
@@ -33,6 +31,8 @@ import java.util.zip.GZIPInputStream;
 import java.util.zip.Inflater;
 import java.util.zip.InflaterInputStream;
 
+import org.oscim.core.Tag;
+import org.oscim.core.TagSet;
 import org.oscim.core.osm.Bound;
 import org.oscim.core.osm.OSMData;
 import org.oscim.core.osm.OSMElement;
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ import org.oscim.core.osm.OSMMember;
 import org.oscim.core.osm.OSMNode;
 import org.oscim.core.osm.OSMRelation;
 import org.oscim.core.osm.OSMWay;
-import org.oscim.core.osm.TagGroup;
 
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.JsonFactory;
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.JsonParseException;
@@ -213,7 +212,7 @@ public class OverpassAPIReader  {
 
 		long id = 0;
 		double lat = 0, lon = 0;
-		TagGroup tags = EMPTY_TAG_GROUP;
+		TagSet tags = TagSet.EMPTY_TAG_SET;
 
 		while (jp.nextToken() != JsonToken.END_OBJECT) {
 
@@ -243,7 +242,7 @@ public class OverpassAPIReader  {
 	private void parseWay(JsonParser jp) throws JsonParseException, IOException {
 
 		long id = 0;
-		TagGroup tags = EMPTY_TAG_GROUP;
+		TagSet tags = TagSet.EMPTY_TAG_SET;
 		ArrayList<OSMNode> wayNodes = new ArrayList<OSMNode>();
 
 		while (jp.nextToken() != JsonToken.END_OBJECT) {
@@ -278,7 +277,7 @@ public class OverpassAPIReader  {
 			IOException {
 
 		long id = 0;
-		TagGroup tags = EMPTY_TAG_GROUP;
+		TagSet tags = TagSet.EMPTY_TAG_SET;
 		ArrayList<TmpRelation> members = new ArrayList<TmpRelation>();
 
 		while (jp.nextToken() != JsonToken.END_OBJECT) {
@@ -318,25 +317,26 @@ public class OverpassAPIReader  {
 		relationMembersForRelation.put(relation, members);
 	}
 
-	private static TagGroup parseTags(JsonParser jp) throws JsonParseException,
+	private static TagSet parseTags(JsonParser jp) throws JsonParseException,
 			IOException {
 
-		Map<String, String> tagMap = null;
+		TagSet tags = null;
+
 
 		while (jp.nextToken() != JsonToken.END_OBJECT) {
 			String key = jp.getCurrentName();
 			jp.nextToken();
 			String val = jp.getText();
-			if (tagMap == null)
-				tagMap = new HashMap<String, String>(10);
+			if (tags== null)
+				tags= new TagSet(4);
 
-			tagMap.put(key, val);
+			tags.add(new Tag(key, val, false));
 
 		}
-		if (tagMap == null)
-			return EMPTY_TAG_GROUP;
+		if (tags== null)
+			return TagSet.EMPTY_TAG_SET;
 
-		return new TagGroup(tagMap);
+		return tags;
 	}
 
 	private static void log(String msg) {