diff --git a/agent/modals/recurring_ticket/recurring_ticket_edit.php b/agent/modals/recurring_ticket/recurring_ticket_edit.php
index 02a58d17e..186316c3f 100644
--- a/agent/modals/recurring_ticket/recurring_ticket_edit.php
+++ b/agent/modals/recurring_ticket/recurring_ticket_edit.php
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ ob_start();
                     <label>Additional Assets</label>
                     <div class="input-group">
                             <span class="input-group-text"><i class="fa fa-fw fa-desktop"></i></span>
-                        <select class="form-select select2" name="additional_assets[]" data-tags="true" data-placeholder="- Select Additional Assets -" multiple>
+                        <select class="form-select select2" name="additional_assets[]" data-placeholder="- Select Additional Assets -" multiple>
                             <option value=""></option>
                             <?php
 
diff --git a/agent/modals/ticket/ticket_edit.php b/agent/modals/ticket/ticket_edit.php
index 936ddca36..6650394c5 100644
--- a/agent/modals/ticket/ticket_edit.php
+++ b/agent/modals/ticket/ticket_edit.php
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ ob_start();
                     <label>Additional Assets</label>
                     <div class="input-group">
                             <span class="input-group-text"><i class="fa fa-fw fa-desktop"></i></span>
-                        <select class="form-select select2" name="additional_assets[]" data-tags="true" data-placeholder="- Select Additional Assets -" multiple>
+                        <select class="form-select select2" name="additional_assets[]" data-placeholder="- Select Additional Assets -" multiple>
                             <option value=""></option>
                             <?php
 
diff --git a/agent/modals/ticket/ticket_edit_asset.php b/agent/modals/ticket/ticket_edit_asset.php
index fd8ae91cd..f43e77f11 100644
--- a/agent/modals/ticket/ticket_edit_asset.php
+++ b/agent/modals/ticket/ticket_edit_asset.php
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ ob_start();
             <label>Additional Assets</label>
             <div class="input-group">
                     <span class="input-group-text"><i class="fa fa-fw fa-desktop"></i></span>
-                <select class="form-select select2" name="additional_assets[]" data-tags="true" data-placeholder="- Select Additional Assets -" multiple>
+                <select class="form-select select2" name="additional_assets[]" data-placeholder="- Select Additional Assets -" multiple>
                     <option value=""></option>
                     <?php
 
diff --git a/agent/post/ticket.php b/agent/post/ticket.php
index 8ab725133..d6804799c 100644
--- a/agent/post/ticket.php
+++ b/agent/post/ticket.php
@@ -95,6 +95,10 @@ if (isset($_POST['add_ticket'])) {
     // Add Watchers
     if (isset($_POST['watchers'])) {
         foreach ($_POST['watchers'] as $watcher) {
+            // Watchers is free-entry, so anything can arrive here - same check add_ticket_watcher makes
+            if (!filter_var($watcher, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
+                continue;
+            }
             $watcher_email = escapeSql($watcher);
             mysqli_query($mysqli, "INSERT INTO ticket_watchers SET watcher_email = '$watcher_email', watcher_ticket_id = $ticket_id");
         }
diff --git a/js/tom_select.js b/js/tom_select.js
index 038e1c633..d4f89bb6a 100644
--- a/js/tom_select.js
+++ b/js/tom_select.js
@@ -61,8 +61,22 @@ function initTomSelect(el, options) {
     if (el.tagName !== 'SELECT' && el.tagName !== 'INPUT') {
         return null;
     }
+    /*
+     * data-tags="true" is the select2 attribute for "the user can type a value
+     * that is not in the list". select2 read data-* attributes as options on
+     * its own, so the old bare $('.select2').select2() honoured it with no
+     * code; Tom Select does not, and every data-tags field quietly became a
+     * pick-from-list-only control in the migration (ticket watchers, trip
+     * destination, client referral, invoice scope, default start page).
+     *
+     * createOnBlur commits whatever is typed when focus leaves the control, so
+     * typing an address and clicking the modal's submit button posts it,
+     * rather than posting the empty value because Enter was never pressed.
+     */
+    var tags = el.getAttribute('data-tags') === 'true';
     var settings = Object.assign({
-        create: false,
+        create: tags,
+        createOnBlur: tags,
         allowEmptyOption: true,
         plugins: el.multiple ? ['remove_button'] : [],
         placeholder: el.getAttribute('data-placeholder') || undefined