diff --git a/chatmastermind/message.py b/chatmastermind/message.py
index 04def6d..d88ac5c 100644
--- a/chatmastermind/message.py
+++ b/chatmastermind/message.py
@@ -372,10 +372,6 @@ class Message():
                 tags = TagLine(fd.readline()).tags()
             except TagError:
                 fd.seek(pos)
-            if tags_or or tags_and or tags_not:
-                # match with an empty set if the file has no tags
-                if not match_tags(tags, tags_or, tags_and, tags_not):
-                    return None
             # AILine (Optional)
             try:
                 pos = fd.tell()
@@ -390,17 +386,23 @@ class Message():
                 fd.seek(pos)
             # Question and Answer
             text = fd.read().strip().split('\n')
-            try:
-                question_idx = text.index(Question.txt_header) + 1
-            except ValueError:
-                raise MessageError(f"'{file_path}' does not contain a valid message")
-            try:
-                answer_idx = text.index(Answer.txt_header)
-                question = Question.from_list(text[question_idx:answer_idx])
-                answer = Answer.from_list(text[answer_idx + 1:])
-            except ValueError:
-                question = Question.from_list(text[question_idx:])
-            return cls(question, answer, tags, ai, model, file_path)
+        try:
+            question_idx = text.index(Question.txt_header) + 1
+        except ValueError:
+            raise MessageError(f"'{file_path}' does not contain a valid message")
+        try:
+            answer_idx = text.index(Answer.txt_header)
+            question = Question.from_list(text[question_idx:answer_idx])
+            answer = Answer.from_list(text[answer_idx + 1:])
+        except ValueError:
+            question = Question.from_list(text[question_idx:])
+        # match tags AFTER reading the whole file
+        # -> make sure it's a valid 'txt' file format
+        if tags_or or tags_and or tags_not:
+            # match with an empty set if the file has no tags
+            if not match_tags(tags, tags_or, tags_and, tags_not):
+                return None
+        return cls(question, answer, tags, ai, model, file_path)
 
     @classmethod
     def __from_file_yaml(cls: Type[MessageInst], file_path: pathlib.Path) -> MessageInst: