diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 69b464bdc6b..453d0ba1ac9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ v 8.7.0 (unreleased)
   - Fix repository cache invalidation issue when project is recreated with an empty repo (Stan Hu)
   - Fix: Allow empty recipients list for builds emails service when pushed is added (Frank Groeneveld)
   - Improved markdown forms
+  - Delete tags using Rugged for performance reasons (Robert Schilling)
   - Diffs load at the correct point when linking from from number
   - Selected diff rows highlight
   - Fix emoji catgories in the emoji picker
diff --git a/app/models/repository.rb b/app/models/repository.rb
index 89062170481..308c590e3f8 100644
--- a/app/models/repository.rb
+++ b/app/models/repository.rb
@@ -169,7 +169,12 @@ class Repository
   def rm_tag(tag_name)
     before_remove_tag
 
-    gitlab_shell.rm_tag(path_with_namespace, tag_name)
+    begin
+      rugged.tags.delete(tag_name)
+      true
+    rescue Rugged::ReferenceError
+      false
+    end
   end
 
   def branch_names
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/backend/shell.rb b/lib/gitlab/backend/shell.rb
index b9bb6e76081..4c6f0d3d681 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/backend/shell.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/backend/shell.rb
@@ -137,19 +137,6 @@ module Gitlab
       Gitlab::Utils.system_silent(cmd)
     end
 
-    # Remove repository tag
-    #
-    # path - project path with namespace
-    # tag_name - tag name to remove
-    #
-    # Ex.
-    #   rm_tag("gitlab/gitlab-ci", "v4.0")
-    #
-    def rm_tag(path, tag_name)
-      Gitlab::Utils.system_silent([gitlab_shell_projects_path, 'rm-tag',
-                                   "#{path}.git", tag_name])
-    end
-
     # Gc repository
     #
     # path - project path with namespace
diff --git a/spec/models/repository_spec.rb b/spec/models/repository_spec.rb
index 86f68b3a0a0..c163001b7c1 100644
--- a/spec/models/repository_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/repository_spec.rb
@@ -770,11 +770,9 @@ describe Repository, models: true do
   describe '#rm_tag' do
     it 'removes a tag' do
       expect(repository).to receive(:before_remove_tag)
+      expect(repository.rugged.tags).to receive(:delete).with('v1.1.0')
 
-      expect_any_instance_of(Gitlab::Shell).to receive(:rm_tag).
-        with(repository.path_with_namespace, '8.5')
-
-      repository.rm_tag('8.5')
+      repository.rm_tag('v1.1.0')
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/services/delete_tag_service_spec.rb b/spec/services/delete_tag_service_spec.rb
index 5b7ba521812..477551f5036 100644
--- a/spec/services/delete_tag_service_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/delete_tag_service_spec.rb
@@ -6,21 +6,12 @@ describe DeleteTagService, services: true do
   let(:user) { create(:user) }
   let(:service) { described_class.new(project, user) }
 
-  let(:tag) { double(:tag, name: '8.5', target: 'abc123') }
-
   describe '#execute' do
-    before do
-      allow(repository).to receive(:find_tag).and_return(tag)
-    end
-
     it 'removes the tag' do
-      expect_any_instance_of(Gitlab::Shell).to receive(:rm_tag).
-        and_return(true)
-
       expect(repository).to receive(:before_remove_tag)
       expect(service).to receive(:success)
 
-      service.execute('8.5')
+      service.execute('v1.1.0')
     end
   end
 end