diff --git a/module_build_service/builder/KojiModuleBuilder.py b/module_build_service/builder/KojiModuleBuilder.py
index 9387f8e5..01125ba7 100644
--- a/module_build_service/builder/KojiModuleBuilder.py
+++ b/module_build_service/builder/KojiModuleBuilder.py
@@ -418,10 +418,15 @@ chmod 644 %buildroot/%_sysconfdir/rpm/macros.zz-modules
             )
         add_groups()
 
+        # Koji targets can only be 50 characters long, but the generate_koji_tag function
+        # checks the length with '-build' at the end, but we know we will never append '-build',
+        # so we can safely have the name check be more characters
+        target_length = 50 + len('-build')
+        target = module_build_service.utils.generate_koji_tag(
+            self.module.name, self.module.stream, self.module.version, self.module.context,
+            target_length)
         # Add main build target.
-        self.module_target = self._koji_add_target(self.tag_name,
-                                                   self.module_build_tag,
-                                                   self.module_tag)
+        self.module_target = self._koji_add_target(target, self.module_build_tag, self.module_tag)
 
         self.__prep = True
         log.info("%r buildroot sucessfully connected." % self)
diff --git a/module_build_service/utils/general.py b/module_build_service/utils/general.py
index 2f9fbb22..087d6eda 100644
--- a/module_build_service/utils/general.py
+++ b/module_build_service/utils/general.py
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ def module_build_state_from_msg(msg):
     return state
 
 
-def generate_koji_tag(name, stream, version, context):
+def generate_koji_tag(name, stream, version, context, max_length=256):
     """
     Generate a koji tag from name, stream, version and context.
 
@@ -101,14 +101,15 @@ def generate_koji_tag(name, stream, version, context):
     :param stream: a module's stream
     :param version: a module's version
     :param context: a module's context
+    :kwarg max_length: the maximum length the Koji tag can be before falling back to
+    the old format of "module-<hash>"
     :return: a Koji tag
     """
     nsvc_list = [name, stream, str(version), context]
     nsvc_tag = 'module-' + '-'.join(nsvc_list)
-    if len(nsvc_tag) + len('-build') > 256:
-        # Koji supports tag names with a max length of 256, fallback
-        # to the old way of 'module-<hash>' if the generated koji tag
-        # name is too long
+    if len(nsvc_tag) + len('-build') > max_length:
+        # Fallback to the old format of 'module-<hash>' if the generated koji tag
+        # name is longer than max_length
         nsvc_hash = hashlib.sha1('.'.join(nsvc_list)).hexdigest()[:16]
         return 'module-' + nsvc_hash
     return nsvc_tag
diff --git a/tests/test_builder/test_koji.py b/tests/test_builder/test_koji.py
index f2469f4f..4daae99a 100644
--- a/tests/test_builder/test_koji.py
+++ b/tests/test_builder/test_koji.py
@@ -69,7 +69,10 @@ class FakeKojiModuleBuilder(KojiModuleBuilder):
         koji_session.createTag = _createTag
 
         def _getBuildTarget(name):
-            return {"build_tag_name": name + "-build", "dest_tag_name": name}
+            return {
+                "build_tag_name": self.module_build_tag['name'],
+                "dest_tag_name": self.module_tag['name']
+            }
         koji_session.getBuildTarget = _getBuildTarget
 
         def _getAllPerms(*args, **kwargs):