diff --git a/evennia/contrib/puzzles.py b/evennia/contrib/puzzles.py
index 663ecea1a6..3c79326e58 100644
--- a/evennia/contrib/puzzles.py
+++ b/evennia/contrib/puzzles.py
@@ -79,11 +79,7 @@ from evennia import DefaultExit
 from evennia.commands.default.muxcommand import MuxCommand
 from evennia.utils.utils import inherits_from
 from evennia.utils import search, utils, logger
-from evennia.prototypes.spawner import (
-        spawn,
-        # prototype_from_object,
-        # prototype_diff
-)
+from evennia.prototypes.spawner import spawn
 
 # Tag used by puzzles
 _PUZZLES_TAG_CATEGORY = 'puzzles'
@@ -114,9 +110,6 @@ def proto_def(obj, with_tags=True):
         'permissions': obj.permissions.all()[:],
     }
     if with_tags:
-        # import ipdb
-        # ipdb.set_trace()
-        _tags = obj.tags.get(return_tagobj=True, return_list=True)
         tags = obj.tags.all(return_key_and_category=True)
         tags = [(t[0], t[1], None) for t in tags]
         tags.append((_PUZZLES_TAG_MEMBER, _PUZZLES_TAG_CATEGORY, None))
@@ -555,7 +548,10 @@ class CmdUsePuzzleParts(MuxCommand):
         puzzle_ingredients = dict()
         for part in parts:
             parts_dict[part.dbref] = part
-            puzzle_ingredients[part.dbref] = proto_def(part, with_tags=False)
+            protodef = proto_def(part, with_tags=False)
+            # remove 'prototype_key' as it will prevent equality
+            del(protodef['prototype_key'])
+            puzzle_ingredients[part.dbref] = protodef
             tags_categories = part.tags.all(return_key_and_category=True)
             for tag, category in tags_categories:
                 if category != _PUZZLES_TAG_CATEGORY:
@@ -585,9 +581,10 @@ class CmdUsePuzzleParts(MuxCommand):
         matched_puzzles = dict()
         for puzzle in puzzles:
             puzzle_protoparts = list(puzzle.db.parts[:])
-            # remove tags as they prevent equality
+            # remove tags and prototype_key as they prevent equality
             for puzzle_protopart in puzzle_protoparts:
                 del(puzzle_protopart['tags'])
+                del(puzzle_protopart['prototype_key'])
             matched_dbrefparts = []
             parts_dbrefs = puzzlename_tags_dict[puzzle.db.puzzle_name]
             for part_dbref in parts_dbrefs:
diff --git a/evennia/prototypes/spawner.py b/evennia/prototypes/spawner.py
index ce08944139..fd9b4545e6 100644
--- a/evennia/prototypes/spawner.py
+++ b/evennia/prototypes/spawner.py
@@ -714,8 +714,8 @@ def spawn(*prototypes, **kwargs):
 
         val = prot.pop("tags", [])
         tags = []
-        for (tag, category, data) in tags:
-            tags.append((init_spawn_value(val, str), category, data))
+        for (tag, category, data) in val:
+            tags.append((init_spawn_value(tag, str), category, data))
 
         prototype_key = prototype.get('prototype_key', None)
         if prototype_key: