diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/api/categories.ts b/frontend/src/lib/api/categories.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b428111
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/api/categories.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+import { get } from 'svelte/store';
+import { api } from '$lib/api/client';
+import type { Category, CategoryOffsetPage } from '$lib/api/types';
+import { categorySorting } from '$lib/stores/sorting';
+
+// The /categories endpoint caps limit at 200 per request. Category dropdowns
+// show the whole list, so page through to get them all — otherwise categories
+// past the first 200 are missing from the picker.
+const PAGE = 200;
+
+/**
+ * Fetches every category, paging past the server's per-request cap. Ordered by
+ * the sort the user picked on the categories page (categorySorting).
+ */
+export async function fetchAllCategories(): Promise<Category[]> {
+	const { sort, order } = get(categorySorting);
+	const all: Category[] = [];
+	for (let offset = 0; ; offset += PAGE) {
+		const page = await api.get<CategoryOffsetPage>(
+			`/categories?limit=${PAGE}&offset=${offset}&sort=${sort}&order=${order}`
+		);
+		const items = page.items ?? [];
+		all.push(...items);
+		const total = page.total ?? all.length;
+		if (items.length < PAGE || all.length >= total) break;
+	}
+	return all;
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/api/tags.ts b/frontend/src/lib/api/tags.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..26245c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/api/tags.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import { get } from 'svelte/store';
+import { api } from '$lib/api/client';
+import type { Tag, TagOffsetPage } from '$lib/api/types';
+import { tagSorting } from '$lib/stores/sorting';
+
+// The /tags endpoint caps limit at 200 per request. Pickers and the filter bar
+// filter the tag list client-side, so they need the *whole* list — otherwise
+// tags past the first 200 are invisible and unsearchable. Page through until we
+// have them all.
+const PAGE = 200;
+
+/**
+ * Fetches every tag, paging past the server's per-request cap. Ordered by the
+ * sort the user picked on the tags page (tagSorting), so the pickers and filter
+ * bar show tags in the same order as that page.
+ */
+export async function fetchAllTags(): Promise<Tag[]> {
+	const { sort, order } = get(tagSorting);
+	const all: Tag[] = [];
+	for (let offset = 0; ; offset += PAGE) {
+		const page = await api.get<TagOffsetPage>(
+			`/tags?limit=${PAGE}&offset=${offset}&sort=${sort}&order=${order}`
+		);
+		const items = page.items ?? [];
+		all.push(...items);
+		const total = page.total ?? all.length;
+		if (items.length < PAGE || all.length >= total) break;
+	}
+	return all;
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/file/BulkTagEditor.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/file/BulkTagEditor.svelte
index a4d82a9..8c8b994 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/file/BulkTagEditor.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/file/BulkTagEditor.svelte
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 <script lang="ts">
 	import { api } from '$lib/api/client';
-	import type { Tag, TagOffsetPage } from '$lib/api/types';
+	import type { Tag } from '$lib/api/types';
+	import { fetchAllTags } from '$lib/api/tags';
 
 	interface Props {
 		fileIds: string[];
@@ -30,13 +31,13 @@
 		error = '';
 		try {
 			const [tagsRes, commonRes] = await Promise.all([
-				api.get<TagOffsetPage>('/tags?limit=200&sort=name&order=asc'),
+				fetchAllTags(),
 				api.post<{ common_tag_ids: string[]; partial_tag_ids: string[] }>(
 					'/files/bulk/common-tags',
 					{ file_ids: fileIds }
 				)
 			]);
-			allTags = tagsRes.items ?? [];
+			allTags = tagsRes;
 			commonIds = new Set(commonRes.common_tag_ids ?? []);
 			partialIds = new Set(commonRes.partial_tag_ids ?? []);
 		} catch {
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/file/FilterBar.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/file/FilterBar.svelte
index 63ee10d..e2fa892 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/file/FilterBar.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/file/FilterBar.svelte
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <script lang="ts">
-	import { api } from '$lib/api/client';
-	import type { Tag, TagOffsetPage } from '$lib/api/types';
+	import type { Tag } from '$lib/api/types';
+	import { fetchAllTags } from '$lib/api/tags';
 	import { buildDslFilter, parseDslFilter, tokenLabel } from '$lib/utils/dsl';
 
 	interface Props {
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@
 	});
 
 	$effect(() => {
-		api.get<TagOffsetPage>('/tags?limit=200&sort=name&order=asc').then((page) => {
-			tags = page.items ?? [];
+		fetchAllTags().then((all) => {
+			tags = all;
 		});
 	});
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/file/TagPicker.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/file/TagPicker.svelte
index 4f5cadf..88e047d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/file/TagPicker.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/file/TagPicker.svelte
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <script lang="ts">
-	import { api } from '$lib/api/client';
-	import type { Tag, TagOffsetPage } from '$lib/api/types';
+	import type { Tag } from '$lib/api/types';
+	import { fetchAllTags } from '$lib/api/tags';
 
 	interface Props {
 		fileTags: Tag[];
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@
 	let busy = $state(false);
 
 	$effect(() => {
-		api.get<TagOffsetPage>('/tags?limit=200&sort=name&order=asc').then((p) => {
-			allTags = p.items ?? [];
+		fetchAllTags().then((all) => {
+			allTags = all;
 		});
 	});
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/tag/TagRuleEditor.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/tag/TagRuleEditor.svelte
index 33996e0..e70cc8a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/tag/TagRuleEditor.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/tag/TagRuleEditor.svelte
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 <script lang="ts">
 	import { api, ApiError } from '$lib/api/client';
-	import type { Tag, TagOffsetPage, TagRule } from '$lib/api/types';
+	import type { Tag, TagRule } from '$lib/api/types';
+	import { fetchAllTags } from '$lib/api/tags';
 	import TagBadge from './TagBadge.svelte';
 	import { appSettings } from '$lib/stores/appSettings';
 
@@ -18,8 +19,8 @@
 	let error = $state('');
 
 	$effect(() => {
-		api.get<TagOffsetPage>('/tags?limit=200&sort=name&order=asc').then((p) => {
-			allTags = p.items ?? [];
+		fetchAllTags().then((all) => {
+			allTags = all;
 		});
 	});
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/tags/[id]/+page.svelte b/frontend/src/routes/tags/[id]/+page.svelte
index 4794829..3fb3ada 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/tags/[id]/+page.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/tags/[id]/+page.svelte
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
 	import { goto } from '$app/navigation';
 	import { page } from '$app/state';
 	import { api, ApiError } from '$lib/api/client';
-	import type { Category, CategoryOffsetPage, Tag, TagRule } from '$lib/api/types';
+	import type { Category, Tag, TagRule } from '$lib/api/types';
+	import { fetchAllCategories } from '$lib/api/categories';
 	import TagRuleEditor from '$lib/components/tag/TagRuleEditor.svelte';
 	import ConfirmDialog from '$lib/components/common/ConfirmDialog.svelte';
 
@@ -32,12 +33,12 @@
 		loadError = '';
 		void Promise.all([
 			api.get<Tag>(`/tags/${id}`),
-			api.get<CategoryOffsetPage>('/categories?limit=200&sort=name&order=asc'),
+			fetchAllCategories(),
 			api.get<TagRule[]>(`/tags/${id}/rules`).catch(() => [] as TagRule[])
 		])
 			.then(([t, cats, r]) => {
 				tag = t;
-				categories = cats.items ?? [];
+				categories = cats;
 				rules = r;
 
 				name = t.name ?? '';
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/tags/new/+page.svelte b/frontend/src/routes/tags/new/+page.svelte
index 6bff57c..9cdf2fa 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/tags/new/+page.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/tags/new/+page.svelte
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 <script lang="ts">
 	import { goto } from '$app/navigation';
 	import { api, ApiError } from '$lib/api/client';
-	import type { Category, CategoryOffsetPage } from '$lib/api/types';
+	import type { Category } from '$lib/api/types';
+	import { fetchAllCategories } from '$lib/api/categories';
 
 	let name = $state('');
 	let notes = $state('');
@@ -13,8 +14,8 @@
 	let categories = $state<Category[]>([]);
 
 	$effect(() => {
-		api.get<CategoryOffsetPage>('/categories?limit=200&sort=name&order=asc').then((p) => {
-			categories = p.items ?? [];
+		fetchAllCategories().then((all) => {
+			categories = all;
 		});
 	});