diff --git a/ql/ql/src/queries/style/MissingQualityMetadata.ql b/ql/ql/src/queries/style/MissingQualityMetadata.ql
index 547590c01ee..88c87718634 100644
--- a/ql/ql/src/queries/style/MissingQualityMetadata.ql
+++ b/ql/ql/src/queries/style/MissingQualityMetadata.ql
@@ -34,14 +34,19 @@ where
     msg =
       "This query file has incorrect top-level categorisation. It should have exactly one top-level category, either `@tags maintainability` or `@tags reliability`."
     or
-    maintainabilitySubCategory(doc) and
-    not doc.getAQueryTag() = "maintainability" and
-    msg =
-      "This query file has a sub-category of maintainability but is missing the `@tags maintainability` tag."
-    or
-    reliabilitySubCategory(doc) and
-    not doc.getAQueryTag() = "reliability" and
-    msg =
-      "This query file has a sub-category of reliability but is missing the `@tags reliability` tag."
+    correctTopLevelCategorisation(doc) and
+    (
+      doc.getAQueryTag() = "reliability" and
+      not reliabilitySubCategory(doc) and
+      maintainabilitySubCategory(doc) and
+      msg =
+        "This query file has a sub-category of maintainability but has the `@tags reliability` tag."
+      or
+      doc.getAQueryTag() = "maintainability" and
+      not maintainabilitySubCategory(doc) and
+      reliabilitySubCategory(doc) and
+      msg =
+        "This query file has a sub-category of reliability but has the `@tags maintainability` tag."
+    )
   )
 select doc, msg
diff --git a/ql/ql/test/queries/style/MissingQualityMetadata/MissingQualityMetadata.expected b/ql/ql/test/queries/style/MissingQualityMetadata/MissingQualityMetadata.expected
index 9ee4bd78576..7904870bdf6 100644
--- a/ql/ql/test/queries/style/MissingQualityMetadata/MissingQualityMetadata.expected
+++ b/ql/ql/test/queries/style/MissingQualityMetadata/MissingQualityMetadata.expected
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
-| testcases/BadQualityMaintainabilityWrongToplevel.ql:1:1:11:3 | QueryDoc | This query file has a sub-category of reliability but is missing the `@tags reliability` tag. |
+| testcases/BadQualityMaintainabilityWrongToplevel.ql:1:1:11:3 | QueryDoc | This query file has a sub-category of reliability but has the `@tags maintainability` tag. |
 | testcases/BadQualityMultipleTopLevel.ql:1:1:11:3 | QueryDoc | This query file has incorrect top-level categorisation. It should have exactly one top-level category, either `@tags maintainability` or `@tags reliability`. |
 | testcases/BadQualityNoToplevel.ql:1:1:10:3 | QueryDoc | This query file has incorrect top-level categorisation. It should have exactly one top-level category, either `@tags maintainability` or `@tags reliability`. |
-| testcases/BadQualityReliabilityWrongToplevel.ql:1:1:11:3 | QueryDoc | This query file has a sub-category of maintainability but is missing the `@tags maintainability` tag. |
-| testcases/GoodQualityMaintainabilityWithCrossSub.ql:1:1:12:3 | QueryDoc | This query file has a sub-category of reliability but is missing the `@tags reliability` tag. |
-| testcases/GoodQualityReliabilityWithCrossSub.ql:1:1:12:3 | QueryDoc | This query file has a sub-category of maintainability but is missing the `@tags maintainability` tag. |
+| testcases/BadQualityReliabilityWrongToplevel.ql:1:1:11:3 | QueryDoc | This query file has a sub-category of maintainability but has the `@tags reliability` tag. |