diff --git a/bumpversion/__init__.py b/bumpversion/__init__.py
index 877fd11..c9f029d 100644
--- a/bumpversion/__init__.py
+++ b/bumpversion/__init__.py
@@ -152,7 +152,9 @@ def tag(cls, name, message):
         command = ["git", "tag", name]
         if message:
             command += ['--message', message]
-        subprocess.check_output(command)
+        elif message is None:
+            command += ['--annotate']
+        subprocess.check_call(command)
 
 
 class Mercurial(BaseVCS):
@@ -187,7 +189,9 @@ def tag(cls, name, message):
         command = ["hg", "tag", name]
         if message:
             command += ['--message', message]
-        subprocess.check_output(command)
+        elif message is None:
+            command += ['--edit']
+        subprocess.check_call(command)
 
 VCS = [Git, Mercurial]
 
@@ -786,7 +790,7 @@ def main(original_args=None):
                          help='Tag name (only works with --tag)',
                          default=defaults.get('tag_name', 'v{new_version}'))
 
-    parser3.add_argument('--tag-message', metavar='TAG_MESSAGE', dest='tag_message',
+    parser3.add_argument('--tag-message', metavar='TAG_MESSAGE', dest='tag_message', nargs='?',
                          help='Tag message', default=defaults.get('tag_message', 'Bump version: {current_version} → {new_version}'))
 
     parser3.add_argument('--message', '-m', metavar='COMMIT_MSG',
@@ -804,11 +808,11 @@ def main(original_args=None):
                          nargs='*',
                          help='Files to change', default=file_names)
 
-    args = parser3.parse_args(remaining_argv + positionals)
+    args = parser3.parse_args(positionals + remaining_argv)
 
     if args.dry_run:
         logger.info("Dry run active, won't touch any files.")
-    
+
     if args.new_version:
         new_version = vc.parse(args.new_version)
 
@@ -922,11 +926,13 @@ def main(original_args=None):
         vcs.commit(message=commit_message)
 
     tag_name = args.tag_name.format(**vcs_context)
-    tag_message = args.tag_message.format(**vcs_context)
+    tag_message = (args.tag_message.format(**vcs_context)
+                   if args.tag_message is not None else None)
     logger.info("{} '{}' {} in {}".format(
         "Would tag" if not do_tag else "Tagging",
         tag_name,
-        "with message '{}'".format(tag_message) if tag_message else "without message",
+        ("with message from editor" if tag_message is None else
+         "with message '{}'".format(tag_message)),
         vcs.__name__
     ))
 
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index bf5a067..260aec1 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ def _mock_calls_to_string(called_mock):
 [--commit | --no-commit]
 [--tag | --no-tag]
 [--tag-name TAG_NAME]
-[--tag-message TAG_MESSAGE]
 [--message COMMIT_MSG]
 part
 [file [file ...]]
@@ -121,7 +120,7 @@ def _mock_calls_to_string(called_mock):
   --no-tag              Do not create a tag in version control
   --tag-name TAG_NAME   Tag name (only works with --tag) (default:
                         v{new_version})
-  --tag-message TAG_MESSAGE
+  --tag-message [TAG_MESSAGE]
                         Tag message (default: Bump version: {current_version}
                         → {new_version})
   --message COMMIT_MSG, -m COMMIT_MSG
@@ -788,6 +787,21 @@ def test_annotated_tag(tmpdir, vcs):
         raise ValueError("Unknown VCS")
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(("vcs"), [xfail_if_no_git("git"), xfail_if_no_hg("hg")])
+def test_annotated_editor_tag(tmpdir, vcs):
+    tmpdir.chdir()
+    check_call([vcs, "init"])
+    tmpdir.join("VERSION").write("42.4.1")
+    check_call([vcs, "add", "VERSION"])
+    check_call([vcs, "commit", "-m", "initial commit"])
+
+    with mock.patch("bumpversion.logger") as logger:
+        main(['patch', '--current-version', '42.4.1', '--commit', '--tag', 'VERSION', '--dry-run', '--tag-message'])
+
+    actual_log ="\n".join(_mock_calls_to_string(logger)[4:])
+    assert "Would tag 'v42.4.2' with message from editor" in actual_log
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(("vcs"), [xfail_if_no_git("git")])
 def test_vcs_describe(tmpdir, vcs):
     tmpdir.chdir()