diff --git a/examples/advection/surface.py b/examples/advection/surface.py
index df179a7615f1e643f8e25bdde656cfed4edfc3e7..ef378cf541f8400b0537576f93e0bcb9aab26e3e 100644
--- a/examples/advection/surface.py
+++ b/examples/advection/surface.py
@@ -139,12 +139,14 @@ def main(ctx_factory, dim=2, order=4, product_tag=None, visualize=False):
     quad_tag_to_group_factory = {}
     if product_tag == "none":
         product_tag = None
+    else:
+        product_tag = dof_desc.DISCR_TAG_QUAD
 
     from meshmode.discretization.poly_element import \
             PolynomialWarpAndBlendGroupFactory, \
             QuadratureSimplexGroupFactory
 
-    quad_tag_to_group_factory[dof_desc.QTAG_NONE] = \
+    quad_tag_to_group_factory[dof_desc.DISCR_TAG_BASE] = \
             PolynomialWarpAndBlendGroupFactory(order)
 
     if product_tag:
diff --git a/examples/wave/wave-op-var-velocity.py b/examples/wave/wave-op-var-velocity.py
index 799ee2ed371c3172f4a16a65dbe6bc22a1277989..3ba8d96c7223660c5ab2155141d5d04ae377fec7 100644
--- a/examples/wave/wave-op-var-velocity.py
+++ b/examples/wave/wave-op-var-velocity.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ from meshmode.dof_array import thaw
 from meshmode.mesh import BTAG_ALL, BTAG_NONE  # noqa
 
 from grudge.discretization import DiscretizationCollection
-from grudge.dof_desc import QTAG_NONE, DOFDesc
+from grudge.dof_desc import DISCR_TAG_BASE, DISCR_TAG_QUAD, DOFDesc
 import grudge.op as op
 from grudge.shortcuts import make_visualizer
 from grudge.symbolic.primitives import TracePair
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ from grudge.symbolic.primitives import TracePair
 
 def wave_flux(dcoll, c, w_tpair):
     dd = w_tpair.dd
-    dd_quad = dd.with_qtag("vel_prod")
+    dd_quad = dd.with_discr_tag(DISCR_TAG_QUAD)
 
     u = w_tpair[0]
     v = w_tpair[1:]
@@ -78,13 +78,13 @@ def wave_operator(dcoll, c, w):
     dir_bval = flat_obj_array(dir_u, dir_v)
     dir_bc = flat_obj_array(-dir_u, dir_v)
 
-    dd_quad = DOFDesc("vol", "vel_prod")
+    dd_quad = DOFDesc("vol", DISCR_TAG_QUAD)
     c_quad = op.project(dcoll, "vol", dd_quad, c)
     w_quad = op.project(dcoll, "vol", dd_quad, w)
     u_quad = w_quad[0]
     v_quad = w_quad[1:]
 
-    dd_allfaces_quad = DOFDesc("all_faces", "vel_prod")
+    dd_allfaces_quad = DOFDesc("all_faces", DISCR_TAG_QUAD)
 
     return (
             op.inverse_mass(dcoll,
@@ -163,8 +163,8 @@ def main():
             PolynomialWarpAndBlendGroupFactory
     dcoll = DiscretizationCollection(actx, mesh,
             quad_tag_to_group_factory={
-                QTAG_NONE: PolynomialWarpAndBlendGroupFactory(order),
-                "vel_prod": QuadratureSimplexGroupFactory(3*order),
+                DISCR_TAG_BASE: PolynomialWarpAndBlendGroupFactory(order),
+                DISCR_TAG_QUAD: QuadratureSimplexGroupFactory(3*order),
                 })
 
     # bounded above by 1
diff --git a/grudge/models/advection.py b/grudge/models/advection.py
index 55ad4fc70add026ee43c25b8a2e6993183985e1f..980425e5be60079d46bd2067936cdad83f164ec7 100644
--- a/grudge/models/advection.py
+++ b/grudge/models/advection.py
@@ -200,11 +200,12 @@ def v_dot_n_tpair(velocity, dd=None):
         dd = DOFDesc(FACE_RESTR_INTERIOR)
 
     ambient_dim = len(velocity)
-    normal = sym.normal(dd.with_qtag(None), ambient_dim, dim=ambient_dim - 2)
+    normal = sym.normal(dd.with_discr_tag(None),
+                        ambient_dim, dim=ambient_dim - 2)
 
     return sym.int_tpair(velocity.dot(normal),
-            qtag=dd.quadrature_tag,
-            from_dd=dd.with_qtag(None))
+            qtag=dd.discretization_tag,
+            from_dd=dd.with_discr_tag(None))
 
 
 def surface_advection_weak_flux(flux_type, u, velocity):
@@ -231,7 +232,7 @@ class SurfaceAdvectionOperator(AdvectionOperatorBase):
     def flux(self, u):
         from grudge.dof_desc import DD_VOLUME
 
-        surf_v = sym.project(DD_VOLUME, u.dd.with_qtag(None))(self.v)
+        surf_v = sym.project(DD_VOLUME, u.dd.with_discr_tag(None))(self.v)
         return surface_advection_weak_flux(self.flux_type, u, surf_v)
 
     def sym_operator(self):