diff --git a/mercurial/commands.py b/mercurial/commands.py
--- a/mercurial/commands.py
+++ b/mercurial/commands.py
@@ -5830,6 +5830,8 @@
                 expectedtype = 'global'
 
             for n in names:
+                if repo.alreadydeletedtag(n):
+                    raise error.Abort(_("tag '%s' is already deleted") % n)
                 if not repo.tagtype(n):
                     raise error.Abort(_("tag '%s' does not exist") % n)
                 if repo.tagtype(n) != expectedtype:
diff --git a/mercurial/localrepo.py b/mercurial/localrepo.py
--- a/mercurial/localrepo.py
+++ b/mercurial/localrepo.py
@@ -1481,6 +1481,14 @@
                          for (name, value) in tagtypes.iteritems()])
         return (tags, tagtypes)
 
+    def alreadydeletedtag(self, tagname):
+        '''return True if given tag is already deleted'''
+        alltags = {}
+        if self.tagtype(tagname) == 'global':
+            alltags = tagsmod.findglobaltags(self.ui, self)
+            return (alltags[tagname][0] == nullid)
+        return False
+
     def tagtype(self, tagname):
         '''
         return the type of the given tag. result can be:
diff --git a/tests/test-tags.t b/tests/test-tags.t
--- a/tests/test-tags.t
+++ b/tests/test-tags.t
@@ -759,3 +759,69 @@
   2 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
   $ (cd tags-local-clone/.hg/cache/; ls -1 tag*)
   tags2-visible
+
+Avoid writing logs on trying to delete an already deleted tag
+  $ hg init issue5752
+  $ cd issue5752
+  $ echo > a
+  $ hg commit -Am 'add a'
+  adding a
+  $ hg tag a
+  $ hg tags
+  tip                                1:bd7ee4f3939b
+  a                                  0:a8a82d372bb3
+  $ hg log
+  changeset:   1:bd7ee4f3939b
+  tag:         tip
+  user:        test
+  date:        Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+  summary:     Added tag a for changeset a8a82d372bb3
+  
+  changeset:   0:a8a82d372bb3
+  tag:         a
+  user:        test
+  date:        Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+  summary:     add a
+  
+  $ hg tag --remove a
+  $ hg log
+  changeset:   2:e7feacc7ec9e
+  tag:         tip
+  user:        test
+  date:        Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+  summary:     Removed tag a
+  
+  changeset:   1:bd7ee4f3939b
+  user:        test
+  date:        Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+  summary:     Added tag a for changeset a8a82d372bb3
+  
+  changeset:   0:a8a82d372bb3
+  user:        test
+  date:        Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+  summary:     add a
+  
+  $ hg tag --remove a
+  abort: tag 'a' is already deleted
+  [255]
+  $ hg log
+  changeset:   2:e7feacc7ec9e
+  tag:         tip
+  user:        test
+  date:        Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+  summary:     Removed tag a
+  
+  changeset:   1:bd7ee4f3939b
+  user:        test
+  date:        Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+  summary:     Added tag a for changeset a8a82d372bb3
+  
+  changeset:   0:a8a82d372bb3
+  user:        test
+  date:        Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+  summary:     add a
+  
+  $ cat .hgtags
+  a8a82d372bb35b42ff736e74f07c23bcd99c371f a
+  a8a82d372bb35b42ff736e74f07c23bcd99c371f a
+  0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 a