diff --git a/java/common/org.eclipse.theia.cloud.common/src/main/java/org/eclipse/theia/cloud/common/util/LabelsUtil.java b/java/common/org.eclipse.theia.cloud.common/src/main/java/org/eclipse/theia/cloud/common/util/LabelsUtil.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b43ea6ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/common/org.eclipse.theia.cloud.common/src/main/java/org/eclipse/theia/cloud/common/util/LabelsUtil.java
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+package org.eclipse.theia.cloud.common.util;
+
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
+
+import org.eclipse.theia.cloud.common.k8s.resource.appdefinition.AppDefinitionSpec;
+import org.eclipse.theia.cloud.common.k8s.resource.session.SessionSpec;
+
+public class LabelsUtil {
+    public static final String LABEL_CUSTOM_PREFIX = "theia-cloud.io";
+
+    public static final String LABEL_KEY_SESSION = "app.kubernetes.io/component";
+    public static final String LABEL_VALUE_SESSION = "session";
+
+    public static final String LABEL_KEY_USER = LABEL_CUSTOM_PREFIX + "/user";
+    public static final String LABEL_KEY_APPDEF = LABEL_CUSTOM_PREFIX + "/app-definition";
+
+    public static Map<String, String> createSessionLabels(SessionSpec sessionSpec, AppDefinitionSpec appDefinitionSpec) {
+        Map<String, String> labels = new HashMap<>();
+        labels.put(LABEL_KEY_SESSION, LABEL_VALUE_SESSION);
+        String userName = sessionSpec.getUser().split("@")[0];
+        labels.put(LABEL_KEY_USER, userName);
+        labels.put(LABEL_KEY_APPDEF, appDefinitionSpec.getName());
+        return labels;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/java/operator/org.eclipse.theia.cloud.operator/src/main/java/org/eclipse/theia/cloud/operator/handler/session/EagerStartSessionHandler.java b/java/operator/org.eclipse.theia.cloud.operator/src/main/java/org/eclipse/theia/cloud/operator/handler/session/EagerStartSessionHandler.java
index c9ddd205..88afaf30 100644
--- a/java/operator/org.eclipse.theia.cloud.operator/src/main/java/org/eclipse/theia/cloud/operator/handler/session/EagerStartSessionHandler.java
+++ b/java/operator/org.eclipse.theia.cloud.operator/src/main/java/org/eclipse/theia/cloud/operator/handler/session/EagerStartSessionHandler.java
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map.Entry;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Optional;
 
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager;
@@ -30,6 +32,7 @@
 import org.eclipse.theia.cloud.common.k8s.resource.session.Session;
 import org.eclipse.theia.cloud.common.k8s.resource.session.SessionSpec;
 import org.eclipse.theia.cloud.common.util.JavaUtil;
+import org.eclipse.theia.cloud.common.util.LabelsUtil;
 import org.eclipse.theia.cloud.operator.TheiaCloudOperatorArguments;
 import org.eclipse.theia.cloud.operator.handler.AddedHandlerUtil;
 import org.eclipse.theia.cloud.operator.ingress.IngressPathProvider;
@@ -115,6 +118,25 @@ public boolean sessionAdded(Session session, String correlationId) {
             return false;
         }
 
+        try {
+            client.services().inNamespace(client.namespace()).withName(serviceToUse.get().getMetadata().getName())
+                .edit(service -> {
+                    LOGGER.info("Setting pod labels");
+                    Map<String, String> labels = service.getMetadata().getLabels();
+                    if (labels == null) {
+                        labels = new HashMap<>();
+                        service.getMetadata().setLabels(labels);
+                    }
+                    Map<String, String> newLabels = LabelsUtil.createSessionLabels(spec, appDefinition.get().getSpec());
+                    labels.putAll(newLabels);
+                    return service;
+                });
+        } catch (KubernetesClientException e) {
+            LOGGER.error(formatLogMessage(correlationId,
+                    "Error while adding labels to service " + (serviceToUse.get().getMetadata().getName())), e);
+            return false;
+        }
+
         /* get the deployment for the service and add as owner */
         Integer instance = TheiaCloudServiceUtil.getId(correlationId, appDefinition.get(), serviceToUse.get());
         if (instance == null) {
diff --git a/java/operator/org.eclipse.theia.cloud.operator/src/main/java/org/eclipse/theia/cloud/operator/handler/session/LazySessionHandler.java b/java/operator/org.eclipse.theia.cloud.operator/src/main/java/org/eclipse/theia/cloud/operator/handler/session/LazySessionHandler.java
index 5cc0fd16..8ed86e05 100644
--- a/java/operator/org.eclipse.theia.cloud.operator/src/main/java/org/eclipse/theia/cloud/operator/handler/session/LazySessionHandler.java
+++ b/java/operator/org.eclipse.theia.cloud.operator/src/main/java/org/eclipse/theia/cloud/operator/handler/session/LazySessionHandler.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Optional;
 
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager;
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@
 import org.eclipse.theia.cloud.common.k8s.resource.session.SessionSpec;
 import org.eclipse.theia.cloud.common.k8s.resource.session.SessionStatus;
 import org.eclipse.theia.cloud.common.k8s.resource.workspace.Workspace;
+import org.eclipse.theia.cloud.common.util.LabelsUtil;
 import org.eclipse.theia.cloud.common.util.TheiaCloudError;
 import org.eclipse.theia.cloud.common.util.WorkspaceUtil;
 import org.eclipse.theia.cloud.operator.TheiaCloudOperatorArguments;
@@ -444,6 +446,16 @@ protected void createAndApplyDeployment(String correlationId, String sessionReso
         }
         K8sUtil.loadAndCreateDeploymentWithOwnerReference(client.kubernetes(), client.namespace(), correlationId,
                 deploymentYaml, Session.API, Session.KIND, sessionResourceName, sessionResourceUID, 0, deployment -> {
+
+                    LOGGER.info("Setting pod labels");
+                    Map<String, String> labels = deployment.getSpec().getTemplate().getMetadata().getLabels();
+                    if (labels == null) {
+                        labels = new HashMap<>();
+                        deployment.getSpec().getTemplate().getMetadata().setLabels(labels);
+                    }
+                    Map<String, String> newLabels = LabelsUtil.createSessionLabels(session.getSpec(), appDefinition.getSpec());
+                    labels.putAll(newLabels);
+
                     pvName.ifPresent(name -> addVolumeClaim(deployment, name, appDefinition.getSpec()));
                     bandwidthLimiter.limit(deployment, appDefinition.getSpec().getDownlinkLimit(),
                             appDefinition.getSpec().getUplinkLimit(), correlationId);