diff --git a/kolibri/core/content/api.py b/kolibri/core/content/api.py
index 83724ca071a..b3f13c24c5b 100644
--- a/kolibri/core/content/api.py
+++ b/kolibri/core/content/api.py
@@ -826,6 +826,8 @@ class OptionalPagination(ValuesViewsetCursorPagination):
 
 
 class OptionalContentNodePagination(OptionalPagination):
+    use_deprecated_channels_labels = False
+
     def paginate_queryset(self, queryset, request, view=None):
         # Record the queryset for use in returning available filters
         self.queryset = queryset
@@ -839,7 +841,12 @@ def get_paginated_response(self, data):
                 [
                     ("more", self.get_more()),
                     ("results", data),
-                    ("labels", get_available_metadata_labels(self.queryset)),
+                    (
+                        "labels",
+                        get_available_metadata_labels(
+                            self.queryset, self.use_deprecated_channels_labels
+                        ),
+                    ),
                 ]
             )
         )
@@ -864,6 +871,10 @@ def get_paginated_response_schema(self, schema):
         }
 
 
+class PublicContentNodePagination(OptionalContentNodePagination):
+    use_deprecated_channels_labels = True
+
+
 @method_decorator(remote_metadata_cache, name="dispatch")
 class ContentNodeViewset(InternalContentNodeMixin, RemoteMixin, ReadOnlyValuesViewset):
     pagination_class = OptionalContentNodePagination
diff --git a/kolibri/core/content/test/test_content_app.py b/kolibri/core/content/test/test_content_app.py
index 09836a5af2e..8c5e6f46ad6 100644
--- a/kolibri/core/content/test/test_content_app.py
+++ b/kolibri/core/content/test/test_content_app.py
@@ -392,6 +392,23 @@ def test_contentnode_list(self):
         self.assertEqual(len(response.data), expected_output)
         self._assert_nodes(response.data, nodes)
 
+    def test_contentnode_channel_metadata_label_absent_in_internal_api(self):
+        response = self._get(
+            reverse("kolibri:core:contentnode-list"), data={"max_results": 5}
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
+        if not self.baseurl:
+            self.assertNotIn("channels", response.data.get("labels"))
+        else:
+            self.assertIn("channels", response.data.get("labels"))
+
+    def test_contentnode_channel_metadata_label_present_in_public_api(self):
+        response = self._get(
+            reverse("kolibri:core:publiccontentnode-list"), data={"max_results": 5}
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
+        self.assertIn("channels", response.data.get("labels"))
+
     def test_contentnode_etag(self):
         root = content.ContentNode.objects.get(title="root")
         nodes = root.get_descendants(include_self=True).filter(available=True)
diff --git a/kolibri/core/content/utils/search.py b/kolibri/core/content/utils/search.py
index 1658744492d..a7cf56c05d6 100644
--- a/kolibri/core/content/utils/search.py
+++ b/kolibri/core/content/utils/search.py
@@ -105,14 +105,17 @@ def template(self):
         )
 
 
-def get_available_metadata_labels(base_queryset):  # noqa: C901
+def get_available_metadata_labels(  # noqa: C901
+    base_queryset, use_deprecated_channels_labels=False
+):
     from kolibri.core.device.models import ContentCacheKey
 
     content_cache_key = ContentCacheKey.get_cache_key()
     try:
-        cache_key = "search-labels:{}:{}".format(
+        cache_key = "search-labels:{}:{}:{}".format(
             content_cache_key,
             hashlib.md5(str(base_queryset.query).encode("utf8")).hexdigest(),
+            "with-channels" if use_deprecated_channels_labels else "no-channels",
         )
     except EmptyResultSet:
         return empty_labels
@@ -137,7 +140,8 @@ def get_available_metadata_labels(base_queryset):  # noqa: C901
                 if bit_value is not None and bit_value & value["bits"]:
                     output[value["field_name"]].append(value["label"])
         output["languages"] = _get_available_languages(base_queryset)
-        output["channels"] = _get_available_channels(base_queryset)
+        if use_deprecated_channels_labels:
+            output["channels"] = _get_available_channels(base_queryset)
         cache.set(cache_key, output, timeout=None)
     return cache.get(cache_key)
 
diff --git a/kolibri/core/public/api.py b/kolibri/core/public/api.py
index 378878dc590..2ef03163403 100644
--- a/kolibri/core/public/api.py
+++ b/kolibri/core/public/api.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 from kolibri.core.content.api import BaseContentNodeMixin
 from kolibri.core.content.api import BaseContentNodeTreeViewset
 from kolibri.core.content.api import metadata_cache
-from kolibri.core.content.api import OptionalContentNodePagination
+from kolibri.core.content.api import PublicContentNodePagination
 from kolibri.core.content.models import ChannelMetadata
 from kolibri.core.content.models import ContentNode
 from kolibri.core.content.models import LocalFile
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ def get_queryset(self):
 
 @method_decorator(public_metadata_cache, name="dispatch")
 class PublicContentNodeViewSet(BaseContentNodeMixin, ReadOnlyValuesViewset):
-    pagination_class = OptionalContentNodePagination
+    pagination_class = PublicContentNodePagination
 
 
 @method_decorator(public_metadata_cache, name="dispatch")