diff --git a/kustomize/commands/edit/add/addmetadata.go b/kustomize/commands/edit/add/addmetadata.go
index eda017b76..bc4ca28f4 100644
--- a/kustomize/commands/edit/add/addmetadata.go
+++ b/kustomize/commands/edit/add/addmetadata.go
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ type addMetadataOptions struct {
 	mapValidator          func(map[string]string) error
 	kind                  kindOfAdd
 	labelsWithoutSelector bool
+	includeTemplates      bool
 }
 
 // newCmdAddAnnotation adds one or more commonAnnotations to the kustomization file.
@@ -83,6 +84,9 @@ func newCmdAddLabel(fSys filesys.FileSystem, v func(map[string]string) error) *c
 	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&o.labelsWithoutSelector, "without-selector", false,
 		"using add labels without selector option",
 	)
+	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&o.includeTemplates, "include-templates", false,
+		"include labels in templates (requires --without-selector)",
+	)
 	return cmd
 }
 
@@ -132,7 +136,11 @@ func (o *addMetadataOptions) addAnnotations(m *types.Kustomization) error {
 
 func (o *addMetadataOptions) addLabels(m *types.Kustomization) error {
 	if o.labelsWithoutSelector {
-		m.Labels = append(m.Labels, types.Label{Pairs: make(map[string]string), IncludeSelectors: false})
+		m.Labels = append(m.Labels, types.Label{
+			Pairs:            make(map[string]string),
+			IncludeSelectors: false,
+			IncludeTemplates: o.includeTemplates,
+		})
 		return o.writeToMap(m.Labels[len(m.Labels)-1].Pairs, label)
 	}
 	if m.CommonLabels == nil {
diff --git a/kustomize/commands/edit/add/addmetadata_test.go b/kustomize/commands/edit/add/addmetadata_test.go
index 329a48df0..bcc1e186d 100644
--- a/kustomize/commands/edit/add/addmetadata_test.go
+++ b/kustomize/commands/edit/add/addmetadata_test.go
@@ -284,6 +284,16 @@ func TestAddLabelWithoutSelector(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, m.Labels[0], types.Label{Pairs: map[string]string{"new": "label"}})
 }
 
+func TestAddLabelWithoutSelectorIncludeTemplates(t *testing.T) {
+	var o addMetadataOptions
+	o.labelsWithoutSelector = true
+	m := makeKustomization(t)
+	o.metadata = map[string]string{"new": "label"}
+	o.includeTemplates = true
+	require.NoError(t, o.addLabels(m))
+	assert.Equal(t, m.Labels[0], types.Label{Pairs: map[string]string{"new": "label"}, IncludeTemplates: true})
+}
+
 func TestAddLabelWithoutSelectorAddLabel(t *testing.T) {
 	var o addMetadataOptions
 	o.metadata = map[string]string{"owls": "cute", "otters": "adorable"}