diff --git a/api/internal/plugins/builtinconfig/transformerconfig.go b/api/internal/plugins/builtinconfig/transformerconfig.go
index a28627a13..867a04d20 100644
--- a/api/internal/plugins/builtinconfig/transformerconfig.go
+++ b/api/internal/plugins/builtinconfig/transformerconfig.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ type TransformerConfig struct {
 	NameSuffix        types.FsSlice `json:"nameSuffix,omitempty" yaml:"nameSuffix,omitempty"`
 	NameSpace         types.FsSlice `json:"namespace,omitempty" yaml:"namespace,omitempty"`
 	CommonLabels      types.FsSlice `json:"commonLabels,omitempty" yaml:"commonLabels,omitempty"`
+	TemplateLabels    types.FsSlice `json:"templateLabels,omitempty" yaml:"templateLabels,omitempty"`
 	CommonAnnotations types.FsSlice `json:"commonAnnotations,omitempty" yaml:"commonAnnotations,omitempty"`
 	NameReference     nbrSlice      `json:"nameReference,omitempty" yaml:"nameReference,omitempty"`
 	VarReference      types.FsSlice `json:"varReference,omitempty" yaml:"varReference,omitempty"`
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ func (t *TransformerConfig) sortFields() {
 	sort.Sort(t.NamePrefix)
 	sort.Sort(t.NameSpace)
 	sort.Sort(t.CommonLabels)
+	sort.Sort(t.TemplateLabels)
 	sort.Sort(t.CommonAnnotations)
 	sort.Sort(t.NameReference)
 	sort.Sort(t.VarReference)
@@ -127,6 +129,10 @@ func (t *TransformerConfig) Merge(input *TransformerConfig) (
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	merged.TemplateLabels, err = t.TemplateLabels.MergeAll(input.TemplateLabels)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	merged.VarReference, err = t.VarReference.MergeAll(input.VarReference)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/api/internal/target/kusttarget_configplugin.go b/api/internal/target/kusttarget_configplugin.go
index f05c6584d..9a3c63086 100644
--- a/api/internal/target/kusttarget_configplugin.go
+++ b/api/internal/target/kusttarget_configplugin.go
@@ -286,9 +286,9 @@ var transformerConfigurators = map[builtinhelpers.BuiltinPluginType]func(
 			if label.IncludeSelectors {
 				fss, err = fss.MergeAll(tc.CommonLabels)
 			} else {
-				// merge spec/template/metadata fieldSpec if includeTemplate flag is true
+				// merge spec/template/metadata fieldSpecs if includeTemplate flag is true
 				if label.IncludeTemplates {
-					fss, err = fss.MergeOne(types.FieldSpec{Path: "spec/template/metadata/labels", CreateIfNotPresent: true})
+					fss, err = fss.MergeAll(tc.TemplateLabels)
 					if err != nil {
 						return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to merge template fieldSpec")
 					}
diff --git a/api/konfig/builtinpluginconsts/commonlabels.go b/api/konfig/builtinpluginconsts/commonlabels.go
index 7775a544f..b2a78f568 100644
--- a/api/konfig/builtinpluginconsts/commonlabels.go
+++ b/api/konfig/builtinpluginconsts/commonlabels.go
@@ -5,9 +5,6 @@ package builtinpluginconsts
 
 const commonLabelFieldSpecs = `
 commonLabels:
-- path: metadata/labels
-  create: true
-
 - path: spec/selector
   create: true
   version: v1
@@ -17,20 +14,10 @@ commonLabels:
   create: true
   version: v1
   kind: ReplicationController
-
-- path: spec/template/metadata/labels
-  create: true
-  version: v1
-  kind: ReplicationController
-
 - path: spec/selector/matchLabels
   create: true
   kind: Deployment
 
-- path: spec/template/metadata/labels
-  create: true
-  kind: Deployment
-
 - path: spec/template/spec/affinity/podAffinity/preferredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution/podAffinityTerm/labelSelector/matchLabels
   create: false
   group: apps
@@ -60,28 +47,15 @@ commonLabels:
   create: true
   kind: ReplicaSet
 
-- path: spec/template/metadata/labels
-  create: true
-  kind: ReplicaSet
-
 - path: spec/selector/matchLabels
   create: true
   kind: DaemonSet
 
-- path: spec/template/metadata/labels
-  create: true
-  kind: DaemonSet
-
 - path: spec/selector/matchLabels
   create: true
   group: apps
   kind: StatefulSet
 
-- path: spec/template/metadata/labels
-  create: true
-  group: apps
-  kind: StatefulSet
-
 - path: spec/template/spec/affinity/podAffinity/preferredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution/podAffinityTerm/labelSelector/matchLabels
   create: false
   group: apps
@@ -107,36 +81,16 @@ commonLabels:
   group: apps
   kind: StatefulSet
 
-- path: spec/volumeClaimTemplates[]/metadata/labels
-  create: true
-  group: apps
-  kind: StatefulSet
-
 - path: spec/selector/matchLabels
   create: false
   group: batch
   kind: Job
 
-- path: spec/template/metadata/labels
-  create: true
-  group: batch
-  kind: Job
-
 - path: spec/jobTemplate/spec/selector/matchLabels
   create: false
   group: batch
   kind: CronJob
 
-- path: spec/jobTemplate/metadata/labels
-  create: true
-  group: batch
-  kind: CronJob
-
-- path: spec/jobTemplate/spec/template/metadata/labels
-  create: true
-  group: batch
-  kind: CronJob
-
 - path: spec/selector/matchLabels
   create: false
   group: policy
@@ -156,4 +110,4 @@ commonLabels:
   create: false
   group: networking.k8s.io
   kind: NetworkPolicy
-`
+` + metadataLabelsFieldSpecs
diff --git a/api/konfig/builtinpluginconsts/defaultconfig.go b/api/konfig/builtinpluginconsts/defaultconfig.go
index 29673d76a..2f220cb29 100644
--- a/api/konfig/builtinpluginconsts/defaultconfig.go
+++ b/api/konfig/builtinpluginconsts/defaultconfig.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ func GetDefaultFieldSpecs() []byte {
 		[]byte(namePrefixFieldSpecs),
 		[]byte(nameSuffixFieldSpecs),
 		[]byte(commonLabelFieldSpecs),
+		[]byte(templateLabelFieldSpecs),
 		[]byte(commonAnnotationFieldSpecs),
 		[]byte(namespaceFieldSpecs),
 		[]byte(varReferenceFieldSpecs),
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ func GetDefaultFieldSpecsAsMap() map[string]string {
 	result["nameprefix"] = namePrefixFieldSpecs
 	result["namesuffix"] = nameSuffixFieldSpecs
 	result["commonlabels"] = commonLabelFieldSpecs
+	result["templatelabels"] = templateLabelFieldSpecs
 	result["commonannotations"] = commonAnnotationFieldSpecs
 	result["namespace"] = namespaceFieldSpecs
 	result["varreference"] = varReferenceFieldSpecs
diff --git a/api/konfig/builtinpluginconsts/metadatalabels.go b/api/konfig/builtinpluginconsts/metadatalabels.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d070cca4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/konfig/builtinpluginconsts/metadatalabels.go
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+// Copyright 2019 The Kubernetes Authors.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+package builtinpluginconsts
+
+const metadataLabelsFieldSpecs = `
+- path: metadata/labels
+  create: true
+
+- path: spec/template/metadata/labels
+  create: true
+  version: v1
+  kind: ReplicationController
+
+- path: spec/template/metadata/labels
+  create: true
+  kind: Deployment
+
+- path: spec/template/metadata/labels
+  create: true
+  kind: ReplicaSet
+
+- path: spec/template/metadata/labels
+  create: true
+  kind: DaemonSet
+
+- path: spec/template/metadata/labels
+  create: true
+  group: apps
+  kind: StatefulSet
+
+- path: spec/volumeClaimTemplates[]/metadata/labels
+  create: true
+  group: apps
+  kind: StatefulSet
+
+- path: spec/template/metadata/labels
+  create: true
+  group: batch
+  kind: Job
+
+- path: spec/jobTemplate/metadata/labels
+  create: true
+  group: batch
+  kind: CronJob
+
+- path: spec/jobTemplate/spec/template/metadata/labels
+  create: true
+  group: batch
+  kind: CronJob
+`
diff --git a/api/konfig/builtinpluginconsts/templatelabels.go b/api/konfig/builtinpluginconsts/templatelabels.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5d3c9c195
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/konfig/builtinpluginconsts/templatelabels.go
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+// Copyright 2019 The Kubernetes Authors.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+package builtinpluginconsts
+
+const templateLabelFieldSpecs = `
+templateLabels:
+` + metadataLabelsFieldSpecs