diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/runner/labeller.go b/pkg/skaffold/runner/labeller.go
index a2ec899a4f6..a82e39280c7 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/runner/labeller.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/runner/labeller.go
@@ -23,9 +23,9 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	K8ManagedByLabel = "app.kubernetes.io/managed-by"
-	UnknownVersion   = "unknown"
-	Empty            = ""
+	K8ManagedByLabelKey = "app.kubernetes.io/managed-by"
+	UnknownVersion      = "unknown"
+	Empty               = ""
 )
 
 // DefaultLabeller adds K9 style managed-by label
@@ -37,17 +37,24 @@ func NewLabeller(verStr string) *DefaultLabeller {
 	if verStr == Empty {
 		verStr = version.Get().Version
 	}
+	if verStr == Empty {
+		verStr = UnknownVersion
+	}
 	return &DefaultLabeller{
 		version: verStr,
 	}
 }
 
 func (d *DefaultLabeller) Labels() map[string]string {
-	version := d.version
-	if version == Empty {
-		version = UnknownVersion
-	}
 	return map[string]string{
-		K8ManagedByLabel: fmt.Sprintf("skaffold-%s", version),
+		K8ManagedByLabelKey: d.skaffoldVersion(),
 	}
 }
+
+func (d *DefaultLabeller) K8sManagedByLabelKeyValueString() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s=%s", K8ManagedByLabelKey, d.skaffoldVersion())
+}
+
+func (d *DefaultLabeller) skaffoldVersion() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("skaffold-%s", d.version)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/runner/labeller_test.go b/pkg/skaffold/runner/labeller_test.go
index a570c6c45c2..262e689d60b 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/runner/labeller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/runner/labeller_test.go
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ limitations under the License.
 package runner
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/skaffold/testutil"
@@ -36,14 +35,12 @@ func TestDefaultLabeller(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			description: "empty version should add postfix unknown",
-			expected:    fmt.Sprintf("skaffold-unknown"),
+			expected:    "skaffold-unknown",
 		},
 	}
 	for _, test := range tests {
 		testutil.Run(t, test.description, func(t *testutil.T) {
-			l := &DefaultLabeller{
-				version: test.version,
-			}
+			l := NewLabeller(test.version)
 			labels := l.Labels()
 
 			expected := map[string]string{"app.kubernetes.io/managed-by": test.expected}
@@ -51,3 +48,14 @@ func TestDefaultLabeller(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestK8sManagedByLabelKeyValueString(t *testing.T) {
+	defaultLabeller := &DefaultLabeller{
+		version: "version",
+	}
+	expected := "app.kubernetes.io/managed-by=skaffold-version"
+	actual := defaultLabeller.K8sManagedByLabelKeyValueString()
+	if actual != expected {
+		t.Fatalf("actual label not equal to expected label. Actual: \n %s \n Expected: \n %s", actual, expected)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/runner/runner.go b/pkg/skaffold/runner/runner.go
index 60b473a1202..b68329fb177 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/runner/runner.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/runner/runner.go
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ type SkaffoldRunner struct {
 	cache             *cache.Cache
 	runCtx            *runcontext.RunContext
 	labellers         []deploy.Labeller
+	defaultLabeller   *DefaultLabeller
 	builds            []build.Artifact
 	hasBuilt          bool
 	hasDeployed       bool
@@ -118,6 +119,7 @@ func NewForConfig(opts *config.SkaffoldOptions, cfg *latest.SkaffoldConfig) (*Sk
 		Syncer:            kubectl.NewSyncer(runCtx.Namespaces),
 		Watcher:           watch.NewWatcher(trigger),
 		labellers:         labellers,
+		defaultLabeller:   defaultLabeller,
 		imageList:         kubernetes.NewImageList(),
 		cache:             artifactCache,
 		runCtx:            runCtx,