diff --git a/pkg/apis/eksctl.io/v1alpha3/types.go b/pkg/apis/eksctl.io/v1alpha3/types.go
index 037897fb83..a412dea244 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/eksctl.io/v1alpha3/types.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/eksctl.io/v1alpha3/types.go
@@ -57,6 +57,20 @@ const (
 
 	// DefaultNodeType is the default instance type to use for nodes
 	DefaultNodeType = "m5.large"
+
+	// ClusterNameTag defines the tag of the clsuter name
+	ClusterNameTag = "eksctl.cluster.k8s.io/v1alpha1/cluster-name"
+
+	// NodeGroupNameTag defines the tag of the node group name
+	NodeGroupNameTag = "eksctl.io/v1alpha2/nodegroup-name"
+	// OldNodeGroupIDTag defines the old version of tag of the node group name
+	OldNodeGroupIDTag = "eksctl.cluster.k8s.io/v1alpha1/nodegroup-id"
+
+	// ClusterNameLabel defines the tag of the clsuter name
+	ClusterNameLabel = "alpha.eksctl.io/cluster-name"
+
+	// NodeGroupNameLabel defines the label of the node group name
+	NodeGroupNameLabel = "alpha.eksctl.io/nodegroup-name"
 )
 
 // SupportedRegions are the regions where EKS is available
diff --git a/pkg/cfn/manager/api.go b/pkg/cfn/manager/api.go
index 21d131c372..049b1ce94b 100644
--- a/pkg/cfn/manager/api.go
+++ b/pkg/cfn/manager/api.go
@@ -13,15 +13,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/weaveworks/eksctl/pkg/cfn/builder"
 )
 
-const (
-	// ClusterNameTag defines the tag of the clsuter name
-	ClusterNameTag = "eksctl.cluster.k8s.io/v1alpha1/cluster-name"
-
-	// NodeGroupNameTag defines the tag of the node group name
-	NodeGroupNameTag  = "eksctl.io/v1alpha2/nodegroup-name"
-	oldNodeGroupIDTag = "eksctl.cluster.k8s.io/v1alpha1/nodegroup-id"
-)
-
 var (
 	stackCapabilitiesIAM = aws.StringSlice([]string{cloudformation.CapabilityCapabilityIam})
 )
@@ -34,9 +25,9 @@ type ChangeSet = cloudformation.DescribeChangeSetOutput
 
 // StackCollection stores the CloudFormation stack information
 type StackCollection struct {
-	provider api.ClusterProvider
-	spec     *api.ClusterConfig
-	tags     []*cloudformation.Tag
+	provider   api.ClusterProvider
+	spec       *api.ClusterConfig
+	sharedTags []*cloudformation.Tag
 }
 
 func newTag(key, value string) *cloudformation.Tag {
@@ -46,25 +37,31 @@ func newTag(key, value string) *cloudformation.Tag {
 // NewStackCollection create a stack manager for a single cluster
 func NewStackCollection(provider api.ClusterProvider, spec *api.ClusterConfig) *StackCollection {
 	tags := []*cloudformation.Tag{
-		newTag(ClusterNameTag, spec.Metadata.Name),
+		newTag(api.ClusterNameTag, spec.Metadata.Name),
 	}
 	for key, value := range spec.Metadata.Tags {
 		tags = append(tags, newTag(key, value))
 	}
 	logger.Debug("tags = %#v", tags)
 	return &StackCollection{
-		provider: provider,
-		spec:     spec,
-		tags:     tags,
+		provider:   provider,
+		spec:       spec,
+		sharedTags: tags,
 	}
 }
 
-func (c *StackCollection) doCreateStackRequest(i *Stack, templateBody []byte, parameters map[string]string, withIAM bool) error {
+func (c *StackCollection) doCreateStackRequest(i *Stack, templateBody []byte, tags, parameters map[string]string, withIAM bool) error {
 	input := &cloudformation.CreateStackInput{
 		StackName: i.StackName,
 	}
 
-	input.SetTags(c.tags)
+	for _, t := range c.sharedTags {
+		input.Tags = append(input.Tags, t)
+	}
+	for k, v := range tags {
+		input.Tags = append(input.Tags, newTag(k, v))
+	}
+
 	input.SetTemplateBody(string(templateBody))
 
 	if withIAM {
@@ -97,7 +94,7 @@ func (c *StackCollection) doCreateStackRequest(i *Stack, templateBody []byte, pa
 // any errors will be written to errs channel, when nil is written,
 // assume completion, do not expect more then one error value on the
 // channel, it's closed immediately after it is written to
-func (c *StackCollection) CreateStack(name string, stack builder.ResourceSet, parameters map[string]string, errs chan error) error {
+func (c *StackCollection) CreateStack(name string, stack builder.ResourceSet, tags, parameters map[string]string, errs chan error) error {
 	i := &Stack{StackName: &name}
 	templateBody, err := stack.RenderJSON()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -105,7 +102,7 @@ func (c *StackCollection) CreateStack(name string, stack builder.ResourceSet, pa
 	}
 	logger.Debug("templateBody = %s", string(templateBody))
 
-	if err := c.doCreateStackRequest(i, templateBody, parameters, stack.WithIAM()); err != nil {
+	if err := c.doCreateStackRequest(i, templateBody, tags, parameters, stack.WithIAM()); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -205,7 +202,7 @@ func (c *StackCollection) DeleteStack(name string) (*Stack, error) {
 	}
 	i.StackId = s.StackId
 	for _, tag := range s.Tags {
-		if *tag.Key == ClusterNameTag && *tag.Value == c.spec.Metadata.Name {
+		if *tag.Key == api.ClusterNameTag && *tag.Value == c.spec.Metadata.Name {
 			input := &cloudformation.DeleteStackInput{
 				StackName: i.StackId,
 			}
@@ -223,7 +220,7 @@ func (c *StackCollection) DeleteStack(name string) (*Stack, error) {
 	}
 
 	return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot delete stack %q as it doesn't bare our %q tag", *s.StackName,
-		fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", ClusterNameTag, c.spec.Metadata.Name))
+		fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", api.ClusterNameTag, c.spec.Metadata.Name))
 }
 
 // WaitDeleteStack kills a stack by name and waits for DELETED status;
diff --git a/pkg/cfn/manager/cluster.go b/pkg/cfn/manager/cluster.go
index d83572d341..5e70aa3456 100644
--- a/pkg/cfn/manager/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/cfn/manager/cluster.go
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ func (c *StackCollection) CreateCluster(errs chan error, _ interface{}) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	return c.CreateStack(name, stack, nil, errs)
+	return c.CreateStack(name, stack, c.spec.Metadata.Tags, nil, errs)
 }
 
 // DeleteCluster deletes the cluster
diff --git a/pkg/cfn/manager/nodegroup.go b/pkg/cfn/manager/nodegroup.go
index 3d7e968fab..f53aa99a60 100644
--- a/pkg/cfn/manager/nodegroup.go
+++ b/pkg/cfn/manager/nodegroup.go
@@ -51,13 +51,12 @@ func (c *StackCollection) CreateNodeGroup(errs chan error, data interface{}) err
 		return err
 	}
 
-	c.tags = append(c.tags, newTag(NodeGroupNameTag, fmt.Sprintf("%s", ng.Name)))
-
-	for k, v := range ng.Tags {
-		c.tags = append(c.tags, newTag(k, v))
+	if ng.Tags == nil {
+		ng.Tags = make(map[string]string)
 	}
+	ng.Tags[api.NodeGroupNameTag] = ng.Name
 
-	return c.CreateStack(name, stack, nil, errs)
+	return c.CreateStack(name, stack, ng.Tags, nil, errs)
 }
 
 // DescribeNodeGroupStacks calls DescribeStacks and filters out nodegroups
@@ -210,10 +209,10 @@ func (c *StackCollection) mapStackToNodeGroupSummary(stack *Stack) (*NodeGroupSu
 
 func getNodeGroupName(s *Stack) string {
 	for _, tag := range s.Tags {
-		if *tag.Key == NodeGroupNameTag {
+		if *tag.Key == api.NodeGroupNameTag {
 			return *tag.Value
 		}
-		if *tag.Key == oldNodeGroupIDTag {
+		if *tag.Key == api.OldNodeGroupIDTag {
 			return *tag.Value
 		}
 	}
@@ -225,7 +224,7 @@ func getNodeGroupName(s *Stack) string {
 
 func getClusterName(s *Stack) string {
 	for _, tag := range s.Tags {
-		if *tag.Key == ClusterNameTag {
+		if *tag.Key == api.ClusterNameTag {
 			return *tag.Value
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/cfn/manager/nodegroup_test.go b/pkg/cfn/manager/nodegroup_test.go
index 14a4e26b3b..8c07f6522e 100644
--- a/pkg/cfn/manager/nodegroup_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cfn/manager/nodegroup_test.go
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ var _ = Describe("StackCollection NodeGroup", func() {
 							StackStatus: aws.String("CREATE_COMPLETE"),
 							Tags: []*cfn.Tag{
 								&cfn.Tag{
-									Key:   aws.String(NodeGroupNameTag),
+									Key:   aws.String(api.NodeGroupNameTag),
 									Value: aws.String("12345"),
 								},
 							},
diff --git a/pkg/ctl/create/cluster.go b/pkg/ctl/create/cluster.go
index 5751caebb8..2a1c53d118 100644
--- a/pkg/ctl/create/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/ctl/create/cluster.go
@@ -354,6 +354,10 @@ func doCreateCluster(p *api.ProviderConfig, cfg *api.ClusterConfig, nameArg stri
 		}
 		logger.Info("nodegroup %q will use %q [%s/%s]", ng.Name, ng.AMI, ng.AMIFamily, cfg.Metadata.Version)
 
+		if err := ctl.SetNodeLabels(ng, meta); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
 		// load or use SSH key - name includes cluster name and the
 		// fingerprint, so if unique keys provided, each will get
 		// loaded and used as intended and there is no need to have
diff --git a/pkg/ctl/create/nodegroup.go b/pkg/ctl/create/nodegroup.go
index eea1c0f802..f3e2306541 100644
--- a/pkg/ctl/create/nodegroup.go
+++ b/pkg/ctl/create/nodegroup.go
@@ -83,6 +83,11 @@ func doCreateNodeGroup(p *api.ProviderConfig, cfg *api.ClusterConfig, ng *api.No
 	if err := ctl.EnsureAMI(meta.Version, ng); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	logger.Info("nodegroup %q will use %q [%s/%s]", ng.Name, ng.AMI, ng.AMIFamily, cfg.Metadata.Version)
+
+	if err := ctl.SetNodeLabels(ng, meta); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	if err := ctl.LoadSSHPublicKey(cfg.Metadata.Name, ng); err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/pkg/eks/api.go b/pkg/eks/api.go
index d50db753b8..981f4105c5 100644
--- a/pkg/eks/api.go
+++ b/pkg/eks/api.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/weaveworks/eksctl/pkg/ami"
@@ -223,6 +224,23 @@ func (c *ClusterProvider) EnsureAMI(version string, ng *api.NodeGroup) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// SetNodeLabels initialises and validate node labels based on cluster and nodegroup names
+func (c *ClusterProvider) SetNodeLabels(ng *api.NodeGroup, meta *api.ClusterMeta) error {
+	if ng.Labels == nil {
+		ng.Labels = make(api.NodeLabels)
+	}
+
+	ng.Labels[api.ClusterNameLabel] = meta.Name
+	ng.Labels[api.NodeGroupNameLabel] = ng.Name
+
+	for l := range ng.Labels {
+		if len(strings.Split(l, "/")) > 2 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("node label key %q is of invalid format, can only use one '/' separator", l)
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // SetAvailabilityZones sets the given (or chooses) the availability zones
 func (c *ClusterProvider) SetAvailabilityZones(spec *api.ClusterConfig, given []string) error {
 	if len(given) == 0 {