diff --git a/bootstrap/helm/cluster-api-cluster/Chart.yaml b/bootstrap/helm/cluster-api-cluster/Chart.yaml
index 9dd3f9002..1b8fa0021 100644
--- a/bootstrap/helm/cluster-api-cluster/Chart.yaml
+++ b/bootstrap/helm/cluster-api-cluster/Chart.yaml
@@ -2,5 +2,5 @@ apiVersion: v2
 name: cluster-api-cluster
 description: A Helm chart for Kubernetes
 type: application
-version: 0.1.43
+version: 0.1.44
 appVersion: v1.24.16
diff --git a/bootstrap/helm/cluster-api-cluster/templates/_helpers.tpl b/bootstrap/helm/cluster-api-cluster/templates/_helpers.tpl
index 4f028641d..27e013529 100644
--- a/bootstrap/helm/cluster-api-cluster/templates/_helpers.tpl
+++ b/bootstrap/helm/cluster-api-cluster/templates/_helpers.tpl
@@ -208,6 +208,17 @@ metadata:
   name: {{ .name }}
   annotations:
     helm.sh/resource-policy: keep
+    {{- if (hasKey .values "annotations") -}}
+    {{- toYaml (merge .values.annotations .defaultVals.annotations)| nindent 4 }}
+    {{- else -}}
+    {{- toYaml .defaultVals.annotations | nindent 4 }}
+    {{- end }}
+  labels:
+    {{- if (hasKey .values "labels") -}}
+    {{- toYaml (merge .values.labels .defaultVals.labels)| nindent 4 }}
+    {{- else -}}
+    {{- toYaml .defaultVals.labels | nindent 4 }}
+    {{- end }}
 spec:
   clusterName: {{ .ctx.Values.cluster.name }}
   replicas: {{ $replicas }}
diff --git a/bootstrap/helm/cluster-api-cluster/tests/aws_machinepools_test.yaml b/bootstrap/helm/cluster-api-cluster/tests/aws_machinepools_test.yaml
index 4a8fb59d4..27a938ecd 100644
--- a/bootstrap/helm/cluster-api-cluster/tests/aws_machinepools_test.yaml
+++ b/bootstrap/helm/cluster-api-cluster/tests/aws_machinepools_test.yaml
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ tests:
       type: managed
       cluster.aws.region: abc
       cluster.kubernetesVersion: v1.2.3
+      workers.defaults.aws.labels:
+        test: test
       workers.defaults.aws.spec.availabilityZones:
       - us-east-1a
       - us-east-1b
@@ -39,11 +41,78 @@ tests:
           path: spec.amiType
           value: AL2_x86_64
         documentIndex: 0
+      - isSubset:
+          path: metadata.labels
+          content:
+            test: test
+      - isSubset:
+          path: metadata.annotations
+          content:
+            cluster.x-k8s.io/replicas-managed-by: external-autoscaler
       - equal:
           path: spec.diskSize
           value: 50
         documentIndex: 2
     template: aws/machinepools.yaml
+  - it: test override
+    set:
+      cluster.name: test
+      provider: aws
+      type: managed
+      cluster.aws.region: abc
+      cluster.kubernetesVersion: v1.2.3
+      workers.defaults.aws.spec.availabilityZones:
+      - us-east-1a
+      - us-east-1b
+      - us-east-1c
+      workers.aws.small-burst-spot:
+        labels:
+          test: test
+        annotations:
+          test: test
+        spec:
+          amiType: AL2_x86_64_GPU
+          diskSize: 100
+    asserts:
+      - equal:
+          path: spec.eksNodegroupName
+          value: small-burst-spot
+        documentIndex: 22
+      - equal:
+          path: metadata.name
+          value: small-burst-spot
+        documentIndex: 23
+      - isSubset:
+          path: metadata.labels
+          content:
+            test: test
+        documentIndex: 22
+      - isSubset:
+          path: metadata.annotations
+          content:
+            cluster.x-k8s.io/replicas-managed-by: external-autoscaler
+            test: test
+        documentIndex: 22
+      - isSubset:
+          path: metadata.labels
+          content:
+            test: test
+        documentIndex: 23
+      - isSubset:
+          path: metadata.annotations
+          content:
+            cluster.x-k8s.io/replicas-managed-by: external-autoscaler
+            test: test
+        documentIndex: 23
+      - equal:
+          path: spec.diskSize
+          value: 100
+        documentIndex: 22
+      - equal:
+          path: spec.amiType
+          value: AL2_x86_64_GPU
+        documentIndex: 22
+    template: aws/machinepools.yaml
   - it: test large-burst-spot
     set:
       cluster.name: test
diff --git a/bootstrap/helm/cluster-api-cluster/tests/gcp_machinepools_test.yaml b/bootstrap/helm/cluster-api-cluster/tests/gcp_machinepools_test.yaml
index 50b25669f..dda2dfcec 100644
--- a/bootstrap/helm/cluster-api-cluster/tests/gcp_machinepools_test.yaml
+++ b/bootstrap/helm/cluster-api-cluster/tests/gcp_machinepools_test.yaml
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ tests:
     set:
       provider: gcp
       type: managed
+      workers.defaults.gcp.labels:
+        test: test
     asserts:
       - hasDocuments:
           count: 6
@@ -51,6 +53,14 @@ tests:
         equal:
           path: spec.machineType
           value: e2-standard-2
+      - isSubset:
+          path: metadata.labels
+          content:
+            test: test
+      - isSubset:
+          path: metadata.annotations
+          content:
+            cluster.x-k8s.io/replicas-managed-by: external-autoscaler
   - it: should have custom kubernetes version set
     set:
       provider: gcp
@@ -67,4 +77,3 @@ tests:
     asserts:
       - hasDocuments:
           count: 0
-