diff --git a/cmd/fleetctl/fleetctl/generate_gitops_test.go b/cmd/fleetctl/fleetctl/generate_gitops_test.go
index 128b2b29be6..96965ce62a6 100644
--- a/cmd/fleetctl/fleetctl/generate_gitops_test.go
+++ b/cmd/fleetctl/fleetctl/generate_gitops_test.go
@@ -401,7 +401,7 @@ func (MockClient) GetLabels() ([]*fleet.LabelSpec, error) {
 		Name:                "Label B",
 		Description:         "Label B description",
 		LabelMembershipType: fleet.LabelMembershipTypeManual,
-		Hosts:               []string{"host1", "host2"},
+		Hosts:               []string{"1", "2"},
 	}, {
 		Name:                "Label C",
 		Description:         "Label C description",
diff --git a/cmd/fleetctl/fleetctl/testdata/generateGitops/expectedLabels.yaml b/cmd/fleetctl/fleetctl/testdata/generateGitops/expectedLabels.yaml
index e054141ec45..fd3ca7ba490 100644
--- a/cmd/fleetctl/fleetctl/testdata/generateGitops/expectedLabels.yaml
+++ b/cmd/fleetctl/fleetctl/testdata/generateGitops/expectedLabels.yaml
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@
   description: Label B description
   label_membership_type: manual
   hosts:
-    - host1
-    - host2
+    - "1"
+    - "2"
 - name: Label C
   description: Label C description
   label_membership_type: host_vitals
diff --git a/cmd/fleetctl/fleetctl/testdata/generateGitops/test_dir_free/default.yml b/cmd/fleetctl/fleetctl/testdata/generateGitops/test_dir_free/default.yml
index 45f6b06f112..bb4c3a73036 100644
--- a/cmd/fleetctl/fleetctl/testdata/generateGitops/test_dir_free/default.yml
+++ b/cmd/fleetctl/fleetctl/testdata/generateGitops/test_dir_free/default.yml
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ labels:
   query: SELECT * FROM osquery_info
 - description: Label B description
   hosts:
-  - host1
-  - host2
+  - "1"
+  - "2"
   label_membership_type: manual
   name: Label B
 - criteria:
diff --git a/cmd/fleetctl/fleetctl/testdata/generateGitops/test_dir_premium/default.yml b/cmd/fleetctl/fleetctl/testdata/generateGitops/test_dir_premium/default.yml
index dfc029ed299..6f7467c777f 100644
--- a/cmd/fleetctl/fleetctl/testdata/generateGitops/test_dir_premium/default.yml
+++ b/cmd/fleetctl/fleetctl/testdata/generateGitops/test_dir_premium/default.yml
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ labels:
   query: SELECT * FROM osquery_info
 - description: Label B description
   hosts:
-  - host1
-  - host2
+  - "1"
+  - "2"
   label_membership_type: manual
   name: Label B
 - criteria:
diff --git a/server/datastore/mysql/labels.go b/server/datastore/mysql/labels.go
index 0b0a61cf78b..c0b8c3a712a 100644
--- a/server/datastore/mysql/labels.go
+++ b/server/datastore/mysql/labels.go
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ func (ds *Datastore) GetLabelSpecs(ctx context.Context) ([]*fleet.LabelSpec, err
 	for _, spec := range specs {
 		if spec.LabelType != fleet.LabelTypeBuiltIn &&
 			spec.LabelMembershipType == fleet.LabelMembershipTypeManual {
-			if err := ds.getLabelHostnames(ctx, spec); err != nil {
+			if err := ds.getLabelHostIDs(ctx, spec); err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
 		}
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ WHERE name = ?
 	spec := specs[0]
 	if spec.LabelType != fleet.LabelTypeBuiltIn &&
 		spec.LabelMembershipType == fleet.LabelMembershipTypeManual {
-		err := ds.getLabelHostnames(ctx, spec)
+		err := ds.getLabelHostIDs(ctx, spec)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -349,9 +349,9 @@ WHERE name = ?
 	return spec, nil
 }
 
-func (ds *Datastore) getLabelHostnames(ctx context.Context, label *fleet.LabelSpec) error {
+func (ds *Datastore) getLabelHostIDs(ctx context.Context, label *fleet.LabelSpec) error {
 	sql := `
-		SELECT hostname
+		SELECT id
 		FROM hosts
 		WHERE id IN
 		(
diff --git a/server/datastore/mysql/labels_test.go b/server/datastore/mysql/labels_test.go
index e7f04156f9a..eff62c62893 100644
--- a/server/datastore/mysql/labels_test.go
+++ b/server/datastore/mysql/labels_test.go
@@ -752,8 +752,8 @@ func setupLabelSpecsTest(t *testing.T, ds fleet.Datastore) []*fleet.LabelSpec {
 			SeenTime:        time.Now(),
 			OsqueryHostID:   ptr.String(strconv.Itoa(i)),
 			NodeKey:         ptr.String(strconv.Itoa(i)),
-			UUID:            strconv.Itoa(i),
-			Hostname:        strconv.Itoa(i),
+			UUID:            fmt.Sprintf("uuid%s", strconv.Itoa(i)),
+			Hostname:        fmt.Sprintf("host%s", strconv.Itoa(i)),
 		})
 		require.Nil(t, err)
 	}
@@ -790,10 +790,7 @@ func setupLabelSpecsTest(t *testing.T, ds fleet.Datastore) []*fleet.LabelSpec {
 	err := ds.ApplyLabelSpecs(context.Background(), expectedSpecs)
 	require.Nil(t, err)
 
-	// Because `Hosts` for manual labels matches both host name AND host ID,
-	// specifying "1" will match both host with ID 1 (whose name is "0")
-	// and host with name "1".
-	expectedSpecs[4].Hosts = []string{"0", "1", "2", "3", "4"}
+	expectedSpecs[4].Hosts = []string{"1", "2", "3", "4"}
 	return expectedSpecs
 }
 
@@ -1870,8 +1867,8 @@ func testUpdateLabelMembershipByHostIDs(t *testing.T, ds *Datastore) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	// label.Hosts contains hostnames
 	require.Len(t, labelSpec.Hosts, 2)
-	require.Equal(t, host1.Hostname, labelSpec.Hosts[0])
-	require.Equal(t, host2.Hostname, labelSpec.Hosts[1])
+	require.Equal(t, strconv.Itoa(int(host1.ID)), labelSpec.Hosts[0]) //nolint:gosec // dismiss G115
+	require.Equal(t, strconv.Itoa(int(host2.ID)), labelSpec.Hosts[1]) //nolint:gosec // dismiss G115
 
 	labels, err := ds.ListLabelsForHost(ctx, host1.ID)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -1977,9 +1974,9 @@ func testUpdateLabelMembershipByHostIDs(t *testing.T, ds *Datastore) {
 
 	// label.Hosts contains hostnames
 	require.Len(t, labelSpec.Hosts, 3)
-	require.Equal(t, host1.Hostname, labelSpec.Hosts[0])
-	require.Equal(t, host2.Hostname, labelSpec.Hosts[1])
-	require.Equal(t, host3.Hostname, labelSpec.Hosts[2])
+	require.Equal(t, strconv.Itoa(int(host1.ID)), labelSpec.Hosts[0]) //nolint:gosec // dismiss G115
+	require.Equal(t, strconv.Itoa(int(host2.ID)), labelSpec.Hosts[1]) //nolint:gosec // dismiss G115
+	require.Equal(t, strconv.Itoa(int(host3.ID)), labelSpec.Hosts[2]) //nolint:gosec // dismiss G115
 }
 
 func testApplyLabelSpecsForSerialUUID(t *testing.T, ds *Datastore) {
diff --git a/server/fleet/labels.go b/server/fleet/labels.go
index d351e65c3a9..3b400326cd2 100644
--- a/server/fleet/labels.go
+++ b/server/fleet/labels.go
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ func (s *HostsSlice) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {
 }
 
 type LabelSpec struct {
-	ID                  uint                `json:"id"`
+	ID                  uint                `json:"id" db:"id"`
 	Name                string              `json:"name"`
 	Description         string              `json:"description"`
 	Query               string              `json:"query"`