diff --git a/internal/app/cmd/create-runner-file_test.go b/internal/app/cmd/create-runner-file_test.go
index e55a3d7..5afcda3 100644
--- a/internal/app/cmd/create-runner-file_test.go
+++ b/internal/app/cmd/create-runner-file_test.go
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func Test_runCreateRunnerFile(t *testing.T) {
 	//
 	// Read back the runner file and verify its content
 	//
-	reg, err := config.LoadRegistration(runnerFile)
+	reg, err := config.LoadRegistration(runnerFile, cfg.Runner.Labels)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.EqualValues(t, secret, reg.Token)
 	assert.EqualValues(t, instance, reg.Address)
diff --git a/internal/app/cmd/daemon.go b/internal/app/cmd/daemon.go
index f381b36..58919aa 100644
--- a/internal/app/cmd/daemon.go
+++ b/internal/app/cmd/daemon.go
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ func runDaemon(ctx context.Context, configFile *string) func(cmd *cobra.Command,
 		initLogging(cfg)
 		log.Infoln("Starting runner daemon")
 
-		reg, err := config.LoadRegistration(cfg.Runner.File)
+		reg, err := config.LoadRegistration(cfg.Runner.File, cfg.Runner.Labels)
 		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
 			log.Error("registration file not found, please register the runner first")
 			return err
@@ -48,10 +48,6 @@ func runDaemon(ctx context.Context, configFile *string) func(cmd *cobra.Command,
 		cfg.Tune(reg.Address)
 
 		lbls := reg.Labels
-		if len(cfg.Runner.Labels) > 0 {
-			lbls = cfg.Runner.Labels
-		}
-
 		ls := labels.Labels{}
 		for _, l := range lbls {
 			label, err := labels.Parse(l)
diff --git a/internal/pkg/config/registration.go b/internal/pkg/config/registration.go
index be66b4f..748d69d 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/config/registration.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/config/registration.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ type Registration struct {
 	Labels  []string `json:"labels"`
 }
 
-func LoadRegistration(file string) (*Registration, error) {
+func LoadRegistration(file string, labels []string) (*Registration, error) {
 	f, err := os.Open(file)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ func LoadRegistration(file string) (*Registration, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	if len(labels) > 0 {
+		reg.Labels = labels
+	}
 	reg.Warning = ""
 
 	return &reg, nil