diff --git a/charts/flagger/README.md b/charts/flagger/README.md
index 9806445c..51331d66 100644
--- a/charts/flagger/README.md
+++ b/charts/flagger/README.md
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ Parameter | Description | Default
 `image.pullPolicy` | image pull policy | `IfNotPresent`
 `prometheus.install` | if `true`, installs Prometheus configured to scrape all pods in the custer including the App Mesh sidecar | `false`
 `metricsServer` | Prometheus URL, used when `prometheus.install` is `false` | `http://prometheus.istio-system:9090`
+`selectorLabels` | list of labels that Flagger uses to create pod selectors | `app,name,app.kubernetes.io/name`
 `slack.url` | Slack incoming webhook | None
 `slack.channel` | Slack channel | None
 `slack.user` | Slack username | `flagger`
diff --git a/charts/flagger/templates/deployment.yaml b/charts/flagger/templates/deployment.yaml
index 41a61ee0..34fb7075 100644
--- a/charts/flagger/templates/deployment.yaml
+++ b/charts/flagger/templates/deployment.yaml
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ spec:
           {{- else }}
           - -metrics-server={{ .Values.metricsServer }}
           {{- end }}
+          {{- if .Values.selectorLabels }}
+          - -selector-labels={{ .Values.selectorLabels }}
+          {{- end }}
           {{- if .Values.namespace }}
           - -namespace={{ .Values.namespace }}
           {{- end }}
diff --git a/charts/flagger/values.yaml b/charts/flagger/values.yaml
index d1c2a7f2..c13f37e6 100644
--- a/charts/flagger/values.yaml
+++ b/charts/flagger/values.yaml
@@ -12,12 +12,16 @@ podAnnotations:
 
 metricsServer: "http://prometheus:9090"
 
-# accepted values are istio, appmesh, nginx or supergloo:mesh.namespace (defaults to istio)
+# accepted values are kubernetes, istio, linkerd, appmesh, nginx, gloo or supergloo:mesh.namespace (defaults to istio)
 meshProvider: ""
 
 # single namespace restriction
 namespace: ""
 
+# list of pod labels that Flagger uses to create pod selectors
+# defaults to: app,name,app.kubernetes.io/name
+selectorLabels: ""
+
 slack:
   user: flagger
   channel:
diff --git a/pkg/canary/deployer.go b/pkg/canary/deployer.go
index 9f35254d..ef976637 100644
--- a/pkg/canary/deployer.go
+++ b/pkg/canary/deployer.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ type Deployer struct {
 
 // Initialize creates the primary deployment, hpa,
 // scales to zero the canary deployment and returns the pod selector label and container ports
-func (c *Deployer) Initialize(cd *flaggerv1.Canary, skipLivenessChecks bool) (label string, ports *map[string]int32, err error) {
+func (c *Deployer) Initialize(cd *flaggerv1.Canary, skipLivenessChecks bool) (label string, ports map[string]int32, err error) {
 	primaryName := fmt.Sprintf("%s-primary", cd.Spec.TargetRef.Name)
 	label, ports, err = c.createPrimaryDeployment(cd)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ func (c *Deployer) Scale(cd *flaggerv1.Canary, replicas int32) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (c *Deployer) createPrimaryDeployment(cd *flaggerv1.Canary) (string, *map[string]int32, error) {
+func (c *Deployer) createPrimaryDeployment(cd *flaggerv1.Canary) (string, map[string]int32, error) {
 	targetName := cd.Spec.TargetRef.Name
 	primaryName := fmt.Sprintf("%s-primary", cd.Spec.TargetRef.Name)
 
@@ -203,13 +203,13 @@ func (c *Deployer) createPrimaryDeployment(cd *flaggerv1.Canary) (string, *map[s
 			targetName, cd.Namespace, targetName)
 	}
 
-	var ports *map[string]int32
+	var ports map[string]int32
 	if cd.Spec.Service.PortDiscovery {
 		p, err := c.getPorts(cd, canaryDep)
 		if err != nil {
 			return "", nil, fmt.Errorf("port discovery failed with error: %v", err)
 		}
-		ports = &p
+		ports = p
 	}
 
 	primaryDep, err := c.KubeClient.AppsV1().Deployments(cd.Namespace).Get(primaryName, metav1.GetOptions{})
@@ -237,6 +237,9 @@ func (c *Deployer) createPrimaryDeployment(cd *flaggerv1.Canary) (string, *map[s
 			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
 				Name:      primaryName,
 				Namespace: cd.Namespace,
+				Labels: map[string]string{
+					label: primaryName,
+				},
 				OwnerReferences: []metav1.OwnerReference{
 					*metav1.NewControllerRef(cd, schema.GroupVersionKind{
 						Group:   flaggerv1.SchemeGroupVersion.Group,
diff --git a/pkg/controller/scheduler.go b/pkg/controller/scheduler.go
index fa9b0172..8eeb4c61 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/scheduler.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/scheduler.go
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ func (c *Controller) advanceCanary(name string, namespace string, skipLivenessCh
 	if skipLivenessChecks || strings.Contains(provider, "istio") || strings.Contains(provider, "appmesh") {
 		skipPrimaryCheck = true
 	}
-	label, ports, err := c.deployer.Initialize(cd, skipPrimaryCheck)
+	labelSelector, ports, err := c.deployer.Initialize(cd, skipPrimaryCheck)
 	if err != nil {
 		c.recordEventWarningf(cd, "%v", err)
 		return
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func (c *Controller) advanceCanary(name string, namespace string, skipLivenessCh
 	meshRouter := c.routerFactory.MeshRouter(provider)
 
 	// create or update ClusterIP services
-	if err := c.routerFactory.KubernetesRouter(label, ports).Reconcile(cd); err != nil {
+	if err := c.routerFactory.KubernetesRouter(labelSelector, map[string]string{}, ports).Reconcile(cd); err != nil {
 		c.recordEventWarningf(cd, "%v", err)
 		return
 	}
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ func (c *Controller) advanceCanary(name string, namespace string, skipLivenessCh
 		return
 	}
 
+	// check for deployment spec or configs changes
 	shouldAdvance, err := c.shouldAdvance(cd)
 	if err != nil {
 		c.recordEventWarningf(cd, "%v", err)
@@ -153,8 +154,7 @@ func (c *Controller) advanceCanary(name string, namespace string, skipLivenessCh
 		}
 	}
 
-	// check if virtual service exists
-	// and if it contains weighted destination routes to the primary and canary services
+	// get the routing settings
 	primaryWeight, canaryWeight, mirrored, err := meshRouter.GetRoutes(cd)
 	if err != nil {
 		c.recordEventWarningf(cd, "%v", err)
diff --git a/pkg/router/factory.go b/pkg/router/factory.go
index 332095bc..80ab2471 100644
--- a/pkg/router/factory.go
+++ b/pkg/router/factory.go
@@ -36,12 +36,13 @@ func NewFactory(kubeConfig *restclient.Config, kubeClient kubernetes.Interface,
 }
 
 // KubernetesRouter returns a ClusterIP service router
-func (factory *Factory) KubernetesRouter(label string, ports *map[string]int32) *KubernetesRouter {
+func (factory *Factory) KubernetesRouter(labelSelector string, annotations map[string]string, ports map[string]int32) *KubernetesRouter {
 	return &KubernetesRouter{
 		logger:        factory.logger,
 		flaggerClient: factory.flaggerClient,
 		kubeClient:    factory.kubeClient,
-		label:         label,
+		labelSelector: labelSelector,
+		annotations:   annotations,
 		ports:         ports,
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/router/kubernetes.go b/pkg/router/kubernetes.go
index c64f5270..5fc29ded 100644
--- a/pkg/router/kubernetes.go
+++ b/pkg/router/kubernetes.go
@@ -22,8 +22,9 @@ type KubernetesRouter struct {
 	kubeClient    kubernetes.Interface
 	flaggerClient clientset.Interface
 	logger        *zap.SugaredLogger
-	label         string
-	ports         *map[string]int32
+	labelSelector string
+	annotations   map[string]string
+	ports         map[string]int32
 }
 
 // Reconcile creates or updates the primary and canary services
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ func (c *KubernetesRouter) reconcileService(canary *flaggerv1.Canary, name strin
 
 	svcSpec := corev1.ServiceSpec{
 		Type:     corev1.ServiceTypeClusterIP,
-		Selector: map[string]string{c.label: target},
+		Selector: map[string]string{c.labelSelector: target},
 		Ports: []corev1.ServicePort{
 			{
 				Name:       portName,
@@ -89,28 +90,28 @@ func (c *KubernetesRouter) reconcileService(canary *flaggerv1.Canary, name strin
 		},
 	}
 
-	if c.ports != nil {
-		for n, p := range *c.ports {
-			cp := corev1.ServicePort{
-				Name:     n,
-				Protocol: corev1.ProtocolTCP,
-				Port:     p,
-				TargetPort: intstr.IntOrString{
-					Type:   intstr.Int,
-					IntVal: p,
-				},
-			}
-
-			svcSpec.Ports = append(svcSpec.Ports, cp)
+	for n, p := range c.ports {
+		cp := corev1.ServicePort{
+			Name:     n,
+			Protocol: corev1.ProtocolTCP,
+			Port:     p,
+			TargetPort: intstr.IntOrString{
+				Type:   intstr.Int,
+				IntVal: p,
+			},
 		}
+
+		svcSpec.Ports = append(svcSpec.Ports, cp)
 	}
 
 	svc, err := c.kubeClient.CoreV1().Services(canary.Namespace).Get(name, metav1.GetOptions{})
 	if errors.IsNotFound(err) {
 		svc = &corev1.Service{
 			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
-				Name:      name,
-				Namespace: canary.Namespace,
+				Name:        name,
+				Namespace:   canary.Namespace,
+				Labels:      map[string]string{c.labelSelector: name},
+				Annotations: c.annotations,
 				OwnerReferences: []metav1.OwnerReference{
 					*metav1.NewControllerRef(canary, schema.GroupVersionKind{
 						Group:   flaggerv1.SchemeGroupVersion.Group,