diff --git a/charts/gha-runner-scale-set-experimental/templates/autoscalingrunnserset.yaml b/charts/gha-runner-scale-set-experimental/templates/autoscalingrunnserset.yaml
index f0d2c8a4..b0e60c1f 100644
--- a/charts/gha-runner-scale-set-experimental/templates/autoscalingrunnserset.yaml
+++ b/charts/gha-runner-scale-set-experimental/templates/autoscalingrunnserset.yaml
@@ -84,6 +84,14 @@ spec:
   runnerGroup: {{ .Values.scaleset.runnerGroup | quote }}
   runnerScaleSetName: {{ .Values.scaleset.name | quote }}
   {{- if and .Values.scaleset.labels (kindIs "slice" .Values.scaleset.labels) }}
+  {{- range .Values.scaleset.labels }}
+  {{- if empty . }}
+  {{- fail "scaleset.labels contains an empty string, each label must be a non-empty string of less than 256 characters" }}
+  {{- end }}
+  {{- if ge (len .) 256 }}
+  {{- fail "scaleset.labels contains a label that is 256 characters or more, each label must be a non-empty string of less than 256 characters" }}
+  {{- end }}
+  {{- end }}
   runnerScaleSetLabels:
     {{- toYaml .Values.scaleset.labels | nindent 4 }}
   {{- end }}
diff --git a/charts/gha-runner-scale-set-experimental/tests/autoscaling_runner_set_scale_set_labels_test.yaml b/charts/gha-runner-scale-set-experimental/tests/autoscaling_runner_set_scale_set_labels_test.yaml
index 6176694b..b8fb8d9e 100644
--- a/charts/gha-runner-scale-set-experimental/tests/autoscaling_runner_set_scale_set_labels_test.yaml
+++ b/charts/gha-runner-scale-set-experimental/tests/autoscaling_runner_set_scale_set_labels_test.yaml
@@ -21,4 +21,38 @@ tests:
           value: "linux"
       - equal:
           path: spec.runnerScaleSetLabels[1]
-          value: "x64"
\ No newline at end of file
+          value: "x64"
+
+  - it: should fail when a scaleset label is empty
+    set:
+      scaleset.name: "test"
+      scaleset.labels:
+        - "linux"
+        - ""
+      auth.url: "https://github.com/org"
+      auth.githubToken: "gh_token12345"
+      controllerServiceAccount.name: "arc"
+      controllerServiceAccount.namespace: "arc-system"
+    release:
+      name: "test-name"
+      namespace: "test-namespace"
+    asserts:
+      - failedTemplate:
+          errorMessage: "scaleset.labels contains an empty string, each label must be a non-empty string of less than 256 characters"
+
+  - it: should fail when a scaleset label is 256 characters or more
+    set:
+      scaleset.name: "test"
+      scaleset.labels:
+        - "linux"
+        - "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"
+      auth.url: "https://github.com/org"
+      auth.githubToken: "gh_token12345"
+      controllerServiceAccount.name: "arc"
+      controllerServiceAccount.namespace: "arc-system"
+    release:
+      name: "test-name"
+      namespace: "test-namespace"
+    asserts:
+      - failedTemplate:
+          errorMessage: "scaleset.labels contains a label that is 256 characters or more, each label must be a non-empty string of less than 256 characters"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/charts/gha-runner-scale-set/templates/autoscalingrunnerset.yaml b/charts/gha-runner-scale-set/templates/autoscalingrunnerset.yaml
index 0771e9c9..384395b8 100644
--- a/charts/gha-runner-scale-set/templates/autoscalingrunnerset.yaml
+++ b/charts/gha-runner-scale-set/templates/autoscalingrunnerset.yaml
@@ -75,6 +75,14 @@ spec:
   runnerScaleSetName: {{ . }}
   {{- end }}
   {{- if and .Values.scaleSetLabels (kindIs "slice" .Values.scaleSetLabels) }}
+  {{- range .Values.scaleSetLabels }}
+  {{- if empty . }}
+  {{- fail "scaleSetLabels contains an empty string, each label must be a non-empty string of less than 256 characters" }}
+  {{- end }}
+  {{- if ge (len .) 256 }}
+  {{- fail "scaleSetLabels contains a label that is 256 characters or more, each label must be a non-empty string of less than 256 characters" }}
+  {{- end }}
+  {{- end }}
   runnerScaleSetLabels:
     {{- toYaml .Values.scaleSetLabels | nindent 4 }}
   {{- end }}