diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/labels_select.js.coffee b/app/assets/javascripts/labels_select.js.coffee
index 4ac54e13dba..516f7d19932 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/labels_select.js.coffee
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/labels_select.js.coffee
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class @LabelsSelect
         labelHTMLTemplate = _.template(
             '<% _.each(labels, function(label){ %>
             <a href="<%= ["",issueURLSplit[1], issueURLSplit[2],""].join("/") %>issues?label_name=<%= _.escape(label.title) %>">
-            <span class="label has-tooltip color-label" title="<%= _.escape(label.description) %>" style="background-color: <%= label.color %>;">
+            <span class="label has-tooltip color-label" title="<%= _.escape(label.description) %>" style="background-color: <%= label.color %>; color: <%= label.text_color %>;">
             <%= _.escape(label.title) %>
             </span>
             </a>
diff --git a/app/controllers/projects/issues_controller.rb b/app/controllers/projects/issues_controller.rb
index 9241afdad0a..18e28fc49fe 100644
--- a/app/controllers/projects/issues_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/projects/issues_controller.rb
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ class Projects::IssuesController < Projects::ApplicationController
         end
       end
       format.json do
-        render json: @issue.to_json(include: [:milestone, :labels, assignee: { methods: :avatar_url }])
+        render json: @issue.to_json(include: [:milestone, labels: { methods: :text_color }, assignee: { methods: :avatar_url }])
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/app/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller.rb b/app/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller.rb
index 28ef83b077f..a57fd2d4e34 100644
--- a/app/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller.rb
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ class Projects::MergeRequestsController < Projects::ApplicationController
                        @merge_request.target_project, @merge_request])
         end
         format.json do
-          render json: @merge_request.to_json(include: [:milestone, :labels, assignee: { methods: :avatar_url }])
+          render json: @merge_request.to_json(include: [:milestone, labels: { methods: :text_color }, assignee: { methods: :avatar_url }])
         end
       end
     else