diff --git a/deploy/helm/grafana-operator/README.md b/deploy/helm/grafana-operator/README.md
index f4f044555..8883fe7f1 100644
--- a/deploy/helm/grafana-operator/README.md
+++ b/deploy/helm/grafana-operator/README.md
@@ -104,5 +104,6 @@ It's easier to just manage this configuration outside of the operator.
 | serviceMonitor.targetLabels | list | `[]` | Set of labels to transfer from the Kubernetes Service onto the target |
 | serviceMonitor.telemetryPath | string | `"/metrics"` | Set path to metrics path |
 | tolerations | list | `[]` | pod tolerations |
+| watchLabelSelectors | string | `""` | Sets the `WATCH_LABEL_SELECTORS` environment variable, if defines which CRs are watched according to thei labels. By default, the operator watches all CRs. To make it watch only a subset of CRs, define the variable as a *Set-based requirement* See also: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/overview/working-with-objects/labels/ |
 | watchNamespaceSelector | string | `""` | Sets the `WATCH_NAMESPACE_SELECTOR` environment variable, it defines which namespaces the operator should be listening for based on a namespace label (e.g. `"environment: dev"`). By default, the operator watches all namespaces. To make it watch only its own namespace, check out `namespaceScope` option instead. |
 | watchNamespaces | string | `""` | Sets the `WATCH_NAMESPACE` environment variable, it defines which namespaces the operator should be listening for (e.g. `"grafana, foo"`). By default, the operator watches all namespaces. To make it watch only its own namespace, check out `namespaceScope` option instead. |
diff --git a/deploy/helm/grafana-operator/templates/deployment.yaml b/deploy/helm/grafana-operator/templates/deployment.yaml
index 0ea27aeb5..459087a8f 100644
--- a/deploy/helm/grafana-operator/templates/deployment.yaml
+++ b/deploy/helm/grafana-operator/templates/deployment.yaml
@@ -51,6 +51,12 @@ spec:
               {{ else }}
               value: {{quote .Values.watchNamespaceSelector }}
               {{- end }}
+            - name: WATCH_LABEL_SELECTORS
+              {{- if and .Values.watchLabelSelectors (eq .Values.watchLabelSelectors "") }}
+              value: ""
+              {{ else }}
+              value: {{quote .Values.watchLabelSelectors }}
+              {{- end }}
             {{- with .Values.env }}
               {{- toYaml . | nindent 12 }}
             {{- end }}
diff --git a/deploy/helm/grafana-operator/values.yaml b/deploy/helm/grafana-operator/values.yaml
index 489fb9c6b..d0c704c1a 100644
--- a/deploy/helm/grafana-operator/values.yaml
+++ b/deploy/helm/grafana-operator/values.yaml
@@ -15,6 +15,13 @@ watchNamespaces: ""
 # By default, the operator watches all namespaces. To make it watch only its own namespace, check out `namespaceScope` option instead.
 watchNamespaceSelector: ""
 
+# -- Sets the `WATCH_LABEL_SELECTORS` environment variable,
+# it defines which CRs are watched according to their labels.
+# By default, the operator watches all CRs. To make it watch only a subset of CRs, define the variable as a *stringified label selector*.
+# See also: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/overview/working-with-objects/labels/
+watchLabelSelectors: ""
+# watchLabelSelectors: "partition in (customerA, customerB),environment!=qa"
+
 # -- Determines if the target cluster is OpenShift. Additional rbac permissions for routes will be added on OpenShift
 isOpenShift: false
 
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index fde33afc6..5a62967b8 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"context"
 	"flag"
+	"fmt"
 	"log"
 	"log/slog"
 	"os"
@@ -48,6 +49,7 @@ import (
 	// to ensure that exec-entrypoint and run can make use of them.
 	_ "k8s.io/client-go/plugin/pkg/client/auth"
 
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana-operator/v5/controllers/model"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	utilruntime "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/runtime"
 	clientgoscheme "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme"
@@ -71,6 +73,10 @@ const (
 	// eg: "environment: dev"
 	// If empty or undefined, the operator will run in cluster scope.
 	watchNamespaceEnvSelector = "WATCH_NAMESPACE_SELECTOR"
+	// watchLabelSelectorsEnvVar is the constant for env variable WATCH_LABEL_SELECTORS which specifies the resources to watch according to their labels.
+	// eg: 'partition in (customerA, customerB),environment!=qa'
+	// If empty of undefined, the operator will watch all CRs.
+	watchLabelSelectorsEnvVar = "WATCH_LABEL_SELECTORS"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -123,6 +129,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	watchNamespace, _ := os.LookupEnv(watchNamespaceEnvVar)
 	watchNamespaceSelector, _ := os.LookupEnv(watchNamespaceEnvSelector)
+	watchLabelSelectors, _ := os.LookupEnv(watchLabelSelectorsEnvVar)
 
 	// Fetch k8s api credentials and detect platform
 	restConfig := ctrl.GetConfigOrDie()
@@ -151,22 +158,28 @@ func main() {
 		PprofBindAddress:       pprofAddr,
 	}
 
+	labelSelectors, err := getLabelSelectors(watchLabelSelectors)
+	if err != nil {
+		setupLog.Error(err, fmt.Sprintf("unable to parse %s", watchLabelSelectorsEnvVar))
+		os.Exit(1) //nolint
+	}
 	switch {
 	case strings.Contains(watchNamespace, ","):
 		// multi namespace scoped
-		controllerOptions.Cache.DefaultNamespaces = getNamespaceConfig(watchNamespace)
+		controllerOptions.Cache.DefaultNamespaces = getNamespaceConfig(watchNamespace, labelSelectors)
 		setupLog.Info("operator running in namespace scoped mode for multiple namespaces", "namespaces", watchNamespace)
 	case watchNamespace != "":
 		// namespace scoped
-		controllerOptions.Cache.DefaultNamespaces = getNamespaceConfig(watchNamespace)
+		controllerOptions.Cache.DefaultNamespaces = getNamespaceConfig(watchNamespace, labelSelectors)
 		setupLog.Info("operator running in namespace scoped mode", "namespace", watchNamespace)
 	case strings.Contains(watchNamespaceSelector, ":"):
 		// namespace scoped
-		controllerOptions.Cache.DefaultNamespaces = getNamespaceConfigSelector(restConfig, watchNamespaceSelector)
+		controllerOptions.Cache.DefaultNamespaces = getNamespaceConfigSelector(restConfig, watchNamespaceSelector, labelSelectors)
 		setupLog.Info("operator running in namespace scoped mode using namespace selector", "namespace", watchNamespace)
 
 	case watchNamespace == "" && watchNamespaceSelector == "":
 		// cluster scoped
+		controllerOptions.Cache.DefaultLabelSelector = labelSelectors
 		setupLog.Info("operator running in cluster scoped mode")
 	}
 
@@ -266,7 +279,7 @@ func main() {
 	setupLog.Info("SIGTERM request gotten, shutting down operator")
 }
 
-func getNamespaceConfig(namespaces string) map[string]cache.Config {
+func getNamespaceConfig(namespaces string, labelSelectors labels.Selector) map[string]cache.Config {
 	defaultNamespaces := map[string]cache.Config{}
 	for _, v := range strings.Split(namespaces, ",") {
 		// Generate a mapping of namespaces to label/field selectors, set to Everything() to enable matching all
@@ -274,7 +287,7 @@ func getNamespaceConfig(namespaces string) map[string]cache.Config {
 		// this is the default behavior of the operator on v5, if you require finer grained control over this
 		// please file an issue in the grafana-operator/grafana-operator GH project
 		defaultNamespaces[v] = cache.Config{
-			LabelSelector:         labels.Everything(), // Match any labels
+			LabelSelector:         labelSelectors,
 			FieldSelector:         fields.Everything(), // Match any fields
 			Transform:             nil,
 			UnsafeDisableDeepCopy: nil,
@@ -283,7 +296,7 @@ func getNamespaceConfig(namespaces string) map[string]cache.Config {
 	return defaultNamespaces
 }
 
-func getNamespaceConfigSelector(restConfig *rest.Config, selector string) map[string]cache.Config {
+func getNamespaceConfigSelector(restConfig *rest.Config, selector string, labelSelectors labels.Selector) map[string]cache.Config {
 	cl, err := client.New(restConfig, client.Options{})
 	if err != nil {
 		setupLog.Error(err, "Failed to get watch namespaces")
@@ -305,7 +318,7 @@ func getNamespaceConfigSelector(restConfig *rest.Config, selector string) map[st
 		// this is the default behavior of the operator on v5, if you require finer grained control over this
 		// please file an issue in the grafana-operator/grafana-operator GH project
 		defaultNamespaces[v.Name] = cache.Config{
-			LabelSelector:         labels.Everything(), // Match any labels
+			LabelSelector:         labelSelectors,
 			FieldSelector:         fields.Everything(), // Match any fields
 			Transform:             nil,
 			UnsafeDisableDeepCopy: nil,
@@ -313,3 +326,21 @@ func getNamespaceConfigSelector(restConfig *rest.Config, selector string) map[st
 	}
 	return defaultNamespaces
 }
+
+func getLabelSelectors(watchLabelSelectors string) (labels.Selector, error) {
+	var (
+		labelSelectors labels.Selector
+		err            error
+	)
+	if watchLabelSelectors != "" {
+		labelSelectors, err = labels.Parse(watchLabelSelectors)
+		if err != nil {
+			return labelSelectors, fmt.Errorf("unable to parse %s: %w", watchLabelSelectorsEnvVar, err)
+		}
+	} else {
+		labelSelectors = labels.Everything() // Match any labels
+	}
+	managedByLabelSelector, _ := labels.SelectorFromSet(model.CommonLabels).Requirements()
+	labelSelectors.Add(managedByLabelSelector...)
+	return labelSelectors, nil
+}