diff --git a/pkg/kds/util/meta.go b/pkg/kds/util/meta.go
index 8ba29d994ebe..fb703424a322 100644
--- a/pkg/kds/util/meta.go
+++ b/pkg/kds/util/meta.go
@@ -53,14 +53,6 @@ func CloneResourceMeta(m model.ResourceMeta, fs ...CloneResourceMetaOpt) model.R
 	return meta
 }
 
-func kumaResourceMetaToResourceMeta(meta *mesh_proto.KumaResource_Meta) model.ResourceMeta {
-	return &resourceMeta{
-		name:   meta.Name,
-		mesh:   meta.Mesh,
-		labels: meta.GetLabels(),
-	}
-}
-
 func (r *resourceMeta) GetName() string {
 	return r.name
 }
diff --git a/pkg/kds/util/resource.go b/pkg/kds/util/resource.go
index b26c22f3da6b..1e3298414a53 100644
--- a/pkg/kds/util/resource.go
+++ b/pkg/kds/util/resource.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package util
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"maps"
 	"strings"
 
 	envoy_sd "github.com/envoyproxy/go-control-plane/envoy/service/discovery/v3"
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@ func ToEnvoyResources(rlist model.ResourceList) ([]envoy_types.Resource, error)
 			Meta: &mesh_proto.KumaResource_Meta{
 				Name:    r.GetMeta().GetName(),
 				Mesh:    r.GetMeta().GetMesh(),
-				Labels:  r.GetMeta().GetLabels(),
+				Labels:  maps.Clone(r.GetMeta().GetLabels()),
 				Version: "",
 			},
 			Spec: pbany,
@@ -136,7 +137,11 @@ func toResources(resourceType model.ResourceType, krs []*mesh_proto.KumaResource
 		if err = model.FromAny(kr.Spec, obj.GetSpec()); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		obj.SetMeta(kumaResourceMetaToResourceMeta(kr.Meta))
+		obj.SetMeta(&resourceMeta{
+			name:   kr.GetMeta().GetName(),
+			mesh:   kr.GetMeta().GetMesh(),
+			labels: maps.Clone(kr.GetMeta().GetLabels()),
+		})
 		if err := list.AddItem(obj); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/resources/memory/store.go b/pkg/plugins/resources/memory/store.go
index f45057ff1f66..7e858cf62bfa 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/resources/memory/store.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/resources/memory/store.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package memory
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"maps"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
@@ -123,7 +124,7 @@ func (c *memoryStore) Create(_ context.Context, r core_model.Resource, fs ...sto
 		Version:          initialVersion(),
 		CreationTime:     opts.CreationTime,
 		ModificationTime: opts.CreationTime,
-		Labels:           opts.Labels,
+		Labels:           maps.Clone(opts.Labels),
 	}
 
 	// fill the meta
@@ -180,7 +181,7 @@ func (c *memoryStore) Update(_ context.Context, r core_model.Resource, fs ...sto
 	meta.Version = meta.Version.Next()
 	meta.ModificationTime = opts.ModificationTime
 	if opts.ModifyLabels {
-		meta.Labels = opts.Labels
+		meta.Labels = maps.Clone(opts.Labels)
 	}
 	r.SetMeta(meta)
 
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/resources/remote/store.go b/pkg/plugins/resources/remote/store.go
index 09b0079af978..5eeb6cc62d82 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/resources/remote/store.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/resources/remote/store.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"io"
+	"maps"
 	"net/http"
 	"strconv"
 
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ func (s *remoteStore) Create(ctx context.Context, res model.Resource, fs ...stor
 		Type:   string(res.Descriptor().Name),
 		Name:   opts.Name,
 		Mesh:   opts.Mesh,
-		Labels: opts.Labels,
+		Labels: maps.Clone(opts.Labels),
 	}
 	if err := s.upsert(ctx, res, meta); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ func (s *remoteStore) Update(ctx context.Context, res model.Resource, fs ...stor
 		Type:   string(res.Descriptor().Name),
 		Name:   res.GetMeta().GetName(),
 		Mesh:   res.GetMeta().GetMesh(),
-		Labels: opts.Labels,
+		Labels: maps.Clone(opts.Labels),
 	}
 	if err := s.upsert(ctx, res, meta); err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/secrets/k8s/store.go b/pkg/plugins/secrets/k8s/store.go
index fd30e075b72f..a4c423ae8b8a 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/secrets/k8s/store.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/secrets/k8s/store.go
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ func (s *KubernetesStore) Update(ctx context.Context, r core_model.Resource, fs
 }
 
 func setLabelsAnnotationsAndMesh(s *kube_core.Secret, mesh string, labels map[string]string) {
+	labels = maps.Clone(labels)
 	if labels == nil {
 		labels = map[string]string{}
 	}