diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index cef2aa8de..c23603198 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ require (
 	k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20211029201511-cca52a076791
 	k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20211028185107-b255da54548a
 	k8s.io/cli-runtime v0.0.0-20211027005851-fd0a6d95140a
-	k8s.io/client-go v0.0.0-20211102163907-e57f40404feb
+	k8s.io/client-go v0.0.0-20211103203847-980663e185ab
 	k8s.io/component-base v0.0.0-20211027004438-bd08cb7812c3
 	k8s.io/component-helpers v0.0.0-20211027004542-73bcdef827e4
 	k8s.io/klog/v2 v2.30.0
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ replace (
 	k8s.io/api => k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20211029201511-cca52a076791
 	k8s.io/apimachinery => k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20211028185107-b255da54548a
 	k8s.io/cli-runtime => k8s.io/cli-runtime v0.0.0-20211027005851-fd0a6d95140a
-	k8s.io/client-go => k8s.io/client-go v0.0.0-20211102163907-e57f40404feb
+	k8s.io/client-go => k8s.io/client-go v0.0.0-20211103203847-980663e185ab
 	k8s.io/code-generator => k8s.io/code-generator v0.0.0-20211102141458-35fbf2653103
 	k8s.io/component-base => k8s.io/component-base v0.0.0-20211027004438-bd08cb7812c3
 	k8s.io/component-helpers => k8s.io/component-helpers v0.0.0-20211027004542-73bcdef827e4
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index e8ae1fa92..1c5d586ca 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -908,8 +908,8 @@ k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20211028185107-b255da54548a h1:3NA1KMmF0ie/tLSNnA3v1i
 k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20211028185107-b255da54548a/go.mod h1:oyH3LcOKLLooQH1NlpHlilzkWxqsiHWETyHgssntcXg=
 k8s.io/cli-runtime v0.0.0-20211027005851-fd0a6d95140a h1:6N6d0a80cFO2PI8RssKTsofnWWdzr4LBWKKe0t+1kAk=
 k8s.io/cli-runtime v0.0.0-20211027005851-fd0a6d95140a/go.mod h1:C/9bEqryTALzT3y/AJFeg2TqzudoaRZrdr4Zdoeetn0=
-k8s.io/client-go v0.0.0-20211102163907-e57f40404feb h1:UfnbQ/wq4DHX52UrB9VFuy928tusLs7SnNiM2Q2d0Yc=
-k8s.io/client-go v0.0.0-20211102163907-e57f40404feb/go.mod h1:AeiEb+/G5s6RA7edXOQ1MJ1JyCAxXwoAYZ7CJhpF0Ow=
+k8s.io/client-go v0.0.0-20211103203847-980663e185ab h1:N6JhDz4/SHsR0LnjSTU6ywbLkvg1ZbWWT+V3Wj4k8w0=
+k8s.io/client-go v0.0.0-20211103203847-980663e185ab/go.mod h1:AeiEb+/G5s6RA7edXOQ1MJ1JyCAxXwoAYZ7CJhpF0Ow=
 k8s.io/code-generator v0.0.0-20211102141458-35fbf2653103/go.mod h1:alK4pz5+y/zKXOPBnND3TvXOC/iF2oYTBDynHO1+qlI=
 k8s.io/component-base v0.0.0-20211027004438-bd08cb7812c3 h1:Hx2Olj7sA4W9r8veeamsvNiiYf5SMTN/N/1uAMQk13c=
 k8s.io/component-base v0.0.0-20211027004438-bd08cb7812c3/go.mod h1:7xqZFY7A2hOLqh+cOR9jinp+xJVXp6F5I1rOO+kBKJc=
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/label/label.go b/pkg/cmd/label/label.go
index 9b608ea20..f6fa87e8b 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/label/label.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/label/label.go
@@ -44,6 +44,12 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/util/templates"
 )
 
+const (
+	MsgNotLabeled = "not labeled"
+	MsgLabeled    = "labeled"
+	MsgUnLabeled  = "unlabeled"
+)
+
 // LabelOptions have the data required to perform the label operation
 type LabelOptions struct {
 	// Filename options
@@ -390,9 +396,12 @@ func (o *LabelOptions) RunLabel() error {
 }
 
 func updateDataChangeMsg(oldObj []byte, newObj []byte) string {
-	msg := "not labeled"
+	msg := MsgNotLabeled
 	if !reflect.DeepEqual(oldObj, newObj) {
-		msg = "labeled"
+		msg = MsgLabeled
+		if len(newObj) < len(oldObj) {
+			msg = MsgUnLabeled
+		}
 	}
 	return msg
 }
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/label/label_test.go b/pkg/cmd/label/label_test.go
index 63176eeda..a939e8860 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/label/label_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/label/label_test.go
@@ -24,10 +24,11 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
-	"k8s.io/api/core/v1"
+	v1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/json"
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions"
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/resource"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/rest/fake"
@@ -565,3 +566,143 @@ func TestLabelResourceVersion(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestLabelMsg(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		obj             runtime.Object
+		overwrite       bool
+		resourceVersion string
+		labels          map[string]string
+		remove          []string
+		expectObj       runtime.Object
+		expectMsg       string
+		expectErr       bool
+	}{
+		{
+			obj: &v1.Pod{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Labels: map[string]string{"a": "b"},
+				},
+			},
+			labels:    map[string]string{"a": "b"},
+			expectMsg: MsgNotLabeled,
+			expectErr: true,
+		},
+		{
+			obj: &v1.Pod{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{},
+			},
+			labels: map[string]string{"a": "b"},
+			expectObj: &v1.Pod{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Labels: map[string]string{"a": "b"},
+				},
+			},
+			expectMsg: MsgLabeled,
+		},
+		{
+			obj: &v1.Pod{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Labels: map[string]string{"a": "b"},
+				},
+			},
+			labels:    map[string]string{"a": "c"},
+			overwrite: true,
+			expectObj: &v1.Pod{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Labels: map[string]string{"a": "c"},
+				},
+			},
+			expectMsg: MsgLabeled,
+		},
+		{
+			obj: &v1.Pod{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Labels: map[string]string{"a": "b"},
+				},
+			},
+			labels: map[string]string{"c": "d"},
+			expectObj: &v1.Pod{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Labels: map[string]string{"a": "b", "c": "d"},
+				},
+			},
+			expectMsg: MsgLabeled,
+		},
+		{
+			obj: &v1.Pod{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Labels: map[string]string{"a": "b"},
+				},
+			},
+			labels:          map[string]string{"c": "d"},
+			resourceVersion: "2",
+			expectObj: &v1.Pod{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Labels:          map[string]string{"a": "b", "c": "d"},
+					ResourceVersion: "2",
+				},
+			},
+			expectMsg: MsgLabeled,
+		},
+		{
+			obj: &v1.Pod{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Labels: map[string]string{"a": "b"},
+				},
+			},
+			labels: map[string]string{},
+			remove: []string{"a"},
+			expectObj: &v1.Pod{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Labels: map[string]string{},
+				},
+			},
+			expectMsg: MsgUnLabeled,
+		},
+		{
+			obj: &v1.Pod{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Labels: map[string]string{"a": "b", "c": "d"},
+				},
+			},
+			labels: map[string]string{"e": "f"},
+			remove: []string{"a"},
+			expectObj: &v1.Pod{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Labels: map[string]string{
+						"c": "d",
+						"e": "f",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			expectMsg: MsgLabeled,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		oldData, err := json.Marshal(test.obj)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("unexpected error: %v %v", err, test)
+		}
+
+		err = labelFunc(test.obj, test.overwrite, test.resourceVersion, test.labels, test.remove)
+		if test.expectErr && err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("unexpected non-error: %v", test)
+			continue
+		}
+		if !test.expectErr && err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("unexpected error: %v %v", err, test)
+		}
+
+		newObj, err := json.Marshal(test.obj)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("unexpected error: %v %v", err, test)
+		}
+
+		dataChangeMsg := updateDataChangeMsg(oldData, newObj)
+		if dataChangeMsg != test.expectMsg {
+			t.Errorf("unexpected dataChangeMsg: %v != %v, %v", dataChangeMsg, test.expectMsg, test)
+		}
+	}
+}