diff --git a/gateway/handlers/createhandler.go b/gateway/handlers/createhandler.go
index 1bc6497e..7eb65dfb 100644
--- a/gateway/handlers/createhandler.go
+++ b/gateway/handlers/createhandler.go
@@ -73,18 +73,30 @@ func makeSpec(request *requests.CreateFunctionRequest, maxRestarts uint64, resta
 	} else {
 		constraints = linuxOnlyConstraints
 	}
-	labels := map[string]string{"function": "true"}
+
+	labels := map[string]string{
+		"com.openfaas.function": request.Service,
+		"function":              "true", // backwards-compatible
+	}
+
 	if request.Labels != nil {
 		for k, v := range *request.Labels {
 			labels[k] = v
 		}
 	}
+	fmt.Println(labels)
 
 	nets := []swarm.NetworkAttachmentConfig{
-		{Target: request.Network},
+		{
+			Target: request.Network,
+		},
 	}
 
 	spec := swarm.ServiceSpec{
+		Annotations: swarm.Annotations{
+			Name:   request.Service,
+			Labels: labels,
+		},
 		TaskTemplate: swarm.TaskSpec{
 			RestartPolicy: &swarm.RestartPolicy{
 				MaxAttempts: &maxRestarts,
@@ -100,10 +112,6 @@ func makeSpec(request *requests.CreateFunctionRequest, maxRestarts uint64, resta
 				Constraints: constraints,
 			},
 		},
-		Annotations: swarm.Annotations{
-			Name:   request.Service,
-			Labels: labels,
-		},
 	}
 
 	// TODO: request.EnvProcess should only be set if it's not nil, otherwise we override anything in the Docker image already
diff --git a/gateway/handlers/reader.go b/gateway/handlers/reader.go
index 46b3646e..ea8cd578 100644
--- a/gateway/handlers/reader.go
+++ b/gateway/handlers/reader.go
@@ -50,12 +50,15 @@ func MakeFunctionReader(metricsOptions metrics.MetricOptions, c client.ServiceAP
 					}
 				}
 
+				// Required (copy by value)
+				labels := service.Spec.Annotations.Labels
 				f := requests.Function{
 					Name:            service.Spec.Name,
 					Image:           service.Spec.TaskTemplate.ContainerSpec.Image,
 					InvocationCount: 0,
 					Replicas:        *service.Spec.Mode.Replicated.Replicas,
 					EnvProcess:      envProcess,
+					Labels:          &labels,
 				}
 
 				functions = append(functions, f)
diff --git a/gateway/handlers/update_handler.go b/gateway/handlers/update_handler.go
index 5cabf595..acee9b88 100644
--- a/gateway/handlers/update_handler.go
+++ b/gateway/handlers/update_handler.go
@@ -81,33 +81,34 @@ func updateSpec(request *requests.CreateFunctionRequest, spec *swarm.ServiceSpec
 		constraints = linuxOnlyConstraints
 	}
 
-	nets := []swarm.NetworkAttachmentConfig{
-		{Target: request.Network},
-	}
-
 	spec.TaskTemplate.RestartPolicy.MaxAttempts = &maxRestarts
 	spec.TaskTemplate.RestartPolicy.Condition = swarm.RestartPolicyConditionAny
 	spec.TaskTemplate.RestartPolicy.Delay = &restartDelay
 	spec.TaskTemplate.ContainerSpec.Image = request.Image
 	spec.TaskTemplate.ContainerSpec.Labels = map[string]string{
-		"function": "true",
-		"uid":      fmt.Sprintf("%d", time.Now().Nanosecond()),
+		"function":              "true",
+		"com.openfaas.function": request.Service,
+		"com.openfaas.uid":      fmt.Sprintf("%d", time.Now().Nanosecond()),
 	}
 
 	if request.Labels != nil {
 		for k, v := range *request.Labels {
 			spec.TaskTemplate.ContainerSpec.Labels[k] = v
+			spec.Annotations.Labels[k] = v
 		}
 	}
 
-	spec.TaskTemplate.Networks = nets
+	spec.TaskTemplate.Networks = []swarm.NetworkAttachmentConfig{
+		{
+			Target: request.Network,
+		},
+	}
+
 	spec.TaskTemplate.Placement = &swarm.Placement{
 		Constraints: constraints,
 	}
 
-	spec.Annotations = swarm.Annotations{
-		Name: request.Service,
-	}
+	spec.Annotations.Name = request.Service
 
 	spec.RollbackConfig = &swarm.UpdateConfig{
 		FailureAction: "pause",
diff --git a/gateway/requests/requests.go b/gateway/requests/requests.go
index b221d98f..c4463de2 100644
--- a/gateway/requests/requests.go
+++ b/gateway/requests/requests.go
@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ type Function struct {
 	InvocationCount float64 `json:"invocationCount"` // TODO: shouldn't this be int64?
 	Replicas        uint64  `json:"replicas"`
 	EnvProcess      string  `json:"envProcess"`
+
+	// Labels are metadata for functions which may be used by the
+	// back-end for making scheduling or routing decisions
+	Labels *map[string]string `json:"labels"`
 }
 
 // AsyncReport is the report from a function executed on a queue worker.
diff --git a/gateway/tests/reader_test.go b/gateway/tests/reader_test.go
index 7cc0ae69..79beb0b3 100644
--- a/gateway/tests/reader_test.go
+++ b/gateway/tests/reader_test.go
@@ -116,6 +116,10 @@ func TestReaderSuccessReturnsCorrectBodyWithZeroFunctions(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestReaderSuccessReturnsCorrectBodyWithOneFunction(t *testing.T) {
 	replicas := uint64(5)
+	labels := map[string]string{
+		"function": "bar",
+	}
+
 	services := []swarm.Service{
 		swarm.Service{
 			Spec: swarm.ServiceSpec{
@@ -125,17 +129,16 @@ func TestReaderSuccessReturnsCorrectBodyWithOneFunction(t *testing.T) {
 					},
 				},
 				Annotations: swarm.Annotations{
-					Name: "bar",
+					Name:   "bar",
+					Labels: labels,
 				},
 				TaskTemplate: swarm.TaskSpec{
 					ContainerSpec: swarm.ContainerSpec{
 						Env: []string{
 							"fprocess=bar",
 						},
-						Image: "foo/bar:latest",
-						Labels: map[string]string{
-							"function": "bar",
-						},
+						Image:  "foo/bar:latest",
+						Labels: labels,
 					},
 				},
 			},
@@ -159,6 +162,9 @@ func TestReaderSuccessReturnsCorrectBodyWithOneFunction(t *testing.T) {
 			InvocationCount: 0,
 			Replicas:        5,
 			EnvProcess:      "bar",
+			Labels: &map[string]string{
+				"function": "bar",
+			},
 		},
 	}
 	marshalled, _ := json.Marshal(functions)