diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index 790777c4..350ad927 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ inputs:
     default: 'main'
   source_repo_ssh_private_key:
     description: '[optional] private ssh key for the source repository. E.q. useful if using a private template repository.'
+  pr_labels:
+    description: '[optional] comma separated list of pull request labels'
+    default: 'chore,template-sync'
 runs:
   using: 'docker'
   image: 'src/Dockerfile'
@@ -25,3 +28,4 @@ runs:
     SOURCE_REPO_PATH: ${{ inputs.source_repo_path }}
     UPSTREAM_BRANCH: ${{ inputs.upstream_branch }}
     SSH_PRIVATE_KEY_SRC: ${{ inputs.source_repo_ssh_private_key}}
+    PR_LABELS: ${{inputs.pr_labels}}
diff --git a/src/sync_template.sh b/src/sync_template.sh
index 2638dc4c..463bc24f 100755
--- a/src/sync_template.sh
+++ b/src/sync_template.sh
@@ -13,6 +13,11 @@ if [[ -z "${UPSTREAM_BRANCH}" ]]; then
   exit 1;
 fi
 
+if [[ -z "${PR_LABELS}" ]]; then
+  echo "::error::Missing env variable 'PR_LABELS'" >&2;
+  exit 1;
+fi
+
 if ! [ -x "$(command -v gh)" ]; then
   echo "::error::github-cli gh is not installed. 'https://github.com/cli/cli'" >&2;
   exit 1;
@@ -82,5 +87,6 @@ echo "::group::create pull request"
 gh pr create \
   --title "upstream merge template repository" \
   --body "Merge ${SOURCE_REPO_PATH} ${NEW_TEMPLATE_GIT_HASH}" \
-  -B "${UPSTREAM_BRANCH}"
+  -B "${UPSTREAM_BRANCH}" \
+  -l "${PR_LABELS}"
 echo "::endgroup::"