diff --git a/extensions/kubernetes/vanilla/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/kubernetes/deployment/AddStatefulSetResourceDecorator.java b/extensions/kubernetes/vanilla/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/kubernetes/deployment/AddStatefulSetResourceDecorator.java
index 39440562adcd7..e59581efcd0a4 100644
--- a/extensions/kubernetes/vanilla/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/kubernetes/deployment/AddStatefulSetResourceDecorator.java
+++ b/extensions/kubernetes/vanilla/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/kubernetes/deployment/AddStatefulSetResourceDecorator.java
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ private void initStatefulSetResourceWithDefaults(StatefulSetBuilder builder) {
                 .editOrNewTemplate()
                 .editOrNewSpec()
                 .endSpec()
+                .editOrNewMetadata()
+                .endMetadata()
                 .endTemplate();
 
         // defaults for:
diff --git a/integration-tests/kubernetes/quarkus-standard-way/src/test/java/io/quarkus/it/kubernetes/KubernetesWithStatefulSetResourceTest.java b/integration-tests/kubernetes/quarkus-standard-way/src/test/java/io/quarkus/it/kubernetes/KubernetesWithStatefulSetResourceTest.java
index 4784dc854d3ef..2e6f41bdb3f53 100644
--- a/integration-tests/kubernetes/quarkus-standard-way/src/test/java/io/quarkus/it/kubernetes/KubernetesWithStatefulSetResourceTest.java
+++ b/integration-tests/kubernetes/quarkus-standard-way/src/test/java/io/quarkus/it/kubernetes/KubernetesWithStatefulSetResourceTest.java
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@ public void assertGeneratedResources() throws IOException {
                             assertThat(podSpec.getTerminationGracePeriodSeconds()).isEqualTo(10);
                             assertThat(podSpec.getContainers()).allMatch(c -> APP_NAME.equals(c.getName()));
                         });
+                        assertThat(t.getMetadata()).satisfies(metadata -> {
+                            assertThat(metadata.getLabels()).containsEntry("app.kubernetes.io/name", APP_NAME);
+                        });
                     });
                     assertThat(statefulSetSpec.getSelector()).satisfies(ls -> {
                         assertThat(ls.getMatchLabels()).containsEntry("app.kubernetes.io/name", APP_NAME);