diff --git a/endpoint/labels.go b/endpoint/labels.go
index 6667ff8391..234c1361df 100644
--- a/endpoint/labels.go
+++ b/endpoint/labels.go
@@ -63,11 +63,10 @@ func NewLabelsFromStringPlain(labelText string) (Labels, error) {
 	tokens := strings.Split(labelText, ",")
 	foundExternalDNSHeritage := false
 	for _, token := range tokens {
-		if len(strings.Split(token, "=")) != 2 {
+		key, val, ok := strings.Cut(token, "=")
+		if !ok {
 			continue
 		}
-		key := strings.Split(token, "=")[0]
-		val := strings.Split(token, "=")[1]
 		if key == "heritage" && val != heritage {
 			return nil, ErrInvalidHeritage
 		}
diff --git a/endpoint/labels_test.go b/endpoint/labels_test.go
index 147152372d..460de7a6ea 100644
--- a/endpoint/labels_test.go
+++ b/endpoint/labels_test.go
@@ -178,6 +178,19 @@ func (suite *LabelsSuite) TestDeserialize() {
 	suite.Nil(multipleHeritage, "if error should return nil")
 }
 
+func (suite *LabelsSuite) TestSerializeDeserializeWithEqualsInValue() {
+	labels := Labels{
+		"owner":    "team=platform",
+		"resource": "ingress/default/example",
+	}
+
+	serialized := labels.SerializePlain(false)
+	parsed, err := NewLabelsFromStringPlain(serialized)
+
+	suite.NoError(err)
+	suite.Equal(labels, parsed)
+}
+
 func TestLabels(t *testing.T) {
 	suite.Run(t, new(LabelsSuite))
 }