diff --git a/appview/db/label.go b/appview/db/label.go
--- a/appview/db/label.go
+++ b/appview/db/label.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"log"
 	"maps"
 	"slices"
 	"strings"
@@ -80,6 +79,14 @@
 
 func (vt ValueType) IsEnumType() bool {
 	return len(vt.Enum) > 0
+}
+
+func (vt ValueType) IsDidFormat() bool {
+	return vt.Format == ValueTypeFormatDid
+}
+
+func (vt ValueType) IsAnyFormat() bool {
+	return vt.Format == ValueTypeFormatAny
 }
 
 type LabelDefinition struct {
@@ -595,8 +602,6 @@
 		results[subject] = state
 	}
 
-	log.Println("results for get labels", "s", results)
-
 	return results, nil
 }
 
@@ -631,7 +636,7 @@
 }
 
 type LabelApplicationCtx struct {
-	defs map[string]*LabelDefinition // labelAt -> labelDef
+	Defs map[string]*LabelDefinition // labelAt -> labelDef
 }
 
 var (
@@ -653,7 +658,7 @@
 }
 
 func (c *LabelApplicationCtx) ApplyLabelOp(state LabelState, op LabelOp) error {
-	def := c.defs[op.OperandKey]
+	def := c.Defs[op.OperandKey]
 
 	switch op.Operation {
 	case LabelOperationAdd:
@@ -713,9 +718,4 @@
 	for _, o := range ops {
 		_ = c.ApplyLabelOp(state, o)
 	}
-}
-
-type Label struct {
-	def *LabelDefinition
-	val set
 }
diff --git a/appview/issues/issues.go b/appview/issues/issues.go
--- a/appview/issues/issues.go
+++ b/appview/issues/issues.go
@@ -92,7 +92,11 @@
 		userReactions = db.GetReactionStatusMap(rp.db, user.Did, issue.AtUri())
 	}
 
-	labelDefs, err := db.GetLabelDefinitions(rp.db, db.FilterIn("at_uri", f.Repo.Labels))
+	labelDefs, err := db.GetLabelDefinitions(
+		rp.db,
+		db.FilterIn("at_uri", f.Repo.Labels),
+		db.FilterEq("scope", tangled.RepoIssueNSID),
+	)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Println("failed to fetch labels", err)
 		rp.pages.Error503(w)
diff --git a/appview/repo/repo.go b/appview/repo/repo.go
--- a/appview/repo/repo.go
+++ b/appview/repo/repo.go
@@ -987,6 +987,7 @@
 	// get form values for label definition
 	name := r.FormValue("name")
 	concreteType := r.FormValue("valueType")
+	valueFormat := r.FormValue("valueFormat")
 	enumValues := r.FormValue("enumValues")
 	scope := r.FormValue("scope")
 	color := r.FormValue("color")
@@ -999,9 +1000,14 @@
 		}
 	}
 
+	format := db.ValueTypeFormatAny
+	if valueFormat == "did" {
+		format = db.ValueTypeFormatDid
+	}
+
 	valueType := db.ValueType{
 		Type:   db.ConcreteType(concreteType),
-		Format: db.ValueTypeFormatAny,
+		Format: format,
 		Enum:   variants,
 	}
 
diff --git a/appview/state/state.go b/appview/state/state.go
--- a/appview/state/state.go
+++ b/appview/state/state.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
 	cache := cache.New(config.Redis.Addr)
 	sess := session.New(cache)
 	oauth := oauth.NewOAuth(config, sess)
-	validator := validator.New(d)
+	validator := validator.New(d, res)
 
 	posthog, err := posthog.NewWithConfig(config.Posthog.ApiKey, posthog.Config{Endpoint: config.Posthog.Endpoint})
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/appview/validator/label.go b/appview/validator/label.go
--- a/appview/validator/label.go
+++ b/appview/validator/label.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package validator
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"regexp"
 	"strings"
@@ -71,6 +72,107 @@
 			color = strings.ToUpper(color)
 			label.Color = &color
 		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (v *Validator) ValidateLabelOp(labelDef *db.LabelDefinition, labelOp *db.LabelOp) error {
+	if labelDef == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("label definition is required")
+	}
+	if labelOp == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("label operation is required")
+	}
+
+	expectedKey := labelDef.AtUri().String()
+	if labelOp.OperandKey != expectedKey {
+		return fmt.Errorf("operand key %q does not match label definition URI %q", labelOp.OperandKey, expectedKey)
+	}
+
+	if labelOp.Operation != db.LabelOperationAdd && labelOp.Operation != db.LabelOperationDel {
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid operation: %q (must be 'add' or 'del')", labelOp.Operation)
+	}
+
+	if labelOp.Subject == "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("subject URI is required")
+	}
+	if _, err := syntax.ParseATURI(string(labelOp.Subject)); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid subject URI: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if err := v.validateOperandValue(labelDef, labelOp); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid operand value: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	// Validate performed time is not zero/invalid
+	if labelOp.PerformedAt.IsZero() {
+		return fmt.Errorf("performed_at timestamp is required")
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (v *Validator) validateOperandValue(labelDef *db.LabelDefinition, labelOp *db.LabelOp) error {
+	valueType := labelDef.ValueType
+
+	switch valueType.Type {
+	case db.ConcreteTypeNull:
+		// For null type, value should be empty
+		if labelOp.OperandValue != "null" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("null type requires empty value, got %q", labelOp.OperandValue)
+		}
+
+	case db.ConcreteTypeString:
+		// For string type, validate enum constraints if present
+		if valueType.IsEnumType() {
+			if !slices.Contains(valueType.Enum, labelOp.OperandValue) {
+				return fmt.Errorf("value %q is not in allowed enum values %v", labelOp.OperandValue, valueType.Enum)
+			}
+		}
+
+		switch valueType.Format {
+		case db.ValueTypeFormatDid:
+			id, err := v.resolver.ResolveIdent(context.Background(), labelOp.OperandValue)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("failed to resolve did/handle: %w", err)
+			}
+
+			labelOp.OperandValue = id.DID.String()
+
+		case db.ValueTypeFormatAny, "":
+		default:
+			return fmt.Errorf("unsupported format constraint: %q", valueType.Format)
+		}
+
+	case db.ConcreteTypeInt:
+		if labelOp.OperandValue == "" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("integer type requires non-empty value")
+		}
+		if _, err := fmt.Sscanf(labelOp.OperandValue, "%d", new(int)); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("value %q is not a valid integer", labelOp.OperandValue)
+		}
+
+		if valueType.IsEnumType() {
+			if !slices.Contains(valueType.Enum, labelOp.OperandValue) {
+				return fmt.Errorf("value %q is not in allowed enum values %v", labelOp.OperandValue, valueType.Enum)
+			}
+		}
+
+	case db.ConcreteTypeBool:
+		if labelOp.OperandValue != "true" && labelOp.OperandValue != "false" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("boolean type requires value to be 'true' or 'false', got %q", labelOp.OperandValue)
+		}
+
+		// validate enum constraints if present (though uncommon for booleans)
+		if valueType.IsEnumType() {
+			if !slices.Contains(valueType.Enum, labelOp.OperandValue) {
+				return fmt.Errorf("value %q is not in allowed enum values %v", labelOp.OperandValue, valueType.Enum)
+			}
+		}
+
+	default:
+		return fmt.Errorf("unsupported value type: %q", valueType.Type)
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/appview/validator/validator.go b/appview/validator/validator.go
--- a/appview/validator/validator.go
+++ b/appview/validator/validator.go
@@ -3,16 +3,19 @@
 import (
 	"tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/appview/db"
 	"tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/appview/pages/markup"
+	"tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/idresolver"
 )
 
 type Validator struct {
 	db        *db.DB
 	sanitizer markup.Sanitizer
+	resolver  *idresolver.Resolver
 }
 
-func New(db *db.DB) *Validator {
+func New(db *db.DB, res *idresolver.Resolver) *Validator {
 	return &Validator{
 		db:        db,
 		sanitizer: markup.NewSanitizer(),
+		resolver:  res,
 	}
 }
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/labels/fragments/label.html b/appview/pages/templates/labels/fragments/label.html
--- a/appview/pages/templates/labels/fragments/label.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/labels/fragments/label.html
@@ -1,8 +1,20 @@
 {{ define "labels/fragments/label" }}
   {{ $d := .def }}
   {{ $v := .val }}
-  <span class="flex items-center gap-2 font-normal normal-case rounded py-1 px-2 border border-gray-200 dark:border-gray-700 text-sm">
+  <span class="flex items-center gap-2 font-normal normal-case rounded py-1 px-2 border border-gray-200 dark:border-gray-700 bg-white dark:bg-gray-800 text-sm">
     {{ template "repo/fragments/colorBall" (dict "color" $d.GetColor) }}
-    {{ $d.Name }}{{ if not $d.ValueType.IsNull }}/{{ $v }}{{ end }}
+    {{ $d.Name }}{{ if not $d.ValueType.IsNull }}/{{ template "labelVal" (dict "def" $d "val" $v) }}{{ end }}
   </span>
+{{ end }}
+
+
+{{ define "labelVal" }}
+  {{ $d := .def }}
+  {{ $v := .val }}
+
+  {{ if $d.ValueType.IsDidFormat }}
+    {{ resolve $v }}
+  {{ else }}
+    {{ $v }}
+  {{ end }}
 {{ end }}