diff --git a/changes/issue-1984-label-count-on-edit b/changes/issue-1984-label-count-on-edit
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..44e8a302d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/issue-1984-label-count-on-edit
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+* Do not reset label counts when modifying them.
diff --git a/server/datastore/mysql/labels.go b/server/datastore/mysql/labels.go
index ca5482e033..9b46ac0714 100644
--- a/server/datastore/mysql/labels.go
+++ b/server/datastore/mysql/labels.go
@@ -217,17 +217,12 @@ func (d *Datastore) NewLabel(ctx context.Context, label *fleet.Label, opts ...fl
 }
 
 func (d *Datastore) SaveLabel(ctx context.Context, label *fleet.Label) (*fleet.Label, error) {
-	query := `
-		UPDATE labels SET
-			name = ?,
-			description = ?
-		WHERE id = ?
-	`
+	query := `UPDATE labels SET name = ?, description = ? WHERE id = ?`
 	_, err := d.writer.ExecContext(ctx, query, label.Name, label.Description, label.ID)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "saving label")
 	}
-	return label, nil
+	return labelDB(ctx, label.ID, d.writer)
 }
 
 // DeleteLabel deletes a fleet.Label
@@ -237,13 +232,20 @@ func (d *Datastore) DeleteLabel(ctx context.Context, name string) error {
 
 // Label returns a fleet.Label identified by lid if one exists.
 func (d *Datastore) Label(ctx context.Context, lid uint) (*fleet.Label, error) {
+	return labelDB(ctx, lid, d.reader)
+}
+
+func labelDB(ctx context.Context, lid uint, q sqlx.QueryerContext) (*fleet.Label, error) {
 	sql := `
-		SELECT * FROM labels
-			WHERE id = ?
+		SELECT 
+		       l.*,
+		       (SELECT COUNT(1) FROM label_membership lm JOIN hosts h ON (lm.host_id = h.id) WHERE label_id = l.id) AS host_count
+		FROM labels l
+		WHERE id = ?
 	`
 	label := &fleet.Label{}
 
-	if err := sqlx.GetContext(ctx, d.reader, label, sql, lid); err != nil {
+	if err := sqlx.GetContext(ctx, q, label, sql, lid); err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "selecting label")
 	}
 
diff --git a/server/datastore/mysql/labels_test.go b/server/datastore/mysql/labels_test.go
index d1a7d77b71..3aa2ee7f8b 100644
--- a/server/datastore/mysql/labels_test.go
+++ b/server/datastore/mysql/labels_test.go
@@ -594,22 +594,37 @@ func testLabelsIDsByName(t *testing.T, ds *Datastore) {
 }
 
 func testLabelsSave(t *testing.T, db *Datastore) {
+	h1, err := db.NewHost(context.Background(), &fleet.Host{
+		DetailUpdatedAt: time.Now(),
+		LabelUpdatedAt:  time.Now(),
+		SeenTime:        time.Now(),
+		OsqueryHostID:   "1",
+		NodeKey:         "1",
+		UUID:            "1",
+		Hostname:        "foo.local",
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
 	label := &fleet.Label{
 		Name:        "my label",
 		Description: "a label",
 		Query:       "select 1 from processes;",
 		Platform:    "darwin",
 	}
-	label, err := db.NewLabel(context.Background(), label)
-	require.Nil(t, err)
+	label, err = db.NewLabel(context.Background(), label)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 	label.Name = "changed name"
 	label.Description = "changed description"
+
+	require.NoError(t, db.RecordLabelQueryExecutions(context.Background(), h1, map[uint]*bool{label.ID: ptr.Bool(true)}, time.Now()))
+
 	_, err = db.SaveLabel(context.Background(), label)
-	require.Nil(t, err)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 	saved, err := db.Label(context.Background(), label.ID)
-	require.Nil(t, err)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, label.Name, saved.Name)
 	assert.Equal(t, label.Description, saved.Description)
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, saved.HostCount)
 }
 
 func testLabelsQueriesForCentOSHost(t *testing.T, db *Datastore) {