diff --git a/pkg/controller/backup_deletion_controller.go b/pkg/controller/backup_deletion_controller.go
index c52a8cc5c..90de1e011 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/backup_deletion_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/backup_deletion_controller.go
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ func (c *backupDeletionController) processRequest(req *v1.DeleteBackupRequest) e
 		"backup":    req.Spec.BackupName,
 	})
 
+	// Make sure we have the backup name
 	if req.Spec.BackupName == "" {
 		_, err := c.patchDeleteBackupRequest(req, func(r *v1.DeleteBackupRequest) {
 			r.Status.Phase = v1.DeleteBackupRequestPhaseProcessed
@@ -143,9 +144,13 @@ func (c *backupDeletionController) processRequest(req *v1.DeleteBackupRequest) e
 
 	var err error
 
-	// Update status to InProgress
+	// Update status to InProgress and set backup-name label if needed
 	req, err = c.patchDeleteBackupRequest(req, func(r *v1.DeleteBackupRequest) {
 		r.Status.Phase = v1.DeleteBackupRequestPhaseInProgress
+
+		if req.Labels[v1.BackupNameLabel] == "" {
+			req.Labels[v1.BackupNameLabel] = req.Spec.BackupName
+		}
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -166,6 +171,16 @@ func (c *backupDeletionController) processRequest(req *v1.DeleteBackupRequest) e
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "error getting Backup")
 	}
 
+	// Set backup-uid label if needed
+	if req.Labels[v1.BackupUIDLabel] == "" {
+		req, err = c.patchDeleteBackupRequest(req, func(r *v1.DeleteBackupRequest) {
+			req.Labels[v1.BackupUIDLabel] = string(backup.UID)
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
 	// If the backup includes snapshots but we don't currently have a PVProvider, we don't
 	// want to orphan the snapshots so skip deletion.
 	if c.snapshotService == nil && len(backup.Status.VolumeBackups) > 0 {
diff --git a/pkg/controller/backup_deletion_controller_test.go b/pkg/controller/backup_deletion_controller_test.go
index d91086586..61c78f082 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/backup_deletion_controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/backup_deletion_controller_test.go
@@ -334,6 +334,9 @@ func TestBackupDeletionControllerProcessRequest(t *testing.T) {
 
 		defer td.backupService.AssertExpectations(t)
 
+		// Clear out req labels to make sure the controller adds them
+		td.req.Labels = make(map[string]string)
+
 		td.client.PrependReactor("get", "backups", func(action core.Action) (bool, runtime.Object, error) {
 			return true, backup, nil
 		})
@@ -357,13 +360,19 @@ func TestBackupDeletionControllerProcessRequest(t *testing.T) {
 				v1.SchemeGroupVersion.WithResource("deletebackuprequests"),
 				td.req.Namespace,
 				td.req.Name,
-				[]byte(`{"status":{"phase":"InProgress"}}`),
+				[]byte(`{"metadata":{"labels":{"ark.heptio.com/backup-name":"foo"}},"status":{"phase":"InProgress"}}`),
 			),
 			core.NewGetAction(
 				v1.SchemeGroupVersion.WithResource("backups"),
 				td.req.Namespace,
 				td.req.Spec.BackupName,
 			),
+			core.NewPatchAction(
+				v1.SchemeGroupVersion.WithResource("deletebackuprequests"),
+				td.req.Namespace,
+				td.req.Name,
+				[]byte(`{"metadata":{"labels":{"ark.heptio.com/backup-uid":"uid"}}}`),
+			),
 			core.NewPatchAction(
 				v1.SchemeGroupVersion.WithResource("backups"),
 				td.req.Namespace,
@@ -412,6 +421,19 @@ func TestBackupDeletionControllerProcessRequest(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 		}
 
+		for _, a := range td.client.Actions() {
+			found := false
+			for _, e := range expectedActions {
+				if reflect.DeepEqual(e, a) {
+					found = true
+					break
+				}
+			}
+			if !found {
+				t.Errorf("unexpected action %#v", a)
+			}
+		}
+
 		// Make sure snapshot was deleted
 		assert.Equal(t, 0, td.snapshotService.SnapshotsTaken.Len())
 	})