diff --git a/packages/api/src/resolvers/article/index.ts b/packages/api/src/resolvers/article/index.ts
index 792ab2399..08f156690 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/resolvers/article/index.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/resolvers/article/index.ts
@@ -61,9 +61,9 @@ import { createPageSaveRequest } from '../../services/create_page_save_request'
 import { findHighlightsByLibraryItemId } from '../../services/highlights'
 import {
   addLabelsToLibraryItem,
+  createAndSaveLabelsInLibraryItem,
   findLabelsByIds,
   findOrCreateLabels,
-  saveLabelsInLibraryItem,
 } from '../../services/labels'
 import {
   createLibraryItem,
@@ -355,11 +355,13 @@ export const createArticleResolver = authorized<
         )
       }
 
-      // save labels in item
-      if (inputLabels) {
-        const labels = await findOrCreateLabels(inputLabels, user.id)
-        await saveLabelsInLibraryItem(labels, libraryItemToReturn.id, user.id)
-      }
+      await createAndSaveLabelsInLibraryItem(
+        libraryItemToReturn.id,
+        uid,
+        inputLabels,
+        rssFeedUrl,
+        pubsub
+      )
 
       log.info(
         'item created in database',
diff --git a/packages/api/src/routers/svc/following.ts b/packages/api/src/routers/svc/following.ts
index ef962f7b4..73d8558ac 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/routers/svc/following.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/routers/svc/following.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/no-misused-promises */
 import express from 'express'
-import {
-  findOrCreateLabels,
-  saveLabelsInLibraryItem,
-} from '../../services/labels'
+import { createAndSaveLabelsInLibraryItem } from '../../services/labels'
 import { saveFeedItemInFollowing } from '../../services/library_item'
 import { logger } from '../../utils/logger'
 
@@ -69,19 +66,12 @@ export function followingServiceRouter() {
 
       logger.info('feed item saved in following')
 
-      // add RSS label to the item
-      const labels = await findOrCreateLabels(
-        [
-          {
-            name: 'RSS',
-          },
-        ],
-        userId
-      )
-      await saveLabelsInLibraryItem(
-        labels,
+      // save RSS label in the item
+      await createAndSaveLabelsInLibraryItem(
         result.identifiers[0].id,
         userId,
+        [{ name: 'RSS' }],
+        undefined,
         undefined,
         true
       )
diff --git a/packages/api/src/services/labels.ts b/packages/api/src/services/labels.ts
index a015098be..cb4c18310 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/services/labels.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/services/labels.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { QueryDeepPartialEntity } from 'typeorm/query-builder/QueryPartialEntity
 import { EntityLabel } from '../entity/entity_label'
 import { Label } from '../entity/label'
 import { LibraryItem } from '../entity/library_item'
-import { createPubSubClient, EntityType } from '../pubsub'
+import { createPubSubClient, EntityType, PubsubClient } from '../pubsub'
 import { authTrx } from '../repository'
 import { CreateLabelInput, labelRepository } from '../repository/label'
 import { libraryItemRepository } from '../repository/library_item'
@@ -65,6 +65,33 @@ export const findOrCreateLabels = async (
   )
 }
 
+export const createAndSaveLabelsInLibraryItem = async (
+  libraryItemId: string,
+  userId: string,
+  labels?: CreateLabelInput[] | null,
+  rssFeedUrl?: string | null,
+  pubsub?: PubsubClient,
+  skipPubSub?: boolean
+) => {
+  if (rssFeedUrl) {
+    // add rss label to labels
+    labels = (labels || []).concat({ name: 'RSS' })
+  }
+
+  // save labels in item
+  if (labels && labels.length > 0) {
+    const newLabels = await findOrCreateLabels(labels, userId)
+
+    await saveLabelsInLibraryItem(
+      newLabels,
+      libraryItemId,
+      userId,
+      pubsub,
+      skipPubSub
+    )
+  }
+}
+
 export const saveLabelsInLibraryItem = async (
   labels: Label[],
   libraryItemId: string,
diff --git a/packages/api/src/services/save_email.ts b/packages/api/src/services/save_email.ts
index 17ce08f27..e5a79d265 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/services/save_email.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/services/save_email.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import { LibraryItem, LibraryItemState } from '../entity/library_item'
-import { getInternalLabelWithColor } from '../repository/label'
 import { enqueueThumbnailTask } from '../utils/createTask'
 import {
   cleanUrl,
@@ -16,7 +15,7 @@ import {
   parsePreparedContent,
   parseUrlMetadata,
 } from '../utils/parser'
-import { findOrCreateLabels, saveLabelsInLibraryItem } from './labels'
+import { createAndSaveLabelsInLibraryItem } from './labels'
 import {
   createLibraryItem,
   findLibraryItemByUrl,
@@ -81,8 +80,6 @@ export const saveEmail = async (
     return updatedLibraryItem
   }
 
-  const newsletterLabel = getInternalLabelWithColor('newsletter')
-
   // start a transaction to create the library item and update the received email
   const newLibraryItem = await createLibraryItem(
     {
@@ -123,11 +120,10 @@ export const saveEmail = async (
     })
   }
 
-  if (newsletterLabel) {
-    // add newsletter label
-    const labels = await findOrCreateLabels([newsletterLabel], input.userId)
-    await saveLabelsInLibraryItem(labels, newLibraryItem.id, input.userId)
-  }
+  // save newsletter label in the item
+  await createAndSaveLabelsInLibraryItem(newLibraryItem.id, input.userId, [
+    { name: 'Newsletter' },
+  ])
 
   await updateReceivedEmail(input.receivedEmailId, 'article', input.userId)
 
diff --git a/packages/api/src/services/save_file.ts b/packages/api/src/services/save_file.ts
index 165fc1244..e6c58148b 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/services/save_file.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/services/save_file.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { User } from '../entity/user'
 import { homePageURL } from '../env'
 import { SaveErrorCode, SaveFileInput, SaveResult } from '../generated/graphql'
 import { getStorageFileDetails } from '../utils/uploads'
-import { findOrCreateLabels, saveLabelsInLibraryItem } from './labels'
+import { createAndSaveLabelsInLibraryItem } from './labels'
 import { updateLibraryItem } from './library_item'
 import { findUploadFileById, setFileUploadComplete } from './upload_file'
 
@@ -40,10 +40,11 @@ export const saveFile = async (
   }
 
   // add labels to item
-  if (input.labels) {
-    const labels = await findOrCreateLabels(input.labels, user.id)
-    await saveLabelsInLibraryItem(labels, input.clientRequestId, user.id)
-  }
+  await createAndSaveLabelsInLibraryItem(
+    input.clientRequestId,
+    user.id,
+    input.labels
+  )
 
   return {
     clientRequestId: input.clientRequestId,
diff --git a/packages/api/src/services/save_page.ts b/packages/api/src/services/save_page.ts
index af602eca8..442dcea93 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/services/save_page.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/services/save_page.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import { parsePreparedContent } from '../utils/parser'
 import { contentReaderForLibraryItem } from '../utils/uploads'
 import { createPageSaveRequest } from './create_page_save_request'
 import { createHighlight } from './highlights'
-import { findOrCreateLabels, saveLabelsInLibraryItem } from './labels'
+import { createAndSaveLabelsInLibraryItem } from './labels'
 import { createLibraryItem, updateLibraryItem } from './library_item'
 
 // where we can use APIs to fetch their underlying content.
@@ -160,11 +160,12 @@ export const savePage = async (
       clientRequestId = newItem.id
     }
 
-    // save labels in item
-    if (input.labels) {
-      const labels = await findOrCreateLabels(input.labels, user.id)
-      await saveLabelsInLibraryItem(labels, clientRequestId, user.id)
-    }
+    await createAndSaveLabelsInLibraryItem(
+      clientRequestId,
+      user.id,
+      input.labels,
+      input.rssFeedUrl
+    )
   }
 
   // we don't want to create thumbnail for imported pages