diff --git a/.github/scripts/add-labels-from-comment.js b/.github/scripts/add-labels-from-comment.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0865b5a24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/scripts/add-labels-from-comment.js
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright 2025 NVIDIA CORPORATION
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+module.exports = async ({ github, context, core }) => {
+  const commentBody = context.payload.comment.body;
+  const prNumber = context.payload.issue.number;
+
+  core.info(`Processing comment: ${commentBody}`);
+
+  // Parse comment for /cherry-pick branches
+  const cherryPickPattern = /^\/cherry-pick\s+(.+)$/m;
+  const match = commentBody.match(cherryPickPattern);
+
+  if (!match) {
+    core.warning('Comment does not match /cherry-pick pattern');
+    return { success: false, message: 'Invalid format' };
+  }
+
+  // Extract all release branches (space-separated)
+  const branchesText = match[1].trim();
+  const branchPattern = /release-\d+\.\d+(?:\.\d+)?/g;
+  const branches = branchesText.match(branchPattern) || [];
+
+  if (branches.length === 0) {
+    core.warning('No valid release branches found in comment');
+    await github.rest.reactions.createForIssueComment({
+      owner: context.repo.owner,
+      repo: context.repo.repo,
+      comment_id: context.payload.comment.id,
+      content: 'confused'
+    });
+    return { success: false, message: 'No valid branches found' };
+  }
+
+  core.info(`Found branches: ${branches.join(', ')}`);
+
+  // Add labels to PR
+  const labels = branches.map(branch => `cherry-pick/${branch}`);
+  
+  try {
+    await github.rest.issues.addLabels({
+      owner: context.repo.owner,
+      repo: context.repo.repo,
+      issue_number: prNumber,
+      labels: labels
+    });
+    core.info(`Added labels: ${labels.join(', ')}`);
+  } catch (error) {
+    core.error(`Failed to add labels: ${error.message}`);
+    await github.rest.reactions.createForIssueComment({
+      owner: context.repo.owner,
+      repo: context.repo.repo,
+      comment_id: context.payload.comment.id,
+      content: '-1'
+    });
+    return { success: false, message: error.message };
+  }
+
+  // React with checkmark emoji
+  await github.rest.reactions.createForIssueComment({
+    owner: context.repo.owner,
+    repo: context.repo.repo,
+    comment_id: context.payload.comment.id,
+    content: '+1'
+  });
+
+  // Check if PR is already merged
+  const { data: pullRequest } = await github.rest.pulls.get({
+    owner: context.repo.owner,
+    repo: context.repo.repo,
+    pull_number: prNumber
+  });
+
+  if (pullRequest.merged) {
+    core.info('PR is already merged - triggering backport immediately');
+    
+    // Set branches in environment and trigger backport
+    process.env.BRANCHES_JSON = JSON.stringify(branches);
+    
+    // Run backport script
+    const backportScript = require('./backport.js');
+    const results = await backportScript({ github, context, core });
+    
+    return { 
+      success: true, 
+      message: `Labels added and backport triggered for: ${branches.join(', ')}`,
+      backportResults: results
+    };
+  } else {
+    core.info('PR not yet merged - labels added, backport will trigger on merge');
+    return { 
+      success: true, 
+      message: `Labels added for: ${branches.join(', ')}. Backport will trigger on merge.`
+    };
+  }
+};
+
diff --git a/.github/scripts/backport.js b/.github/scripts/backport.js
index 85522d2c6..06b59f09c 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/backport.js
+++ b/.github/scripts/backport.js
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ const { data: pullRequest } = await github.rest.pulls.get({
 
 const prTitle = pullRequest.title;
 const prAuthor = pullRequest.user.login;
-const isMerged = pullRequest.merged;
 
 // Get all commits from the PR
 const { data: commits } = await github.rest.pulls.listCommits({
@@ -115,18 +114,13 @@ for (const targetBranch of branches) {
     // Create pull request
     const commitList = commits.map(c => `- \`${c.sha.substring(0, 7)}\` ${c.commit.message.split('\n')[0]}`).join('\n');
     
-    // Build PR body based on conflict status and merge status
+    // Build PR body based on conflict status
     let prBody = `🤖 **Automated backport of #${prNumber} to \`${targetBranch}\`**\n\n`;
     
-    // Add merge status indicator
-    if (!isMerged) {
-      prBody += `⚠️ **Note:** The source PR #${prNumber} is not yet merged. This backport was created from the current state of the PR and may need updates if more commits are added before merge.\n\n`;
-    }
-    
     if (hasConflicts) {
       prBody += `⚠️ **This PR has merge conflicts that need manual resolution.**
 
-Original PR: #${prNumber} ${isMerged ? '(merged)' : '(not yet merged)'}
+Original PR: #${prNumber}
 Original Author: @${prAuthor}
 
 **Cherry-picked commits (${commits.length}):**
@@ -154,7 +148,7 @@ git push --force-with-lease origin ${backportBranch}
     } else {
       prBody += `✅ Cherry-pick completed successfully with no conflicts.
 
-Original PR: #${prNumber} ${isMerged ? '(merged)' : '(not yet merged)'}
+Original PR: #${prNumber}
 Original Author: @${prAuthor}
 
 **Cherry-picked commits (${commits.length}):**
diff --git a/.github/scripts/extract-branches.js b/.github/scripts/extract-branches.js
index f146e2c67..44bd2bcde 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/extract-branches.js
+++ b/.github/scripts/extract-branches.js
@@ -17,46 +17,27 @@
 module.exports = async ({ github, context, core }) => {
   let branches = [];
 
-  // Get PR number
-  const prNumber = context.payload.pull_request?.number || context.payload.issue?.number;
+  // Get PR labels
+  const labels = context.payload.pull_request?.labels || [];
 
-  if (!prNumber) {
-    core.warning('Could not determine PR number from event - skipping backport');
+  if (labels.length === 0) {
+    core.info('No labels found on PR - skipping backport');
     return [];
   }
 
-  // Check PR body
-  if (context.payload.pull_request?.body) {
-    const prBody = context.payload.pull_request.body;
-    // Strict ASCII, anchored; allow X.Y or X.Y.Z
-    // Support multiple space-separated branches on one line
-    const lineMatches = prBody.matchAll(/^\/cherry-pick\s+(.+)$/gmi);
-    for (const match of lineMatches) {
-      const branchMatches = match[1].matchAll(/release-\d+\.\d+(?:\.\d+)?/g);
-      branches.push(...Array.from(branchMatches, m => m[0]));
+  // Extract branches from cherry-pick/* labels
+  const cherryPickPattern = /^cherry-pick\/(release-\d+\.\d+(?:\.\d+)?)$/;
+  
+  for (const label of labels) {
+    const match = label.name.match(cherryPickPattern);
+    if (match) {
+      branches.push(match[1]);
+      core.info(`Found cherry-pick label: ${label.name} -> ${match[1]}`);
     }
   }
 
-  // Check all comments
-  const comments = await github.rest.issues.listComments({
-    owner: context.repo.owner,
-    repo: context.repo.repo,
-    issue_number: prNumber
-  });
-
-  for (const comment of comments.data) {
-    const lineMatches = comment.body.matchAll(/^\/cherry-pick\s+(.+)$/gmi);
-    for (const match of lineMatches) {
-      const branchMatches = match[1].matchAll(/release-\d+\.\d+(?:\.\d+)?/g);
-      branches.push(...Array.from(branchMatches, m => m[0]));
-    }
-  }
-
-  // Deduplicate
-  branches = [...new Set(branches)];
-
   if (branches.length === 0) {
-    core.info('No cherry-pick requests found - skipping backport');
+    core.info('No cherry-pick labels found - skipping backport');
     return [];
   }
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cherrypick.yml b/.github/workflows/cherrypick.yml
index c8a2cbb5c..cf49ef9f8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cherrypick.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cherrypick.yml
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ name: Cherry-Pick
 on:
   issue_comment:
     types: [created]
+  pull_request:
+    types: [closed]
 
 permissions:
   contents: write
@@ -24,12 +26,42 @@ permissions:
   issues: write
 
 jobs:
+  add-labels:
+    name: Add Cherry-Pick Labels from Comment
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # Run on /cherry-pick comments on PRs
+    if: |
+      github.event_name == 'issue_comment' &&
+      github.event.issue.pull_request && 
+      startsWith(github.event.comment.body, '/cherry-pick')
+    
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v5
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Configure git
+        run: |
+          git config user.name "nvidia-backport-bot"
+          git config user.email "noreply@nvidia.com"
+
+      - name: Add labels and handle backport
+        uses: actions/github-script@v8
+        with:
+          script: |
+            const run = require('./.github/scripts/add-labels-from-comment.js');
+            return await run({ github, context, core });
+
   backport:
     name: Backport PR
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    # Run on /cherry-pick comments on PRs
+    # Run when PR is merged and has cherry-pick labels
     if: |
-      github.event.issue.pull_request && startsWith(github.event.comment.body, '/cherry-pick')
+      github.event_name == 'pull_request' &&
+      github.event.pull_request.merged == true &&
+      contains(join(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, ','), 'cherry-pick/')
     
     steps:
       - name: Checkout repository
@@ -38,7 +70,7 @@ jobs:
           fetch-depth: 0
           token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
-      - name: Extract target branches from PR comments
+      - name: Extract target branches from PR labels
         id: extract-branches
         uses: actions/github-script@v8
         with: