diff --git a/.github/labels.yml b/.github/labels.yml
index fd69471..5a07ca0 100644
--- a/.github/labels.yml
+++ b/.github/labels.yml
@@ -26,10 +26,30 @@
   color: "e4e669"
   description: "This doesn't seem right"
 
+- name: "keep alive"
+  color: "666666"
+  description: "exempt issue from staleness checks"
+  from_name: "keep alive"
+
 - name: "question"
   color: "d876e3"
   description: "Further information is requested"
 
-- name: "wontfix"
+- name: "rfc"
+  color: "d876e3"
+  description: "Request for comments"
+
+- name: "stale"
+  color: "777777"
+  description: "Issue is stale and subject to automatic closing"
+  from_name: "Stale"
+
+- name: "stale closed"
+  color: "444444"
+  description: "Issue was closed automatically due to inactivity"
+  from_name: "stale-closed"
+
+- name: "won't fix"
   color: "ffffff"
   description: "This will not be worked on"
+  from_name: wontfix
diff --git a/.github/workflows/labels.yml b/.github/workflows/labels.yml
index 233a5fc..40d0f44 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/labels.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/labels.yml
@@ -21,6 +21,3 @@ jobs:
         with:
           github-token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
           yaml-file: .github/labels.yml
-          exclude: |
-            help*
-            *issue
diff --git a/.github/workflows/stale.yml b/.github/workflows/stale.yml
index 4f6b2e8..87739c1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/stale.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/stale.yml
@@ -11,14 +11,19 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/stale@v8
         with:
-          days-before-issue-stale: 30
-          days-before-issue-close: 7
+          exempt-draft-pr: true
+          exempt-issue-labels: bug,keep-alive
+          exempt-pr-labels: bug,keep-alive
+
+          days-before-close: 7
+          days-before-stale: 30
+
+          stale-issue-label: stale
           stale-issue-message: 'This issue is stale because it has been open 30 days with no activity. Remove stale label or comment or this will be closed in 7 days.'
+          close-issue-label: closed-by-stale
           close-issue-message: 'This issue was closed because it has been stalled for 7 days with no activity.'
 
-          days-before-pr-stale: 30
-          days-before-pr-close: 7
+          stale-pr-label: stale
           stale-pr-message: 'This PR is stale because it has been open 30 days with no activity. Remove stale label or comment or this will be closed in 7 days.'
+          close-pr-label: closed-by-stale
           close-pr-message: 'This PR was closed because it has been stalled for 7 days with no activity.'
-
-          exempt-all-pr-assignees: true
\ No newline at end of file