diff --git a/include/abstract_index.h b/include/abstract_index.h
index 7c84a8ec9..3f7dae7cf 100644
--- a/include/abstract_index.h
+++ b/include/abstract_index.h
@@ -80,8 +80,8 @@ class AbstractIndex
                                                       float *distances);
 
     // insert points with labels, labels should be present for filtered index
-    template <typename data_type, typename tag_type, typename label_type>
-    int insert_point(const data_type *point, const tag_type tag, const std::vector<label_type> &labels);
+    template <typename data_type, typename tag_type>
+    int insert_point(const data_type *point, const tag_type tag, const std::vector<std::string> &labels);
 
     // insert point for unfiltered index build. do not use with filtered index
     template <typename data_type, typename tag_type> int insert_point(const data_type *point, const tag_type tag);
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ class AbstractIndex
     virtual std::pair<uint32_t, uint32_t> _search_with_filters(const DataType &query, const std::string &filter_label,
                                                                const size_t K, const uint32_t L, std::any &indices,
                                                                float *distances) = 0;
-    virtual int _insert_point(const DataType &data_point, const TagType tag, Labelvector &labels) = 0;
+    virtual int _insert_point(const DataType &data_point, const TagType tag, const std::vector<std::string> &labels) = 0;
     virtual int _insert_point(const DataType &data_point, const TagType tag) = 0;
     virtual int _lazy_delete(const TagType &tag) = 0;
     virtual void _lazy_delete(TagVector &tags, TagVector &failed_tags) = 0;
diff --git a/include/index.h b/include/index.h
index 46a771e67..05c868e31 100644
--- a/include/index.h
+++ b/include/index.h
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ template <typename T, typename TagT = uint32_t, typename LabelT = uint32_t> clas
                                                                float *distances) override;
 
     virtual int _insert_point(const DataType &data_point, const TagType tag) override;
-    virtual int _insert_point(const DataType &data_point, const TagType tag, Labelvector &labels) override;
+    virtual int _insert_point(const DataType &data_point, const TagType tag, const std::vector<std::string> &labels) override;
 
     virtual int _lazy_delete(const TagType &tag) override;
 
diff --git a/src/abstract_index.cpp b/src/abstract_index.cpp
index 7550bda3a..6047170a9 100644
--- a/src/abstract_index.cpp
+++ b/src/abstract_index.cpp
@@ -57,13 +57,12 @@ int AbstractIndex::insert_point(const data_type *point, const tag_type tag)
     return this->_insert_point(any_point, any_tag);
 }
 
-template <typename data_type, typename tag_type, typename label_type>
-int AbstractIndex::insert_point(const data_type *point, const tag_type tag, const std::vector<label_type> &labels)
+template <typename data_type, typename tag_type>
+int AbstractIndex::insert_point(const data_type *point, const tag_type tag, const std::vector<std::string>& labels)
 {
     auto any_point = std::any(point);
     auto any_tag = std::any(tag);
-    auto any_labels = Labelvector(labels);
-    return this->_insert_point(any_point, any_tag, any_labels);
+    return this->_insert_point(any_point, any_tag, labels);
 }
 
 template <typename tag_type> int AbstractIndex::lazy_delete(const tag_type &tag)
@@ -259,75 +258,41 @@ template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<float, tag_uint128>(c
 template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<uint8_t, tag_uint128>(const uint8_t* point, const tag_uint128 tag);
 template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<int8_t, tag_uint128>(const int8_t* point, const tag_uint128 tag);
 
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<float, int32_t, uint16_t>(
-    const float *point, const int32_t tag, const std::vector<uint16_t> &labels);
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<uint8_t, int32_t, uint16_t>(
-    const uint8_t *point, const int32_t tag, const std::vector<uint16_t> &labels);
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<int8_t, int32_t, uint16_t>(
-    const int8_t *point, const int32_t tag, const std::vector<uint16_t> &labels);
-
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<float, uint32_t, uint16_t>(
-    const float *point, const uint32_t tag, const std::vector<uint16_t> &labels);
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<uint8_t, uint32_t, uint16_t>(
-    const uint8_t *point, const uint32_t tag, const std::vector<uint16_t> &labels);
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<int8_t, uint32_t, uint16_t>(
-    const int8_t *point, const uint32_t tag, const std::vector<uint16_t> &labels);
-
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<float, int64_t, uint16_t>(
-    const float *point, const int64_t tag, const std::vector<uint16_t> &labels);
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<uint8_t, int64_t, uint16_t>(
-    const uint8_t *point, const int64_t tag, const std::vector<uint16_t> &labels);
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<int8_t, int64_t, uint16_t>(
-    const int8_t *point, const int64_t tag, const std::vector<uint16_t> &labels);
-
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<float, uint64_t, uint16_t>(
-    const float *point, const uint64_t tag, const std::vector<uint16_t> &labels);
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<uint8_t, uint64_t, uint16_t>(
-    const uint8_t *point, const uint64_t tag, const std::vector<uint16_t> &labels);
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<int8_t, uint64_t, uint16_t>(
-    const int8_t *point, const uint64_t tag, const std::vector<uint16_t> &labels);
-
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<float, tag_uint128, uint16_t>(
-    const float* point, const tag_uint128 tag, const std::vector<uint16_t>& labels);
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<uint8_t, tag_uint128, uint16_t>(
-    const uint8_t* point, const tag_uint128 tag, const std::vector<uint16_t>& labels);
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<int8_t, tag_uint128, uint16_t>(
-    const int8_t* point, const tag_uint128 tag, const std::vector<uint16_t>& labels);
-
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<float, int32_t, uint32_t>(
-    const float *point, const int32_t tag, const std::vector<uint32_t> &labels);
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<uint8_t, int32_t, uint32_t>(
-    const uint8_t *point, const int32_t tag, const std::vector<uint32_t> &labels);
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<int8_t, int32_t, uint32_t>(
-    const int8_t *point, const int32_t tag, const std::vector<uint32_t> &labels);
-
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<float, uint32_t, uint32_t>(
-    const float *point, const uint32_t tag, const std::vector<uint32_t> &labels);
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<uint8_t, uint32_t, uint32_t>(
-    const uint8_t *point, const uint32_t tag, const std::vector<uint32_t> &labels);
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<int8_t, uint32_t, uint32_t>(
-    const int8_t *point, const uint32_t tag, const std::vector<uint32_t> &labels);
-
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<float, int64_t, uint32_t>(
-    const float *point, const int64_t tag, const std::vector<uint32_t> &labels);
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<uint8_t, int64_t, uint32_t>(
-    const uint8_t *point, const int64_t tag, const std::vector<uint32_t> &labels);
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<int8_t, int64_t, uint32_t>(
-    const int8_t *point, const int64_t tag, const std::vector<uint32_t> &labels);
-
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<float, uint64_t, uint32_t>(
-    const float *point, const uint64_t tag, const std::vector<uint32_t> &labels);
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<uint8_t, uint64_t, uint32_t>(
-    const uint8_t *point, const uint64_t tag, const std::vector<uint32_t> &labels);
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<int8_t, uint64_t, uint32_t>(
-    const int8_t *point, const uint64_t tag, const std::vector<uint32_t> &labels);
-
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<float, tag_uint128, uint32_t>(
-    const float* point, const tag_uint128 tag, const std::vector<uint32_t>& labels);
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<uint8_t, tag_uint128, uint32_t>(
-    const uint8_t* point, const tag_uint128 tag, const std::vector<uint32_t>& labels);
-template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<int8_t, tag_uint128, uint32_t>(
-    const int8_t* point, const tag_uint128 tag, const std::vector<uint32_t>& labels);
+template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<float, int32_t>(
+    const float *point, const int32_t tag, const std::vector<std::string> &labels);
+template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<uint8_t, int32_t>(
+    const uint8_t *point, const int32_t tag, const std::vector<std::string> &labels);
+template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<int8_t, int32_t>(
+    const int8_t *point, const int32_t tag, const std::vector<std::string> &labels);
+
+template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<float, uint32_t>(
+    const float *point, const uint32_t tag, const std::vector<std::string> &labels);
+template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<uint8_t, uint32_t>(
+    const uint8_t *point, const uint32_t tag, const std::vector<std::string> &labels);
+template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<int8_t, uint32_t>(
+    const int8_t *point, const uint32_t tag, const std::vector<std::string> &labels);
+
+template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<float, int64_t>(
+    const float *point, const int64_t tag, const std::vector<std::string> &labels);
+template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<uint8_t, int64_t>(
+    const uint8_t *point, const int64_t tag, const std::vector<std::string> &labels);
+template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<int8_t, int64_t>(
+    const int8_t *point, const int64_t tag, const std::vector<std::string> &labels);
+
+template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<float, uint64_t>(
+    const float *point, const uint64_t tag, const std::vector<std::string> &labels);
+template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<uint8_t, uint64_t>(
+    const uint8_t *point, const uint64_t tag, const std::vector<std::string> &labels);
+template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<int8_t, uint64_t>(
+    const int8_t *point, const uint64_t tag, const std::vector<std::string> &labels);
+
+template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<float, tag_uint128>(
+    const float* point, const tag_uint128 tag, const std::vector<std::string>& labels);
+template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<uint8_t, tag_uint128>(
+    const uint8_t* point, const tag_uint128 tag, const std::vector<std::string>& labels);
+template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::insert_point<int8_t, tag_uint128>(
+    const int8_t* point, const tag_uint128 tag, const std::vector<std::string>& labels);
+
 
 template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::lazy_delete<int32_t>(const int32_t &tag);
 template DISKANN_DLLEXPORT int AbstractIndex::lazy_delete<uint32_t>(const uint32_t &tag);
diff --git a/src/index.cpp b/src/index.cpp
index 1beb23b08..dd732b9c8 100644
--- a/src/index.cpp
+++ b/src/index.cpp
@@ -3085,12 +3085,18 @@ int Index<T, TagT, LabelT>::_insert_point(const DataType &point, const TagType t
 }
 
 template <typename T, typename TagT, typename LabelT>
-int Index<T, TagT, LabelT>::_insert_point(const DataType &point, const TagType tag, Labelvector &labels)
+int Index<T, TagT, LabelT>::_insert_point(const DataType &point, const TagType tag, const std::vector<std::string>& labels)
 {
     try
     {
-        return this->insert_point(std::any_cast<const T *>(point), std::any_cast<const TagT>(tag),
-                                  labels.get<const std::vector<LabelT>>());
+        std::vector<LabelT> converted_labels;
+        converted_labels.reserve(labels.size());
+        for (const auto& label : labels)
+        {
+            auto converted_label = this->get_converted_label(label);
+            converted_labels.push_back(converted_label);
+        }
+        return this->insert_point(std::any_cast<const T *>(point), std::any_cast<const TagT>(tag), converted_labels);
     }
     catch (const std::bad_any_cast &anycast_e)
     {