diff --git a/core/server/api/canary/utils/serializers/input/settings.js b/core/server/api/canary/utils/serializers/input/settings.js
index fbba1e2057..3c5ec64713 100644
--- a/core/server/api/canary/utils/serializers/input/settings.js
+++ b/core/server/api/canary/utils/serializers/input/settings.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ const _ = require('lodash');
 const url = require('./utils/url');
 const typeGroupMapper = require('../../../../shared/serializers/input/utils/settings-filter-type-group-mapper');
 const settingsCache = require('../../../../../services/settings/cache');
+const {WRITABLE_KEYS_ALLOWLIST} = require('../../../../../services/labs');
 
 const DEPRECATED_SETTINGS = [
     'bulk_email_settings',
@@ -158,6 +159,19 @@ module.exports = {
                 setting.key = 'lang';
             }
 
+            if (setting.key === 'labs') {
+                const inputLabsValue = JSON.parse(setting.value);
+                const filteredLabsValue = {};
+
+                for (const flag in inputLabsValue) {
+                    if (WRITABLE_KEYS_ALLOWLIST.includes(flag)) {
+                        filteredLabsValue[flag] = inputLabsValue[flag];
+                    }
+                }
+
+                setting.value = JSON.stringify(filteredLabsValue);
+            }
+
             setting = url.forSetting(setting);
         });
 
diff --git a/core/server/api/v2/utils/serializers/input/settings.js b/core/server/api/v2/utils/serializers/input/settings.js
index 8f6b99d81d..5a0a9f8477 100644
--- a/core/server/api/v2/utils/serializers/input/settings.js
+++ b/core/server/api/v2/utils/serializers/input/settings.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ const _ = require('lodash');
 const url = require('./utils/url');
 const typeGroupMapper = require('../../../../shared/serializers/input/utils/settings-filter-type-group-mapper');
 const settingsCache = require('../../../../../services/settings/cache');
+const {WRITABLE_KEYS_ALLOWLIST} = require('../../../../../services/labs');
 
 const DEPRECATED_SETTINGS = [
     'bulk_email_settings',
@@ -138,6 +139,19 @@ module.exports = {
                 setting.value = JSON.parse(setting.value).isActive;
             }
 
+            if (setting.key === 'labs') {
+                const inputLabsValue = JSON.parse(setting.value);
+                const filteredLabsValue = {};
+
+                for (const value in inputLabsValue) {
+                    if (WRITABLE_KEYS_ALLOWLIST.includes(value)) {
+                        filteredLabsValue[value] = inputLabsValue[value];
+                    }
+                }
+
+                setting.value = JSON.stringify(filteredLabsValue);
+            }
+
             setting = url.forSetting(setting);
         });
 
diff --git a/core/server/api/v3/utils/serializers/input/settings.js b/core/server/api/v3/utils/serializers/input/settings.js
index 6b0fc2663e..3a19fe195c 100644
--- a/core/server/api/v3/utils/serializers/input/settings.js
+++ b/core/server/api/v3/utils/serializers/input/settings.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ const _ = require('lodash');
 const url = require('./utils/url');
 const typeGroupMapper = require('../../../../shared/serializers/input/utils/settings-filter-type-group-mapper');
 const settingsCache = require('../../../../../services/settings/cache');
+const {WRITABLE_KEYS_ALLOWLIST} = require('../../../../../services/labs');
 
 const DEPRECATED_SETTINGS = [
     'bulk_email_settings',
@@ -154,6 +155,19 @@ module.exports = {
                 setting.value = JSON.parse(setting.value).isActive;
             }
 
+            if (setting.key === 'labs') {
+                const inputLabsValue = JSON.parse(setting.value);
+                const filteredLabsValue = {};
+
+                for (const value in inputLabsValue) {
+                    if (WRITABLE_KEYS_ALLOWLIST.includes(value)) {
+                        filteredLabsValue[value] = inputLabsValue[value];
+                    }
+                }
+
+                setting.value = JSON.stringify(filteredLabsValue);
+            }
+
             setting = url.forSetting(setting);
         });
 
diff --git a/core/server/models/settings.js b/core/server/models/settings.js
index 78485459a9..5d141eb8e5 100644
--- a/core/server/models/settings.js
+++ b/core/server/models/settings.js
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ const i18n = require('../../shared/i18n');
 const errors = require('@tryghost/errors');
 const validation = require('../data/validation');
 const urlUtils = require('../../shared/url-utils');
+const {WRITABLE_KEYS_ALLOWLIST} = require('../services/labs');
+
 const internalContext = {context: {internal: true}};
 let Settings;
 let defaultSettings;
@@ -341,6 +343,17 @@ Settings = ghostBookshelf.Model.extend({
                 throw new errors.ValidationError(validationErrors.join('\n'));
             }
         },
+        async labs(model) {
+            const flags = JSON.parse(model.get('value'));
+
+            for (const flag in flags) {
+                if (!WRITABLE_KEYS_ALLOWLIST.includes(flag)) {
+                    throw new errors.ValidationError({
+                        message: `Settings lab value cannot have value other then ${WRITABLE_KEYS_ALLOWLIST.join(', ')}`
+                    });
+                }
+            }
+        },
         async stripe_plans(model, options) {
             const plans = JSON.parse(model.get('value'));
             for (const plan of plans) {
diff --git a/core/server/services/labs.js b/core/server/services/labs.js
index 9dcc3fab0b..02bb53c797 100644
--- a/core/server/services/labs.js
+++ b/core/server/services/labs.js
@@ -6,6 +6,14 @@ const i18n = require('../../shared/i18n');
 const logging = require('../../shared/logging');
 const settingsCache = require('../services/settings/cache');
 
+// NOTE: this allowlist is meant to be used to filter out any unexpected
+//       input for the "labs" setting value
+const WRITABLE_KEYS_ALLOWLIST = [
+    'activitypub'
+];
+
+module.exports.WRITABLE_KEYS_ALLOWLIST = WRITABLE_KEYS_ALLOWLIST;
+
 module.exports.getAll = () => ({
     members: settingsCache.get('members_signup_access') !== 'none'
 });
diff --git a/test/regression/api/canary/admin/settings_spec.js b/test/regression/api/canary/admin/settings_spec.js
index 0455576b53..609c33956f 100644
--- a/test/regression/api/canary/admin/settings_spec.js
+++ b/test/regression/api/canary/admin/settings_spec.js
@@ -653,12 +653,13 @@ describe('Settings API (canary)', function () {
                 });
         });
 
-        it('Can edit labs', async function () {
+        it('Can edit only allowed labs keys', async function () {
             const settingToChange = {
                 settings: [{
                     key: 'labs',
                     value: JSON.stringify({
-                        matchHelper: true
+                        activitypub: true,
+                        gibberish: true
                     })
                 }]
             };
@@ -680,7 +681,7 @@ describe('Settings API (canary)', function () {
             jsonResponse.settings[0].key.should.eql('labs');
 
             jsonResponse.settings[0].value.should.eql(JSON.stringify({
-                matchHelper: true
+                activitypub: true
             }));
         });
 
diff --git a/test/regression/api/v2/admin/settings_spec.js b/test/regression/api/v2/admin/settings_spec.js
index 395c199301..d936d164a9 100644
--- a/test/regression/api/v2/admin/settings_spec.js
+++ b/test/regression/api/v2/admin/settings_spec.js
@@ -521,12 +521,13 @@ describe('Settings API (v2)', function () {
                 });
         });
 
-        it('Can edit labs', async function () {
+        it('Can edit only allowed labs keys', async function () {
             const settingToChange = {
                 settings: [{
                     key: 'labs',
                     value: JSON.stringify({
-                        matchHelper: true
+                        activitypub: true,
+                        gibberish: true
                     })
                 }]
             };
@@ -548,7 +549,7 @@ describe('Settings API (v2)', function () {
             jsonResponse.settings[0].key.should.eql('labs');
 
             jsonResponse.settings[0].value.should.eql(JSON.stringify({
-                matchHelper: true
+                activitypub: true
             }));
         });
 
diff --git a/test/regression/api/v3/admin/settings_spec.js b/test/regression/api/v3/admin/settings_spec.js
index 9fd6d79f8d..2fa618899d 100644
--- a/test/regression/api/v3/admin/settings_spec.js
+++ b/test/regression/api/v3/admin/settings_spec.js
@@ -464,12 +464,13 @@ describe('Settings API (v3)', function () {
                 });
         });
 
-        it('Can edit labs', async function () {
+        it('Can edit only allowed labs keys', async function () {
             const settingToChange = {
                 settings: [{
                     key: 'labs',
                     value: JSON.stringify({
-                        matchHelper: true
+                        activitypub: true,
+                        gibberish: true
                     })
                 }]
             };
@@ -491,7 +492,7 @@ describe('Settings API (v3)', function () {
             jsonResponse.settings[0].key.should.eql('labs');
 
             jsonResponse.settings[0].value.should.eql(JSON.stringify({
-                matchHelper: true
+                activitypub: true
             }));
         });