diff --git a/deploy/crds/crd-challenges.yaml b/deploy/crds/crd-challenges.yaml
index b213ce9cc..6f62ee8ed 100644
--- a/deploy/crds/crd-challenges.yaml
+++ b/deploy/crds/crd-challenges.yaml
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ spec:
                           type: object
                           properties:
                             labels:
-                              description: Custom labels that you want the HTTPRoutes created by cert-manager for solving HTTP-01 challenges. Back when cert-manager supported v1alpha1, this field was used when creating the solver's HTTPRoute, and used to be how the HTTPRoute was matched to a Gateway. Since v1alpha2, the HTTPRoute is matched to a Gateway using the field parentRefs on the HTTPRoute.
+                              description: Custom labels that will be applied to HTTPRoutes created by cert-manager while solving HTTP-01 challenges.
                               type: object
                               additionalProperties:
                                 type: string
diff --git a/deploy/crds/crd-clusterissuers.yaml b/deploy/crds/crd-clusterissuers.yaml
index 13ddd4ad9..66726210e 100644
--- a/deploy/crds/crd-clusterissuers.yaml
+++ b/deploy/crds/crd-clusterissuers.yaml
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ spec:
                                 type: object
                                 properties:
                                   labels:
-                                    description: Custom labels that you want the HTTPRoutes created by cert-manager for solving HTTP-01 challenges. Back when cert-manager supported v1alpha1, this field was used when creating the solver's HTTPRoute, and used to be how the HTTPRoute was matched to a Gateway. Since v1alpha2, the HTTPRoute is matched to a Gateway using the field parentRefs on the HTTPRoute.
+                                    description: Custom labels that will be applied to HTTPRoutes created by cert-manager while solving HTTP-01 challenges.
                                     type: object
                                     additionalProperties:
                                       type: string
diff --git a/deploy/crds/crd-issuers.yaml b/deploy/crds/crd-issuers.yaml
index cb3b24daa..a993fea54 100644
--- a/deploy/crds/crd-issuers.yaml
+++ b/deploy/crds/crd-issuers.yaml
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ spec:
                                 type: object
                                 properties:
                                   labels:
-                                    description: Custom labels that you want the HTTPRoutes created by cert-manager for solving HTTP-01 challenges. Back when cert-manager supported v1alpha1, this field was used when creating the solver's HTTPRoute, and used to be how the HTTPRoute was matched to a Gateway. Since v1alpha2, the HTTPRoute is matched to a Gateway using the field parentRefs on the HTTPRoute.
+                                    description: Custom labels that will be applied to HTTPRoutes created by cert-manager while solving HTTP-01 challenges.
                                     type: object
                                     additionalProperties:
                                       type: string
diff --git a/internal/apis/acme/types_issuer.go b/internal/apis/acme/types_issuer.go
index 8943626aa..9019b9db7 100644
--- a/internal/apis/acme/types_issuer.go
+++ b/internal/apis/acme/types_issuer.go
@@ -229,12 +229,9 @@ type ACMEChallengeSolverHTTP01GatewayHTTPRoute struct {
 	// +optional
 	ServiceType corev1.ServiceType
 
-	// Custom labels that you want the HTTPRoutes created by cert-manager
-	// for solving HTTP-01 challenges. Back when cert-manager supported
-	// v1alpha1, this field was used when creating the solver's HTTPRoute,
-	// and used to be how the HTTPRoute was matched to a Gateway. Since
-	// v1alpha2, the HTTPRoute is matched to a Gateway using the field
-	// parentRefs on the HTTPRoute.
+	// Custom labels that will be applied to HTTPRoutes created by cert-manager
+	// while solving HTTP-01 challenges.
+	// +optional
 	Labels map[string]string
 
 	// When solving an HTTP-01 challenge, cert-manager creates an HTTPRoute.
diff --git a/internal/apis/acme/v1alpha2/types_issuer.go b/internal/apis/acme/v1alpha2/types_issuer.go
index 29dd14ef1..67200a400 100644
--- a/internal/apis/acme/v1alpha2/types_issuer.go
+++ b/internal/apis/acme/v1alpha2/types_issuer.go
@@ -252,12 +252,9 @@ type ACMEChallengeSolverHTTP01GatewayHTTPRoute struct {
 	// +optional
 	ServiceType corev1.ServiceType `json:"serviceType,omitempty"`
 
-	// Custom labels that you want the HTTPRoutes created by cert-manager
-	// for solving HTTP-01 challenges. Back when cert-manager supported
-	// v1alpha1, this field was used when creating the solver's HTTPRoute,
-	// and used to be how the HTTPRoute was matched to a Gateway. Since
-	// v1alpha2, the HTTPRoute is matched to a Gateway using the field
-	// parentRefs on the HTTPRoute.
+	// Custom labels that will be applied to HTTPRoutes created by cert-manager
+	// while solving HTTP-01 challenges.
+	// +optional
 	Labels map[string]string
 
 	// When solving an HTTP-01 challenge, cert-manager creates an HTTPRoute.
diff --git a/internal/apis/acme/v1alpha3/types_issuer.go b/internal/apis/acme/v1alpha3/types_issuer.go
index 3121a194e..2e2e508a2 100644
--- a/internal/apis/acme/v1alpha3/types_issuer.go
+++ b/internal/apis/acme/v1alpha3/types_issuer.go
@@ -252,12 +252,9 @@ type ACMEChallengeSolverHTTP01GatewayHTTPRoute struct {
 	// +optional
 	ServiceType corev1.ServiceType `json:"serviceType,omitempty"`
 
-	// Custom labels that you want the HTTPRoutes created by cert-manager
-	// for solving HTTP-01 challenges. Back when cert-manager supported
-	// v1alpha1, this field was used when creating the solver's HTTPRoute,
-	// and used to be how the HTTPRoute was matched to a Gateway. Since
-	// v1alpha2, the HTTPRoute is matched to a Gateway using the field
-	// parentRefs on the HTTPRoute.
+	// Custom labels that will be applied to HTTPRoutes created by cert-manager
+	// while solving HTTP-01 challenges.
+	// +optional
 	Labels map[string]string
 
 	// When solving an HTTP-01 challenge, cert-manager creates an HTTPRoute.
diff --git a/internal/apis/acme/v1beta1/types_issuer.go b/internal/apis/acme/v1beta1/types_issuer.go
index 8aab957c8..780f21f65 100644
--- a/internal/apis/acme/v1beta1/types_issuer.go
+++ b/internal/apis/acme/v1beta1/types_issuer.go
@@ -251,12 +251,9 @@ type ACMEChallengeSolverHTTP01GatewayHTTPRoute struct {
 	// +optional
 	ServiceType corev1.ServiceType `json:"serviceType,omitempty"`
 
-	// Custom labels that you want the HTTPRoutes created by cert-manager
-	// for solving HTTP-01 challenges. Back when cert-manager supported
-	// v1alpha1, this field was used when creating the solver's HTTPRoute,
-	// and used to be how the HTTPRoute was matched to a Gateway. Since
-	// v1alpha2, the HTTPRoute is matched to a Gateway using the field
-	// parentRefs on the HTTPRoute.
+	// Custom labels that will be applied to HTTPRoutes created by cert-manager
+	// while solving HTTP-01 challenges.
+	// +optional
 	Labels map[string]string `json:"labels,omitempty"`
 
 	// When solving an HTTP-01 challenge, cert-manager creates an HTTPRoute.
diff --git a/internal/apis/certmanager/validation/issuer.go b/internal/apis/certmanager/validation/issuer.go
index 932f3b710..ca577e437 100644
--- a/internal/apis/certmanager/validation/issuer.go
+++ b/internal/apis/certmanager/validation/issuer.go
@@ -201,6 +201,9 @@ func ValidateACMEIssuerChallengeSolverHTTP01GatewayConfig(gateway *cmacme.ACMECh
 	default:
 		el = append(el, field.Invalid(fldPath.Child("serviceType"), gateway.ServiceType, `must be empty, "ClusterIP" or "NodePort"`))
 	}
+	if len(gateway.ParentRefs) == 0 {
+		el = append(el, field.Required(fldPath.Child("parentRefs"), `at least 1 parentRef is required`))
+	}
 	return el
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/apis/certmanager/validation/issuer_test.go b/internal/apis/certmanager/validation/issuer_test.go
index a9f8d446d..f5d5c5df7 100644
--- a/internal/apis/certmanager/validation/issuer_test.go
+++ b/internal/apis/certmanager/validation/issuer_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package validation
 
 import (
 	"reflect"
+	gwapi "sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api/apis/v1alpha2"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -244,8 +245,10 @@ func TestValidateACMEIssuerConfig(t *testing.T) {
 					{
 						HTTP01: &cmacme.ACMEChallengeSolverHTTP01{
 							GatewayHTTPRoute: &cmacme.ACMEChallengeSolverHTTP01GatewayHTTPRoute{
-								Labels: map[string]string{
-									"key": "value",
+								ParentRefs: []gwapi.ParentRef{
+									{
+										Name: "blah",
+									},
 								},
 							},
 						},
@@ -268,8 +271,8 @@ func TestValidateACMEIssuerConfig(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			errs: []*field.Error{
 				field.Required(
-					fldPath.Child("solvers").Index(0).Child("http01", "gateway").Child("labels"),
-					"labels must be set",
+					fldPath.Child("solvers").Index(0).Child("http01", "gateway").Child("parentRefs"),
+					"at least 1 parentRef is required",
 				),
 			},
 		},
@@ -286,6 +289,11 @@ func TestValidateACMEIssuerConfig(t *testing.T) {
 								Labels: map[string]string{
 									"a": "b",
 								},
+								ParentRefs: []gwapi.ParentRef{
+									{
+										Name: "blah",
+									},
+								},
 							},
 						},
 					},
diff --git a/pkg/apis/acme/v1/types_issuer.go b/pkg/apis/acme/v1/types_issuer.go
index 51bd6d837..56c28f6b4 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/acme/v1/types_issuer.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/acme/v1/types_issuer.go
@@ -255,12 +255,9 @@ type ACMEChallengeSolverHTTP01GatewayHTTPRoute struct {
 	// +optional
 	ServiceType corev1.ServiceType `json:"serviceType,omitempty"`
 
-	// Custom labels that you want the HTTPRoutes created by cert-manager
-	// for solving HTTP-01 challenges. Back when cert-manager supported
-	// v1alpha1, this field was used when creating the solver's HTTPRoute,
-	// and used to be how the HTTPRoute was matched to a Gateway. Since
-	// v1alpha2, the HTTPRoute is matched to a Gateway using the field
-	// parentRefs on the HTTPRoute.
+	// Custom labels that will be applied to HTTPRoutes created by cert-manager
+	// while solving HTTP-01 challenges.
+	// +optional
 	Labels map[string]string `json:"labels,omitempty"`
 
 	// When solving an HTTP-01 challenge, cert-manager creates an HTTPRoute.