diff --git a/controller/api/destination/endpoint_translator.go b/controller/api/destination/endpoint_translator.go
index 9c75e8fa4e564..181825e2b972b 100644
--- a/controller/api/destination/endpoint_translator.go
+++ b/controller/api/destination/endpoint_translator.go
@@ -444,6 +444,7 @@ func (et *endpointTranslator) sendClientAdd(set watcher.AddressSet) {
 				Addr:              addr,
 				Weight:            defaultWeight,
 				AuthorityOverride: authOverride,
+				MetricLabels:      map[string]string{},
 			}
 
 			if address.Identity != "" {
@@ -465,12 +466,20 @@ func (et *endpointTranslator) sendClientAdd(set watcher.AddressSet) {
 			}
 		}
 
-		if et.extEndpointZoneWeights {
-			// EXPERIMENTAL: Use the endpoint weight field to indicate zonal
-			// preference so that local endoints are more heavily weighted.
-			if et.nodeTopologyZone != "" && address.Zone != nil && *address.Zone == et.nodeTopologyZone {
-				wa.Weight *= 10
+		if et.nodeTopologyZone != "" && address.Zone != nil {
+			if *address.Zone == et.nodeTopologyZone {
+				wa.MetricLabels["zone_locality"] = "local"
+
+				if et.extEndpointZoneWeights {
+					// EXPERIMENTAL: Use the endpoint weight field to indicate zonal
+					// preference so that local endoints are more heavily weighted.
+					wa.Weight *= 10
+				}
+			} else {
+				wa.MetricLabels["zone_locality"] = "remote"
 			}
+		} else {
+			wa.MetricLabels["zone_locality"] = "unknown"
 		}
 
 		addrs = append(addrs, wa)
diff --git a/controller/api/destination/endpoint_translator_test.go b/controller/api/destination/endpoint_translator_test.go
index 4b8f856a20bf3..e40458a0c7d4a 100644
--- a/controller/api/destination/endpoint_translator_test.go
+++ b/controller/api/destination/endpoint_translator_test.go
@@ -485,6 +485,7 @@ func TestEndpointTranslatorForPods(t *testing.T) {
 			"serviceaccount":        "serviceaccount-name",
 			"control_plane_ns":      "linkerd",
 			"zone":                  "",
+			"zone_locality":         "unknown",
 		}
 		if diff := deep.Equal(actualAddedAddress1MetricLabels, expectedAddedAddress1MetricLabels); diff != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Expected global metric labels sent to be [%v] but was [%v]", expectedAddedAddress1MetricLabels, actualAddedAddress1MetricLabels)
@@ -658,6 +659,7 @@ func TestEndpointTranslatorExternalWorkloads(t *testing.T) {
 		expectedAddedAddress1MetricLabels := map[string]string{
 			"external_workload": "ew-1",
 			"zone":              "",
+			"zone_locality":     "unknown",
 			"workloadgroup":     "wg-name",
 		}
 		if diff := deep.Equal(actualAddedAddress1MetricLabels, expectedAddedAddress1MetricLabels); diff != nil {