diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 80fa63b38b..e6bfca11e5 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/jbenet/go-context v0.0.0-20150711004518-d14ea06fba99 // indirect
 	github.com/jedisct1/go-minisign v0.0.0-20210703085342-c1f07ee84431 // indirect
 	github.com/jhump/protoreflect v1.9.0 // indirect
+	github.com/jmoiron/jsonq v0.0.0-20150511023944-e874b168d07e // indirect
 	github.com/jonboulle/clockwork v0.2.2 // indirect
 	github.com/josharian/intern v1.0.0 // indirect
 	github.com/json-iterator/go v1.1.12 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 5ab32227b1..aa14c23879 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -1310,6 +1310,8 @@ github.com/jmespath/go-jmespath/internal/testify v1.5.1 h1:shLQSRRSCCPj3f2gpwzGw
 github.com/jmespath/go-jmespath/internal/testify v1.5.1/go.mod h1:L3OGu8Wl2/fWfCI6z80xFu9LTZmf1ZRjMHUOPmWr69U=
 github.com/jmhodges/clock v0.0.0-20160418191101-880ee4c33548 h1:dYTbLf4m0a5u0KLmPfB6mgxbcV7588bOCx79hxa5Sr4=
 github.com/jmhodges/clock v0.0.0-20160418191101-880ee4c33548/go.mod h1:hGT6jSUVzF6no3QaDSMLGLEHtHSBSefs+MgcDWnmhmo=
+github.com/jmoiron/jsonq v0.0.0-20150511023944-e874b168d07e h1:ZZCvgaRDZg1gC9/1xrsgaJzQUCQgniKtw0xjWywWAOE=
+github.com/jmoiron/jsonq v0.0.0-20150511023944-e874b168d07e/go.mod h1:+rHyWac2R9oAZwFe1wGY2HBzFJJy++RHBg1cU23NkD8=
 github.com/jmoiron/sqlx v1.2.0/go.mod h1:1FEQNm3xlJgrMD+FBdI9+xvCksHtbpVBBw5dYhBSsks=
 github.com/jmoiron/sqlx v1.3.4/go.mod h1:2BljVx/86SuTyjE+aPYlHCTNvZrnJXghYGpNiXLBMCQ=
 github.com/joho/godotenv v1.3.0/go.mod h1:7hK45KPybAkOC6peb+G5yklZfMxEjkZhHbwpqxOKXbg=
diff --git a/pkg/policy/validate.go b/pkg/policy/validate.go
index 4d78ec14c7..318dac9a3c 100644
--- a/pkg/policy/validate.go
+++ b/pkg/policy/validate.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/distribution/distribution/reference"
 	jsonpatch "github.com/evanphx/json-patch/v5"
 	"github.com/jmespath/go-jmespath"
+	"github.com/jmoiron/jsonq"
 	kyvernov1 "github.com/kyverno/kyverno/api/kyverno/v1"
 	"github.com/kyverno/kyverno/cmd/cli/kubectl-kyverno/utils/common"
 	"github.com/kyverno/kyverno/pkg/autogen"
@@ -562,34 +563,26 @@ func validateMatchKindHelper(rule kyvernov1.Rule) error {
 
 // isLabelAndAnnotationsString :- Validate if labels and annotations contains only string values
 func isLabelAndAnnotationsString(rule kyvernov1.Rule) bool {
-	// checkMetadata - Verify if the labels and annotations contains string value inside metadata
-	checkMetadata := func(patternMap map[string]interface{}) bool {
-		for k := range patternMap {
-			if k == "metadata" {
-				metaKey, ok := patternMap[k].(map[string]interface{})
+
+	checkLabelAnnotation := func(metaKey map[string]interface{}) bool {
+		for mk := range metaKey {
+			if mk == "labels" {
+				labelKey, ok := metaKey[mk].(map[string]interface{})
 				if ok {
-					// range over metadata
-					for mk := range metaKey {
-						if mk == "labels" {
-							labelKey, ok := metaKey[mk].(map[string]interface{})
-							if ok {
-								// range over labels
-								for _, val := range labelKey {
-									if reflect.TypeOf(val).String() != "string" {
-										return false
-									}
-								}
-							}
-						} else if mk == "annotations" {
-							annotationKey, ok := metaKey[mk].(map[string]interface{})
-							if ok {
-								// range over annotations
-								for _, val := range annotationKey {
-									if reflect.TypeOf(val).String() != "string" {
-										return false
-									}
-								}
-							}
+					// range over labels
+					for _, val := range labelKey {
+						if reflect.TypeOf(val).String() != "string" {
+							return false
+						}
+					}
+				}
+			} else if mk == "annotations" {
+				annotationKey, ok := metaKey[mk].(map[string]interface{})
+				if ok {
+					// range over annotations
+					for _, val := range annotationKey {
+						if reflect.TypeOf(val).String() != "string" {
+							return false
 						}
 					}
 				}
@@ -598,26 +591,72 @@ func isLabelAndAnnotationsString(rule kyvernov1.Rule) bool {
 		return true
 	}
 
-	patternMap, ok := rule.Validation.GetPattern().(map[string]interface{})
-	if ok {
-		return checkMetadata(patternMap)
-	} else if rule.Validation.GetAnyPattern() != nil {
-		anyPatterns, err := rule.Validation.DeserializeAnyPattern()
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Log.Error(err, "failed to deserialize anyPattern, expect type array")
-			return false
+	// checkMetadata - Verify if the labels and annotations contains string value inside metadata
+	checkMetadata := func(patternMap map[string]interface{}) bool {
+		for k := range patternMap {
+			if k == "metadata" {
+				metaKey, ok := patternMap[k].(map[string]interface{})
+				if ok {
+					// range over metadata
+					return checkLabelAnnotation(metaKey)
+				}
+			}
+			if k == "spec" {
+				metadata, _ := jsonq.NewQuery(patternMap).Object("spec", "template", "metadata")
+				return checkLabelAnnotation(metadata)
+			}
 		}
+		return true
+	}
 
-		for _, pattern := range anyPatterns {
-			patternMap, ok := pattern.(map[string]interface{})
+	if rule.HasValidate() {
+		if rule.Validation.ForEachValidation != nil {
+			for _, foreach := range rule.Validation.ForEachValidation {
+				patternMap, ok := foreach.GetPattern().(map[string]interface{})
+				if ok {
+					return checkMetadata(patternMap)
+				}
+			}
+		} else {
+			patternMap, ok := rule.Validation.GetPattern().(map[string]interface{})
 			if ok {
-				ret := checkMetadata(patternMap)
-				if !ret {
-					return ret
+				return checkMetadata(patternMap)
+			} else if rule.Validation.GetAnyPattern() != nil {
+				anyPatterns, err := rule.Validation.DeserializeAnyPattern()
+				if err != nil {
+					log.Log.Error(err, "failed to deserialize anyPattern, expect type array")
+					return false
+				}
+
+				for _, pattern := range anyPatterns {
+					patternMap, ok := pattern.(map[string]interface{})
+					if ok {
+						ret := checkMetadata(patternMap)
+						if !ret {
+							return ret
+						}
+					}
 				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
+
+	if rule.HasMutate() {
+		if rule.Mutation.ForEachMutation != nil {
+			for _, foreach := range rule.Mutation.ForEachMutation {
+				forEachStrategicMergeMap, ok := foreach.GetPatchStrategicMerge().(map[string]interface{})
+				if ok {
+					return checkMetadata(forEachStrategicMergeMap)
+				}
+			}
+		} else {
+			strategicMergeMap, ok := rule.Mutation.GetPatchStrategicMerge().(map[string]interface{})
+			if ok {
+				return checkMetadata(strategicMergeMap)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	return true
 }