diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/values/QValueFormatter.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/values/QValueFormatter.java
index 7dc51ca4..860a4279 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/values/QValueFormatter.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/values/QValueFormatter.java
@@ -274,6 +274,14 @@ public class QValueFormatter
     *******************************************************************************/
    private static String formatRecordLabelExceptionalCases(QTableMetaData table, QRecord record)
    {
+      //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+      // if the record already has a label (say, from a query-customizer), then return it //
+      //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+      if(record.getRecordLabel() != null)
+      {
+         return (record.getRecordLabel());
+      }
+
       ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
       // if there's no record label format, then just return the primary key display value //
       ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/values/QValueFormatterTest.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/values/QValueFormatterTest.java
index 52b9db39..893c2a41 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/values/QValueFormatterTest.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/values/QValueFormatterTest.java
@@ -121,6 +121,12 @@ class QValueFormatterTest extends BaseTest
       table = new QTableMetaData().withPrimaryKeyField("id");
       assertEquals("42", QValueFormatter.formatRecordLabel(table, new QRecord().withValue("id", 42)));
 
+      ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+      // exceptional flow:  no recordLabelFormat specified, and record already had a label //
+      ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+      table = new QTableMetaData().withPrimaryKeyField("id");
+      assertEquals("my label", QValueFormatter.formatRecordLabel(table, new QRecord().withRecordLabel("my label").withValue("id", 42)));
+
       /////////////////////////////////////////////////
       // exceptional flow:  no fields for the format //
       /////////////////////////////////////////////////