diff --git a/.github/workflows/getLabels.js b/.github/workflows/getLabels.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..2f8a21bae6fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/getLabels.js
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+/**
+ * To run this file:
+ * * npm install @octokit/rest
+ * * node .github/workflows/getLabels.js
+ */
+
+const { Octokit } = require('@octokit/rest');
+const github = new Octokit();
+github.rest.issues
+    .listLabelsForRepo({
+        owner: 'microsoft',
+        repo: 'vscode-python',
+    })
+    .then((result) => {
+        const labels = result.data.map((label) => label.name);
+        console.log(JSON.stringify(labels));
+    });
diff --git a/.github/workflows/issue-labels.yml b/.github/workflows/issue-labels.yml
index d743d437428a..20f061828cbe 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/issue-labels.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/issue-labels.yml
@@ -4,13 +4,18 @@ on:
   issues:
     types: [opened, reopened]
 
+env:
+  # To update the list of labels, see `getLabels.js`.
+  REPO_LABELS: '["area-data science","area-debugging","area-diagnostics","area-editor-*","area-environments","area-formatting","area-intellisense","area-internal","area-linting","area-terminal","area-testing","author-verification-requested","bug","community ask","debt","dependencies","documentation","experimenting","feature-request","good first issue","help wanted","important","info-needed","invalid-testplan-item","investigating","iteration-candidate","iteration-plan","iteration-plan-draft","javascript","linux"]'
+  TRIAGERS: '["karrtikr","karthiknadig","paulacamargo25","eleanorjboyd"]'
+
 permissions:
   issues: write
 
 jobs:
   # From https://github.com/marketplace/actions/github-script#apply-a-label-to-an-issue.
   add-classify-label:
-    name: "Add 'triage-needed'"
+    name: "Add 'triage-needed' and remove unrecognizable labels & assignees"
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/github-script@v6
@@ -37,3 +42,28 @@ jobs:
             } else {
               console.log('This issue already has a "needs __", "iteration-plan", "release-plan", or the "testplan-item" label, do not add the "triage-needed" label.')
             }
+            const knownLabels = ${{ env.REPO_LABELS }}
+            const knownTriagers = ${{ env.TRIAGERS }}
+            for( const label of labels) {
+              if (!knownLabels.includes(label)) {
+                await github.rest.issues.deleteLabel({
+                  owner: context.repo.owner,
+                  repo: context.repo.repo,
+                  name: label,
+                })
+              }
+            }
+            const currentAssignees = await github.rest.issues
+              .get({
+                owner: context.repo.owner,
+                repo: context.repo.repo,
+                issue_number: context.issue.number,
+              })
+              .then((result) => result.data.assignees.map((a) => a.login));
+            const assigneesToRemove = currentAssignees.filter(a => !knownTriagers.includes(a));
+            github.rest.issues.removeAssignees({
+              owner: context.repo.owner,
+              repo: context.repo.repo,
+              issue_number: context.issue.number,
+              assignees: assigneesToRemove,
+            });