diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 18bf34b4..59689d97 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ To configure your Ubiquibot to run this plugin, add the following to the `.ubiqu
     assignedIssueScope: "org" # or "org" or "network". Default is org
     emptyWalletText: "Please set your wallet address with the /wallet command first and try again."
     rolesWithReviewAuthority: ["MEMBER", "OWNER"]
+    requiredLabelsToStart: ["Priority: 5 (Emergency)"]
 ```
 
 # Testing
diff --git a/manifest.json b/manifest.json
index 6fde9465..bdce4313 100644
--- a/manifest.json
+++ b/manifest.json
@@ -78,6 +78,13 @@
         "items": {
           "type": "string"
         }
+      },
+      "requiredLabelsToStart": {
+        "default": [],
+        "type": "array",
+        "items": {
+          "type": "string"
+        }
       }
     },
     "required": [
@@ -87,7 +94,8 @@
       "maxConcurrentTasks",
       "assignedIssueScope",
       "emptyWalletText",
-      "rolesWithReviewAuthority"
+      "rolesWithReviewAuthority",
+      "requiredLabelsToStart"
     ]
   }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/handlers/shared/start.ts b/src/handlers/shared/start.ts
index ce2b5bc0..f8629c06 100644
--- a/src/handlers/shared/start.ts
+++ b/src/handlers/shared/start.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,18 @@ export async function start(
   teammates: string[]
 ): Promise<Result> {
   const { logger, config } = context;
-  const { taskStaleTimeoutDuration } = config;
+  const { taskStaleTimeoutDuration, requiredLabelsToStart } = config;
+
+  const issueLabels = issue.labels.map((label) => label.name);
+
+  if (requiredLabelsToStart.length && !requiredLabelsToStart.some((label) => issueLabels.includes(label))) {
+    // The "Priority" label must reflect a business priority, not a development one.
+    throw logger.error("This task does not reflect a business priority at the moment and cannot be started. This will be reassessed in the coming weeks.", {
+      requiredLabelsToStart,
+      issueLabels,
+      issue: issue.html_url,
+    });
+  }
 
   if (!sender) {
     throw logger.error(`Skipping '/start' since there is no sender in the context.`);
diff --git a/src/handlers/user-start-stop.ts b/src/handlers/user-start-stop.ts
index b5017c94..28567b89 100644
--- a/src/handlers/user-start-stop.ts
+++ b/src/handlers/user-start-stop.ts
@@ -11,8 +11,7 @@ export async function userStartStop(context: Context): Promise<Result> {
   if (!isIssueCommentEvent(context)) {
     return { status: HttpStatusCode.NOT_MODIFIED };
   }
-  const { payload } = context;
-  const { issue, comment, sender, repository } = payload;
+  const { issue, comment, sender, repository } = context.payload;
   const slashCommand = comment.body.trim().split(" ")[0].replace("/", "");
   const teamMates = comment.body
     .split("@")
diff --git a/src/types/plugin-input.ts b/src/types/plugin-input.ts
index fe0398f3..fef6718c 100644
--- a/src/types/plugin-input.ts
+++ b/src/types/plugin-input.ts
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ export const pluginSettingsSchema = T.Object(
     rolesWithReviewAuthority: T.Transform(rolesWithReviewAuthority)
       .Decode((value) => value.map((role) => role.toUpperCase()))
       .Encode((value) => value.map((role) => role.toUpperCase())),
+    requiredLabelsToStart: T.Array(T.String(), { default: [] }),
   },
   {
     default: {},
diff --git a/tests/__mocks__/issue-template.ts b/tests/__mocks__/issue-template.ts
index c8f7dab1..b4c48b73 100644
--- a/tests/__mocks__/issue-template.ts
+++ b/tests/__mocks__/issue-template.ts
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ export default {
     {
       name: "Time: 1h",
     },
+    {
+      name: "Priority: 1 (Normal)",
+    },
   ],
   body: "body",
 };
diff --git a/tests/__mocks__/valid-configuration.json b/tests/__mocks__/valid-configuration.json
index b67e4e8c..a3e8bc1d 100644
--- a/tests/__mocks__/valid-configuration.json
+++ b/tests/__mocks__/valid-configuration.json
@@ -9,5 +9,6 @@
   },
   "assignedIssueScope": "org",
   "emptyWalletText": "Please set your wallet address with the /wallet command first and try again.",
-  "rolesWithReviewAuthority": ["OWNER", "ADMIN", "MEMBER"]
+  "rolesWithReviewAuthority": ["OWNER", "ADMIN", "MEMBER"],
+  "requiredLabelsToStart": ["Priority: 1 (Normal)", "Priority: 2 (Medium)", "Priority: 3 (High)", "Priority: 4 (Urgent)", "Priority: 5 (Emergency)"]
 }
diff --git a/tests/configuration.test.ts b/tests/configuration.test.ts
index 99342de4..634b4967 100644
--- a/tests/configuration.test.ts
+++ b/tests/configuration.test.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ import { Value } from "@sinclair/typebox/value";
 import { AssignedIssueScope, PluginSettings, pluginSettingsSchema } from "../src/types";
 import cfg from "./__mocks__/valid-configuration.json";
 
+const PRIORITY_LABELS = ["Priority: 1 (Normal)", "Priority: 2 (Medium)", "Priority: 3 (High)", "Priority: 4 (Urgent)", "Priority: 5 (Emergency)"];
+
 describe("Configuration tests", () => {
   it("Should decode the configuration", () => {
     const settings = Value.Default(pluginSettingsSchema, {
@@ -12,11 +14,14 @@ describe("Configuration tests", () => {
       emptyWalletText: "Please set your wallet address with the /wallet command first and try again.",
       maxConcurrentTasks: { admin: 20, member: 10, contributor: 2 },
       rolesWithReviewAuthority: ["OWNER", "ADMIN", "MEMBER"],
+      requiredLabelsToStart: PRIORITY_LABELS,
     }) as PluginSettings;
     expect(settings).toEqual(cfg);
   });
   it("Should default the admin to infinity if missing from config when decoded", () => {
-    const settings = Value.Default(pluginSettingsSchema, {}) as PluginSettings;
+    const settings = Value.Default(pluginSettingsSchema, {
+      requiredLabelsToStart: PRIORITY_LABELS,
+    }) as PluginSettings;
     const decodedSettings = Value.Decode(pluginSettingsSchema, settings);
     expect(decodedSettings.maxConcurrentTasks["admin"]).toEqual(Infinity);
   });
@@ -24,6 +29,7 @@ describe("Configuration tests", () => {
   it("Should normalize maxConcurrentTasks role keys to lowercase when decoded", () => {
     const settings = Value.Default(pluginSettingsSchema, {
       maxConcurrentTasks: { ADMIN: 20, memBER: 10, CONTRIBUTOR: 2 },
+      requiredLabelsToStart: PRIORITY_LABELS,
     }) as PluginSettings;
     const decodedSettings = Value.Decode(pluginSettingsSchema, settings);
     expect(decodedSettings.maxConcurrentTasks).toEqual({ admin: 20, member: 10, contributor: 2 });
diff --git a/tests/main.test.ts b/tests/main.test.ts
index 0ae2f5f4..25451d21 100644
--- a/tests/main.test.ts
+++ b/tests/main.test.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ type PayloadSender = Context["payload"]["sender"];
 
 const octokit = jest.requireActual("@octokit/rest");
 const TEST_REPO = "ubiquity/test-repo";
+const PRIORITY_ONE = "Priority: 1 (Normal)";
+const PRIORITY_LABELS = [PRIORITY_ONE, "Priority: 2 (Medium)", "Priority: 3 (High)", "Priority: 4 (Urgent)", "Priority: 5 (Emergency)"];
 
 beforeAll(() => {
   server.listen();
@@ -276,6 +278,23 @@ describe("User start/stop", () => {
       expect(errorDetails).toContain("Invalid BOT_USER_ID");
     }
   });
+
+  test("Should not allow a user to start if no requiredLabelToStart exists", async () => {
+    const issue = db.issue.findFirst({ where: { id: { equals: 7 } } }) as unknown as Issue;
+    const sender = db.users.findFirst({ where: { id: { equals: 1 } } }) as unknown as PayloadSender;
+
+    const context = createContext(issue, sender, "/start", "1", false, [
+      "Priority: 3 (High)",
+      "Priority: 4 (Urgent)",
+      "Priority: 5 (Emergency)",
+    ]) as Context<"issue_comment.created">;
+
+    context.adapters = createAdapters(getSupabase(), context);
+
+    await expect(userStartStop(context)).rejects.toMatchObject({
+      logMessage: { raw: "This task does not reflect a business priority at the moment and cannot be started. This will be reassessed in the coming weeks." },
+    });
+  });
 });
 
 async function setupTests() {
@@ -324,7 +343,11 @@ async function setupTests() {
     node_id: "MDU6SXNzdWUy",
     title: "Third issue",
     number: 3,
-    labels: [],
+    labels: [
+      {
+        name: PRIORITY_ONE,
+      },
+    ],
     body: "Third issue body",
     owner: "ubiquity",
   });
@@ -361,6 +384,28 @@ async function setupTests() {
     assignees: [],
   });
 
+  db.issue.create({
+    ...issueTemplate,
+    id: 7,
+    node_id: "MDU6SXNzdWUg",
+    title: "Seventh issue",
+    number: 7,
+    body: "Seventh issue body",
+    owner: "ubiquity",
+    assignees: [],
+    labels: [
+      {
+        name: "Price: 200 USD",
+      },
+      {
+        name: "Time: 1h",
+      },
+      {
+        name: PRIORITY_ONE,
+      },
+    ],
+  });
+
   db.pull.create({
     id: 1,
     html_url: "https://github.com/ubiquity/test-repo/pull/1",
@@ -595,7 +640,7 @@ function createIssuesForMaxAssignment(n: number, userId: number) {
   for (let i = 0; i < n; i++) {
     db.issue.create({
       ...issueTemplate,
-      id: i + 7,
+      id: i + 8,
       assignee: user,
     });
   }
@@ -612,7 +657,8 @@ export function createContext(
   sender: Record<string, unknown> | undefined,
   body = "/start",
   appId: string | null = "1",
-  startRequiresWallet = false
+  startRequiresWallet = false,
+  requiredLabelsToStart: string[] = PRIORITY_LABELS
 ): Context {
   return {
     adapters: {} as ReturnType<typeof createAdapters>,
@@ -634,6 +680,7 @@ export function createContext(
       assignedIssueScope: AssignedIssueScope.ORG,
       emptyWalletText: "Please set your wallet address with the /wallet command first and try again.",
       rolesWithReviewAuthority: ["ADMIN", "OWNER", "MEMBER"],
+      requiredLabelsToStart,
     },
     octokit: new octokit.Octokit(),
     eventName: "issue_comment.created" as SupportedEventsU,