diff --git a/core/src/components/item/item.md.scss b/core/src/components/item/item.md.scss
index 157b15dd2c..897c461126 100644
--- a/core/src/components/item/item.md.scss
+++ b/core/src/components/item/item.md.scss
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 @import "./item";
 @import "./item.md.vars";
+@import "../label/label.md.vars";
 
 // Material Design Item
 // --------------------------------------------------
@@ -166,3 +167,8 @@
 :host(:not(.item-label)) ::slotted(ion-textarea) {
   --padding-start: 0;
 }
+
+:host(.item-has-focus:not(.ion-color)) ::slotted(.label-stacked),
+:host(.item-has-focus:not(.ion-color)) ::slotted(.label-floating) {
+  color: $label-md-text-color-focused;
+}
diff --git a/core/src/components/label/label.md.scss b/core/src/components/label/label.md.scss
index 99dfe85084..6206c64d7c 100644
--- a/core/src/components/label/label.md.scss
+++ b/core/src/components/label/label.md.scss
@@ -15,15 +15,6 @@
 }
 
 
-// Material Design Default Label Inside An Input/Select Item
-// --------------------------------------------------
-
-// TODO, takes high priority
-:host-context(.item-interactive) {
-  --ion-color-base: #{$label-md-text-color};
-}
-
-
 // Material Design Stacked & Floating Labels
 // --------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -43,10 +34,6 @@
   @include margin(null, null, 0, 0);
 }
 
-:host-context(.item-has-focus).label-stacked,
-:host-context(.item-has-focus).label-floating {
-  color: $label-md-text-color-focused;
-}
 
 // MD Typography
 // --------------------------------------------------
@@ -90,7 +77,7 @@
 }
 
 ::slotted(p) {
-  color: #{$item-md-paragraph-text-color};
+  color: $item-md-paragraph-text-color;
 }
 
 :host-context(.ion-color)::slotted(p) {
diff --git a/core/src/components/label/label.scss b/core/src/components/label/label.scss
index 832be1248c..aa165f2bd5 100644
--- a/core/src/components/label/label.scss
+++ b/core/src/components/label/label.scss
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 }
 
 :host(.ion-color) {
-  color: #{current-color(base)};
+  color: current-color(base) !important;
 }
 
 :host([text-wrap]) {