diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels/selector.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels/selector.go
index b0865777a29..4b8ca3ec2f6 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels/selector.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels/selector.go
@@ -31,12 +31,15 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	validRequirementOperators = []string{
+	unaryOperators = []string{
+		string(selection.Exists), string(selection.DoesNotExist),
+	}
+	binaryOperators = []string{
 		string(selection.In), string(selection.NotIn),
 		string(selection.Equals), string(selection.DoubleEquals), string(selection.NotEquals),
-		string(selection.Exists), string(selection.DoesNotExist),
 		string(selection.GreaterThan), string(selection.LessThan),
 	}
+	validRequirementOperators = append(binaryOperators, unaryOperators...)
 )
 
 // Requirements is AND of all requirements.
@@ -140,7 +143,7 @@ type Requirement struct {
 
 // NewRequirement is the constructor for a Requirement.
 // If any of these rules is violated, an error is returned:
-// (1) The operator can only be In, NotIn, Equals, DoubleEquals, NotEquals, Exists, or DoesNotExist.
+// (1) The operator can only be In, NotIn, Equals, DoubleEquals, Gt, Lt, NotEquals, Exists, or DoesNotExist.
 // (2) If the operator is In or NotIn, the values set must be non-empty.
 // (3) If the operator is Equals, DoubleEquals, or NotEquals, the values set must contain one value.
 // (4) If the operator is Exists or DoesNotExist, the value set must be empty.
@@ -753,7 +756,7 @@ func (p *Parser) parseOperator() (op selection.Operator, err error) {
 	case NotEqualsToken:
 		op = selection.NotEquals
 	default:
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("found '%s', expected: '=', '!=', '==', 'in', notin'", lit)
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("found '%s', expected: %v", lit, strings.Join(binaryOperators, ", "))
 	}
 	return op, nil
 }
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels/selector_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels/selector_test.go
index 07774bc9a0f..7c061462dd5 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels/selector_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels/selector_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package labels
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -148,6 +149,7 @@ func expectMatchDirect(t *testing.T, selector, ls Set) {
 }
 
 //lint:ignore U1000 currently commented out in TODO of TestSetMatches
+//nolint:unused,deadcode
 func expectNoMatchDirect(t *testing.T, selector, ls Set) {
 	if SelectorFromSet(selector).Matches(ls) {
 		t.Errorf("Wanted '%s' to not match '%s', but it did.", selector, ls)
@@ -304,6 +306,33 @@ func TestParserLookahead(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestParseOperator(t *testing.T) {
+	testcases := []struct {
+		token         string
+		expectedError error
+	}{
+		{"in", nil},
+		{"=", nil},
+		{"==", nil},
+		{">", nil},
+		{"<", nil},
+		{"notin", nil},
+		{"!=", nil},
+		{"!", fmt.Errorf("found '%s', expected: %v", selection.DoesNotExist, strings.Join(binaryOperators, ", "))},
+		{"exists", fmt.Errorf("found '%s', expected: %v", selection.Exists, strings.Join(binaryOperators, ", "))},
+		{"(", fmt.Errorf("found '%s', expected: %v", "(", strings.Join(binaryOperators, ", "))},
+	}
+	for _, testcase := range testcases {
+		p := &Parser{l: &Lexer{s: testcase.token, pos: 0}, position: 0}
+		p.scan()
+
+		_, err := p.parseOperator()
+		if ok := reflect.DeepEqual(testcase.expectedError, err); !ok {
+			t.Errorf("\nexpect err [%v], \nactual err [%v]", testcase.expectedError, err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestRequirementConstructor(t *testing.T) {
 	requirementConstructorTests := []struct {
 		Key     string