Index: MatrixConfiguration.java
===================================================================
--- MatrixConfiguration.java	(revision 16218)
+++ MatrixConfiguration.java	(working copy)
@@ -47,8 +47,10 @@
 import hudson.tasks.Publisher;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Set;
 
 /**
  * One configuration of {@link MatrixProject}.
@@ -197,9 +199,53 @@
         return this;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Finds labels that exist with nodes matching the axises in the combination.
+     * Labels must be in the format of "axis=value".  For example, if your matrix
+     * build has an axis for compiler[gfortran,lahey] then the corresponding labels
+     * would be "compiler=gfortran" and "compiler=lahey".  A label is only returned
+     * if it exists and has nodes.
+     * @param combination to find labels for.
+     * @return set of labels that match the combination,  null if no labels match.
+     */
+    private Set<Label> getLabelsForCombination(Combination combination){
+        Set<Label> labels = new HashSet<Label> ();
+
+        for(Map.Entry<String, String> entry : combination.entrySet()){
+            Label label = null;
+            if("label".equals(entry.getKey())){
+                label = Hudson.getInstance().getLabel(entry.getValue());
+            }
+            else{
+                label = Hudson.getInstance().getLabel(entry.getKey()+"="+entry.getValue());
+            }
+            if(label != null && label.getNodes().size() > 0 && !labels.contains(label)){
+                labels.add(label);
+            }
+        }
+        return labels.size()> 0 ? labels : null;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return new MatrixLabel if there are labels that match the combination.
+     */
     @Override
     public Label getAssignedLabel() {
-        return Hudson.getInstance().getLabel(combination.get("label"));
+        Set<Label> labels = getLabelsForCombination(combination);
+        if(labels != null){
+            StringBuffer buffer = new StringBuffer();
+            buffer.append("Node labeled with \"");
+            for(Label label : labels){
+                buffer.append(label.getName() + " ");
+            }
+            buffer.append("\"");
+            return new MatrixLabel(buffer.toString(), labels);
+        }
+        else{
+            return null;
+        }
+        
+
     }
 
     @Override
Index: MatrixLabel.java
===================================================================
--- MatrixLabel.java	(revision 0)
+++ MatrixLabel.java	(revision 0)
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+/*
+ * The MIT License
+ * 
+ * Copyright (c) 2004-2009, Sun Microsystems, Inc., Kohsuke Kawaguchi, Tom Huybrechts
+ * 
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+ * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+ * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+ * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+ * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+ * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ * 
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+ * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ * 
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+ * AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+ * OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+ * THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+package hudson.matrix;
+
+import hudson.model.Hudson;
+import hudson.model.Label;
+import hudson.model.Node;
+import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.HashSet;
+import java.util.Collections;
+
+/**
+ * Extended {@link Label} to allow for an axises to be matched to an executor's
+ * labels. 
+ *
+ * @author Joseph Levin
+ */
+public class MatrixLabel extends Label {
+    
+    private final Set<Label> labelsForCombonation;
+
+    public MatrixLabel(String name, Set<Label> labels) {
+        //give it a name if it's ever required
+        super(name);
+        labelsForCombonation = labels;
+    }
+
+    public boolean isSelfLabel() {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    private boolean nodeHasRequiredLabels(Node node){
+        for(Label label : labelsForCombonation){
+            if (!label.contains(node)){
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    public Set<Node> getNodes() {        
+        Set<Node> nodes = new HashSet<Node>();
+        Hudson h = Hudson.getInstance();
+        if (nodeHasRequiredLabels(h)){
+            nodes.add(h);
+        }
+
+        for (Node n : h.getNodes()) {
+            if (nodeHasRequiredLabels(n)){
+                nodes.add(n);
+            }
+
+        }
+        return Collections.unmodifiableSet(nodes);
+    }
+}