diff --git a/test.py b/test.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c546269f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+# %%
+import numpy as np
+
+import ultraplot as uplt
+
+rng = np.random.default_rng(21)
+x = np.linspace(0, 5, 300)
+
+layout = [[1, 2, 5], [3, 4, 5]]
+# layout = [[1, 2], [4, 4]]
+fig, axs = uplt.subplots(layout, journal="nat1")
+for i, ax in enumerate(axs):
+    trend = (i + 1) * 0.2
+    y = np.exp(-0.4 * x) * np.sin(2 * x + i * 0.6) + trend
+    y += 0.05 * rng.standard_normal(x.size)
+    ax.plot(x, y, lw=2)
+    ax.fill_between(x, y - 0.15, y + 0.15, alpha=0.2)
+    ax.set_title(f"Condition {i + 1}")
+# Share first 2 plots top left
+axs[:2].format(
+    xlabel="Time (days)",
+)
+axs[1, :2].format(xlabel="Time 2 (days)")
+axs[[-1]].format(xlabel="Time 3 (days)")
+axs.format(
+    xlabel="Time (days)",
+    ylabel="Normalized response",
+    abc=True,
+    abcloc="ul",
+    suptitle="Spanning labels with shared axes",
+    grid=False,
+)
+axs.format(abc=1, abcloc="ol")
+axs.format(xlabel="test")
+fig.save("test.png")
+
+fig.show()
+uplt.show(block=1)
diff --git a/ultraplot/figure.py b/ultraplot/figure.py
index e7887088..b2612d6a 100644
--- a/ultraplot/figure.py
+++ b/ultraplot/figure.py
@@ -1877,6 +1877,10 @@ def _align_axis_label(self, x):
             if ax in seen or pos not in ("bottom", "left"):
                 continue  # already aligned or cannot align
             axs = ax._get_span_axes(pos, panels=False)  # returns panel or main axes
+            if self._has_share_label_groups(x) and any(
+                self._is_share_label_group_member(axi, x) for axi in axs
+            ):
+                continue  # explicit label groups override default spanning
             if any(getattr(ax, "_share" + x) for ax in axs):
                 continue  # nothing to align or axes have parents
             seen.update(axs)
@@ -2523,6 +2527,18 @@ def format(
             for cls, sig in paxes.Axes._format_signatures.items()
         }
         classes = set()  # track used dictionaries
+
+        def _axis_has_share_label_text(ax, axis):
+            groups = self._share_label_groups.get(axis, {})
+            for group in groups.values():
+                if ax in group["axes"] and str(group.get("text", "")).strip():
+                    return True
+            return False
+
+        def _axis_has_label_text(ax, axis):
+            text = ax.get_xlabel() if axis == "x" else ax.get_ylabel()
+            return bool(text and text.strip())
+
         for number, ax in enumerate(axs):
             number = number + 1  # number from 1
             store_old_number = ax.number
@@ -2534,6 +2550,12 @@ def format(
                 for key, value in kw.items()
                 if isinstance(ax, cls) and not classes.add(cls)
             }
+            if kw.get("xlabel") is not None and self._has_share_label_groups("x"):
+                if _axis_has_share_label_text(ax, "x") or _axis_has_label_text(ax, "x"):
+                    kw.pop("xlabel", None)
+            if kw.get("ylabel") is not None and self._has_share_label_groups("y"):
+                if _axis_has_share_label_text(ax, "y") or _axis_has_label_text(ax, "y"):
+                    kw.pop("ylabel", None)
             ax.format(rc_kw=rc_kw, rc_mode=rc_mode, skip_figure=True, **kw, **kwargs)
             ax.number = store_old_number
         # Warn unused keyword argument(s)
diff --git a/ultraplot/gridspec.py b/ultraplot/gridspec.py
index 93a6343a..6f4c2d22 100644
--- a/ultraplot/gridspec.py
+++ b/ultraplot/gridspec.py
@@ -1767,6 +1767,10 @@ def format(self, **kwargs):
         all_axes = set(self.figure._subplot_dict.values())
         is_subset = bool(axes) and all_axes and set(axes) != all_axes
         if len(self) > 1:
+            if not is_subset and share_xlabels is None and xlabel is not None:
+                self.figure._clear_share_label_groups(target="x")
+            if not is_subset and share_ylabels is None and ylabel is not None:
+                self.figure._clear_share_label_groups(target="y")
             if share_xlabels is False:
                 self.figure._clear_share_label_groups(self, target="x")
             if share_ylabels is False:
diff --git a/ultraplot/tests/test_subplots.py b/ultraplot/tests/test_subplots.py
index eb42c79f..39eb61c3 100644
--- a/ultraplot/tests/test_subplots.py
+++ b/ultraplot/tests/test_subplots.py
@@ -335,6 +335,41 @@ def test_subset_share_xlabels_implicit_column():
     uplt.close(fig)
 
 
+def test_subset_share_xlabels_overridden_by_global_format():
+    fig, ax = uplt.subplots(ncols=2, nrows=2, share=0, span=False)
+    bottom = ax[1, :]
+    bottom.format(xlabel="Bottom-row X")
+    ax[0, 0].format(xlabel="Top-left X")
+    ax.format(xlabel="Global X")
+
+    fig.canvas.draw()
+
+    assert ax[0, 0].get_xlabel() == "Global X"
+    assert ax[0, 1].get_xlabel() == "Global X"
+    assert not any(
+        lab.get_text() == "Bottom-row X" for lab in fig._supxlabel_dict.values()
+    )
+
+    uplt.close(fig)
+
+
+def test_full_grid_clears_share_label_groups():
+    fig, ax = uplt.subplots(ncols=2, nrows=2, share=0, span=False)
+    bottom = ax[1, :]
+    bottom.format(xlabel="Bottom-row X")
+    ax.format(xlabel="Global X")
+
+    fig.canvas.draw()
+
+    assert not fig._has_share_label_groups("x")
+    assert not any(
+        lab.get_text() == "Bottom-row X" for lab in fig._supxlabel_dict.values()
+    )
+    assert all(axi.get_xlabel() == "Global X" for axi in ax)
+
+    uplt.close(fig)
+
+
 def test_subset_share_ylabels_implicit_row():
     fig, ax = uplt.subplots(ncols=2, nrows=2, share=0, span=False)
     top = ax[0, :]