diff --git a/framework/CHANGELOG.md b/framework/CHANGELOG.md
index ce580c49bef..dc620a07486 100644
--- a/framework/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/framework/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ Yii Framework 2 Change Log
 2.0.49 under development
 ------------------------
 
+- Bug #19899: Fixed `GridView` in some cases calling `Model::generateAttributeLabel()` to generate label values that are never used (PowerGamer1)
 - Bug #9899: Fix caching a MSSQL query with BLOB data type (terabytesoftw)
 - Bug #16208: Fix `yii\log\FileTarget` to not export empty messages (terabytesoftw)
 - Bug #19857: Fix AttributeTypecastBehavior::resetOldAttributes() causes "class has no attribute named" InvalidArgumentException (uaoleg)
diff --git a/framework/data/ActiveDataProvider.php b/framework/data/ActiveDataProvider.php
index a8b6e158ecf..3a129aa7293 100644
--- a/framework/data/ActiveDataProvider.php
+++ b/framework/data/ActiveDataProvider.php
@@ -183,15 +183,11 @@ public function setSort($value)
                     $sort->attributes[$attribute] = [
                         'asc' => [$attribute => SORT_ASC],
                         'desc' => [$attribute => SORT_DESC],
-                        'label' => $model->getAttributeLabel($attribute),
                     ];
                 }
-            } else {
-                foreach ($sort->attributes as $attribute => $config) {
-                    if (!isset($config['label'])) {
-                        $sort->attributes[$attribute]['label'] = $model->getAttributeLabel($attribute);
-                    }
-                }
+            }
+            if ($sort->modelClass === null) {
+                $sort->modelClass = $modelClass;
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/framework/data/Sort.php b/framework/data/Sort.php
index 1ed63f4ac87..0c0abc8b606 100644
--- a/framework/data/Sort.php
+++ b/framework/data/Sort.php
@@ -191,6 +191,12 @@ class Sort extends BaseObject
      * @since 2.0.33
      */
     public $sortFlags = SORT_REGULAR;
+    /**
+     * @var string|null the name of the [[\yii\base\Model]]-based class used by the [[link()]] method to retrieve
+     * attributes' labels. See [[link]] method for details.
+     * @since 2.0.49
+     */
+    public $modelClass;
 
 
     /**
@@ -363,7 +369,8 @@ public function getAttributeOrder($attribute)
      * @param array $options additional HTML attributes for the hyperlink tag.
      * There is one special attribute `label` which will be used as the label of the hyperlink.
      * If this is not set, the label defined in [[attributes]] will be used.
-     * If no label is defined, [[\yii\helpers\Inflector::camel2words()]] will be called to get a label.
+     * If no label is defined, it will be retrieved from the instance of [[modelClass]] (if [[modelClass]] is not null)
+     * or generated from attribute name using [[\yii\helpers\Inflector::camel2words()]].
      * Note that it will not be HTML-encoded.
      * @return string the generated hyperlink
      * @throws InvalidConfigException if the attribute is unknown
@@ -388,6 +395,11 @@ public function link($attribute, $options = [])
         } else {
             if (isset($this->attributes[$attribute]['label'])) {
                 $label = $this->attributes[$attribute]['label'];
+            } elseif ($this->modelClass !== null) {
+                $modelClass = $this->modelClass;
+                /** @var \yii\base\Model $model */
+                $model = $modelClass::instance();
+                $label = $model->getAttributeLabel($attribute);
             } else {
                 $label = Inflector::camel2words($attribute);
             }
diff --git a/tests/data/ar/NoAutoLabels.php b/tests/data/ar/NoAutoLabels.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e33a3847d84
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data/ar/NoAutoLabels.php
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * @link https://www.yiiframework.com/
+ * @copyright Copyright (c) 2008 Yii Software LLC
+ * @license https://www.yiiframework.com/license/
+ */
+
+namespace yiiunit\data\ar;
+
+/**
+ * @property int $attr1
+ * @property int $attr2
+ */
+class NoAutoLabels extends ActiveRecord
+{
+    public function attributeLabels()
+    {
+        return [
+            'attr1' => 'Label for attr1',
+        ];
+    }
+
+    public function generateAttributeLabel($name)
+    {
+        throw new \yii\base\InvalidArgumentException('Label not defined!');
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/framework/grid/GridViewTest.php b/tests/framework/grid/GridViewTest.php
index 392aefbd0ba..b698011493b 100644
--- a/tests/framework/grid/GridViewTest.php
+++ b/tests/framework/grid/GridViewTest.php
@@ -7,10 +7,12 @@
 
 namespace yiiunit\framework\grid;
 
+use Yii;
 use yii\data\ArrayDataProvider;
 use yii\grid\DataColumn;
 use yii\grid\GridView;
 use yii\web\View;
+use yiiunit\data\ar\NoAutoLabels;
 
 /**
  * @author Evgeniy Tkachenko <et.coder@gmail.com>
@@ -150,4 +152,53 @@ public function testFooter() {
 
 		$this->assertTrue(preg_match("/<\/tbody><tfoot>/", $html) === 1);
 	}
+
+    public function testHeaderLabels()
+    {
+        // Ensure GridView does not call Model::generateAttributeLabel() to generate labels unless the labels are explicitly used.
+
+        $this->mockApplication([
+            'components' => [
+                'db' => [
+                    'class' => \yii\db\Connection::className(),
+                    'dsn' => 'sqlite::memory:',
+                ],
+            ],
+        ]);
+
+        NoAutoLabels::$db = Yii::$app->getDb();
+        Yii::$app->getDb()->createCommand()->createTable(NoAutoLabels::tableName(), ['attr1' => 'int', 'attr2' => 'int'])->execute();
+
+        $urlManager = new \yii\web\UrlManager([
+            'baseUrl' => '/',
+            'scriptUrl' => '/index.php',
+        ]);
+
+        $grid = new GridView([
+            'dataProvider' => new \yii\data\ActiveDataProvider([
+                'query' => NoAutoLabels::find(),
+            ]),
+            'columns' => [
+                'attr1',
+                'attr2:text:Label for attr2',
+            ],
+        ]);
+
+        // NoAutoLabels::generateAttributeLabel() should not be called.
+        $grid->dataProvider->setSort([
+            'route' => '/',
+            'urlManager' => $urlManager,
+        ]);
+        $grid->renderTableHeader();
+
+        // NoAutoLabels::generateAttributeLabel() should not be called.
+        $grid->dataProvider->setSort([
+            'route' => '/',
+            'urlManager' => $urlManager,
+            'attributes' => ['attr1', 'attr2'],
+        ]);
+        $grid->renderTableHeader();
+
+        // If NoAutoLabels::generateAttributeLabel() has not been called no exception will be thrown meaning this test passed successfully.
+	}
 }