diff --git a/pkg/describe/describe.go b/pkg/describe/describe.go
index 2a8277d1..d7eb7e6b 100644
--- a/pkg/describe/describe.go
+++ b/pkg/describe/describe.go
@@ -2638,19 +2638,10 @@ func (i *IngressDescriber) describeIngressV1(ing *networkingv1.Ingress, events *
 		def := ing.Spec.DefaultBackend
 		ns := ing.Namespace
 		if def == nil {
-			// Ingresses that don't specify a default backend inherit the
-			// default backend in the kube-system namespace.
-			def = &networkingv1.IngressBackend{
-				Service: &networkingv1.IngressServiceBackend{
-					Name: "default-http-backend",
-					Port: networkingv1.ServiceBackendPort{
-						Number: 80,
-					},
-				},
-			}
-			ns = metav1.NamespaceSystem
+			w.Write(LEVEL_0, "Default backend:\t<default>\n")
+		} else {
+			w.Write(LEVEL_0, "Default backend:\t%s\n", i.describeBackendV1(ns, def))
 		}
-		w.Write(LEVEL_0, "Default backend:\t%s\n", i.describeBackendV1(ns, def))
 		if len(ing.Spec.TLS) != 0 {
 			describeIngressTLSV1(w, ing.Spec.TLS)
 		}
@@ -2699,15 +2690,10 @@ func (i *IngressDescriber) describeIngressV1beta1(ing *networkingv1beta1.Ingress
 		def := ing.Spec.Backend
 		ns := ing.Namespace
 		if def == nil {
-			// Ingresses that don't specify a default backend inherit the
-			// default backend in the kube-system namespace.
-			def = &networkingv1beta1.IngressBackend{
-				ServiceName: "default-http-backend",
-				ServicePort: intstr.IntOrString{Type: intstr.Int, IntVal: 80},
-			}
-			ns = metav1.NamespaceSystem
+			w.Write(LEVEL_0, "Default backend:\t<default>\n")
+		} else {
+			w.Write(LEVEL_0, "Default backend:\t%s\n", i.describeBackendV1beta1(ns, def))
 		}
-		w.Write(LEVEL_0, "Default backend:\t%s (%s)\n", backendStringer(def), i.describeBackendV1beta1(ns, def))
 		if len(ing.Spec.TLS) != 0 {
 			describeIngressTLSV1beta1(w, ing.Spec.TLS)
 		}
@@ -2730,7 +2716,7 @@ func (i *IngressDescriber) describeIngressV1beta1(ing *networkingv1beta1.Ingress
 			}
 		}
 		if count == 0 {
-			w.Write(LEVEL_1, "%s\t%s \t%s (%s)\n", "*", "*", backendStringer(def), i.describeBackendV1beta1(ns, def))
+			w.Write(LEVEL_1, "%s\t%s \t<default>\n", "*", "*")
 		}
 		printAnnotationsMultiline(w, "Annotations", ing.Annotations)
 
diff --git a/pkg/describe/describe_test.go b/pkg/describe/describe_test.go
index 63c09071..47bd33cd 100644
--- a/pkg/describe/describe_test.go
+++ b/pkg/describe/describe_test.go
@@ -2358,7 +2358,7 @@ Labels:           id1=app1
 Namespace:        foo
 Address:          
 Ingress Class:    test
-Default backend:  default-http-backend:80 (<error: endpoints "default-http-backend" not found>)
+Default backend:  <default>
 Rules:
   Host         Path  Backends
   ----         ----  --------
@@ -2374,7 +2374,7 @@ Labels:           <none>
 Namespace:        foo
 Address:          
 Ingress Class:    test
-Default backend:  default-http-backend:80 (<error: endpoints "default-http-backend" not found>)
+Default backend:  <default>
 Rules:
   Host         Path  Backends
   ----         ----  --------
@@ -2413,7 +2413,7 @@ Labels:           <none>
 Namespace:        foo
 Address:          
 Ingress Class:    test
-Default backend:  default-http-backend:80 (<error: endpoints "default-http-backend" not found>)
+Default backend:  <default>
 Rules:
   Host         Path  Backends
   ----         ----  --------
@@ -2452,7 +2452,7 @@ Labels:           <none>
 Namespace:        foo
 Address:          
 Ingress Class:    test
-Default backend:  default-http-backend:80 (<error: endpoints "default-http-backend" not found>)
+Default backend:  <default>
 Rules:
   Host         Path  Backends
   ----         ----  --------