diff --git a/nginx-controller/controller/controller.go b/nginx-controller/controller/controller.go
index 3b2e7f7cfc..c83247765b 100644
--- a/nginx-controller/controller/controller.go
+++ b/nginx-controller/controller/controller.go
@@ -789,11 +789,17 @@ func (lbc *LoadBalancerController) createIngress(ing *extensions.Ingress) (*ngin
 		}
 	}
 
+	validRules := 0
+
 	for _, rule := range ing.Spec.Rules {
 		if rule.IngressRuleValue.HTTP == nil {
 			continue
 		}
 
+		if rule.Host == "" {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Ingress rule contains empty host")
+		}
+
 		for _, path := range rule.HTTP.Paths {
 			endps, err := lbc.getEndpointsForIngressBackend(&path.Backend, ing.Namespace)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -803,6 +809,12 @@ func (lbc *LoadBalancerController) createIngress(ing *extensions.Ingress) (*ngin
 				ingEx.Endpoints[path.Backend.ServiceName+path.Backend.ServicePort.String()] = endps
 			}
 		}
+
+		validRules++
+	}
+
+	if validRules == 0 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Ingress contains no valid rules")
 	}
 
 	return ingEx, nil
diff --git a/nginx-controller/nginx/configurator.go b/nginx-controller/nginx/configurator.go
index 8606ce442e..81ac34548d 100644
--- a/nginx-controller/nginx/configurator.go
+++ b/nginx-controller/nginx/configurator.go
@@ -97,10 +97,6 @@ func (cnf *Configurator) generateNginxCfg(ingEx *IngressEx, pems map[string]stri
 		serverName := rule.Host
 
 		statuzZone := rule.Host
-		if rule.Host == emptyHost {
-			statuzZone = ingEx.Ingress.Namespace + "-" + ingEx.Ingress.Name
-			glog.Warningf("Host field of ingress rule in %v/%v is empty", ingEx.Ingress.Namespace, ingEx.Ingress.Name)
-		}
 
 		server := Server{
 			Name:                  serverName,
@@ -155,45 +151,6 @@ func (cnf *Configurator) generateNginxCfg(ingEx *IngressEx, pems map[string]stri
 		servers = append(servers, server)
 	}
 
-	if len(ingEx.Ingress.Spec.Rules) == 0 && ingEx.Ingress.Spec.Backend != nil {
-		serverName := emptyHost
-		statuzZone := ingEx.Ingress.Namespace + "-" + ingEx.Ingress.Name
-		glog.Warningf("Host field of ingress rule in %v/%v is empty", ingEx.Ingress.Namespace, ingEx.Ingress.Name)
-		server := Server{
-			Name:                  serverName,
-			ServerTokens:          ingCfg.ServerTokens,
-			HTTP2:                 ingCfg.HTTP2,
-			RedirectToHTTPS:       ingCfg.RedirectToHTTPS,
-			ProxyProtocol:         ingCfg.ProxyProtocol,
-			HSTS:                  ingCfg.HSTS,
-			HSTSMaxAge:            ingCfg.HSTSMaxAge,
-			HSTSIncludeSubdomains: ingCfg.HSTSIncludeSubdomains,
-			StatusZone:            statuzZone,
-			RealIPHeader:          ingCfg.RealIPHeader,
-			SetRealIPFrom:         ingCfg.SetRealIPFrom,
-			RealIPRecursive:       ingCfg.RealIPRecursive,
-			ProxyHideHeaders:      ingCfg.ProxyHideHeaders,
-			ProxyPassHeaders:      ingCfg.ProxyPassHeaders,
-			ServerSnippets:        ingCfg.ServerSnippets,
-		}
-
-		if pemFile, ok := pems[emptyHost]; ok {
-			server.SSL = true
-			server.SSLCertificate = pemFile
-			server.SSLCertificateKey = pemFile
-		}
-
-		var locations []Location
-
-		upsName := getNameForUpstream(ingEx.Ingress, emptyHost, ingEx.Ingress.Spec.Backend.ServiceName)
-
-		loc := createLocation(pathOrDefault("/"), upstreams[upsName], &ingCfg, wsServices[ingEx.Ingress.Spec.Backend.ServiceName], rewrites[ingEx.Ingress.Spec.Backend.ServiceName], sslServices[ingEx.Ingress.Spec.Backend.ServiceName])
-		locations = append(locations, loc)
-
-		server.Locations = locations
-		servers = append(servers, server)
-	}
-
 	return IngressNginxConfig{Upstreams: upstreamMapToSlice(upstreams), Servers: servers}
 }
 
diff --git a/nginx-controller/nginx/templates/nginx-plus.ingress.tmpl b/nginx-controller/nginx/templates/nginx-plus.ingress.tmpl
index f544eb7068..0459bed35f 100644
--- a/nginx-controller/nginx/templates/nginx-plus.ingress.tmpl
+++ b/nginx-controller/nginx/templates/nginx-plus.ingress.tmpl
@@ -24,9 +24,7 @@ server {
 
 	server_tokens "{{$server.ServerTokens}}";
 
-	{{if $server.Name}}
 	server_name {{$server.Name}};
-	{{end}}
 
 	status_zone {{$server.StatusZone}};
 
diff --git a/nginx-controller/nginx/templates/nginx.ingress.tmpl b/nginx-controller/nginx/templates/nginx.ingress.tmpl
index 8ac89e2ac6..089edba977 100644
--- a/nginx-controller/nginx/templates/nginx.ingress.tmpl
+++ b/nginx-controller/nginx/templates/nginx.ingress.tmpl
@@ -20,9 +20,8 @@ server {
 
 	server_tokens {{$server.ServerTokens}};
 
-	{{if $server.Name}}
 	server_name {{$server.Name}};
-	{{end}}
+	
 	{{range $proxyHideHeader := $server.ProxyHideHeaders}}
 	proxy_hide_header {{$proxyHideHeader}};{{end}}
 	{{range $proxyPassHeader := $server.ProxyPassHeaders}}