diff --git a/internal/ingress/controller/checker.go b/internal/ingress/controller/checker.go
index d1bf19ddf..2a9245fc6 100644
--- a/internal/ingress/controller/checker.go
+++ b/internal/ingress/controller/checker.go
@@ -69,5 +69,14 @@ func (n *NGINXController) Check(_ *http.Request) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("dynamic load balancer not started")
 	}
 
+	statusCode, _, err = nginx.NewGetHealthzRequest(n.cfg.ListenPorts.HTTP, "/healthz")
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("checking if default http port is responding: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if statusCode != 200 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("default nginx http port not responding")
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/ingress/controller/checker_test.go b/internal/ingress/controller/checker_test.go
index a8a0b67ad..13e238d3d 100644
--- a/internal/ingress/controller/checker_test.go
+++ b/internal/ingress/controller/checker_test.go
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ func TestNginxCheck(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Run(testName, func(t *testing.T) {
 			mux := http.NewServeMux()
 
+			// Status server
 			listener, err := tryListen("tcp", fmt.Sprintf(":%v", nginx.StatusPort))
 			if err != nil {
 				t.Fatalf("creating tcp listener: %s", err)
@@ -64,10 +65,31 @@ func TestNginxCheck(t *testing.T) {
 
 			n := &NGINXController{
 				cfg: &Configuration{
-					ListenPorts: &ngx_config.ListenPorts{},
+					ListenPorts: &ngx_config.ListenPorts{
+						HTTP: 80,
+					},
 				},
 			}
 
+			// http server
+			httpListener, err := tryListen("tcp", fmt.Sprintf(":%v", n.cfg.ListenPorts.HTTP))
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("creating tcp listener: %s", err)
+			}
+			defer httpListener.Close()
+
+			httpServer := &httptest.Server{
+				Listener: httpListener,
+				Config: &http.Server{
+					Handler: http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+						w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+						fmt.Fprintf(w, "ok")
+					}),
+				},
+			}
+			defer httpServer.Close()
+			httpServer.Start()
+
 			t.Run("no pid or process", func(t *testing.T) {
 				if err := callHealthz(true, tt.healthzPath, mux); err == nil {
 					t.Error("expected an error but none returned")
diff --git a/internal/nginx/main.go b/internal/nginx/main.go
index fc586e9e8..7348f83a5 100644
--- a/internal/nginx/main.go
+++ b/internal/nginx/main.go
@@ -80,6 +80,24 @@ func NewGetStatusRequest(path string) (statusCode int, data []byte, err error) {
 	return res.StatusCode, data, nil
 }
 
+func NewGetHealthzRequest(port int, path string) (int, []byte, error) {
+	url := fmt.Sprintf("http://127.0.0.1:%v%v", port, path)
+
+	client := http.Client{}
+	res, err := client.Get(url)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, nil, err
+	}
+	defer res.Body.Close()
+
+	data, err := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, nil, err
+	}
+
+	return res.StatusCode, data, nil
+}
+
 // NewPostStatusRequest creates a new POST request to the internal NGINX status server
 func NewPostStatusRequest(path, contentType string, data interface{}) (statusCode int, body []byte, err error) {
 	url := fmt.Sprintf("http://127.0.0.1:%v%v", StatusPort, path)