diff --git a/controllers/nginx/main.go b/controllers/nginx/main.go
index 4a3808167..1278a4a75 100644
--- a/controllers/nginx/main.go
+++ b/controllers/nginx/main.go
@@ -56,10 +56,6 @@ var (
 	nxgConfigMap = flags.String("nginx-configmap", "",
 		`Name of the ConfigMap that containes the custom nginx configuration to use`)
 
-	inCluster = flags.Bool("running-in-cluster", true,
-		`Optional, if this controller is running in a kubernetes cluster, use the
-		 pod secrets for creating a Kubernetes client.`)
-
 	tcpConfigMapName = flags.String("tcp-services-configmap", "",
 		`Name of the ConfigMap that containes the definition of the TCP services to expose.
 		The key in the map indicates the external port to be used. The value is the name of the
@@ -91,7 +87,6 @@ var (
 )
 
 func main() {
-	var kubeClient *unversioned.Client
 	flags.AddGoFlagSet(flag.CommandLine)
 	flags.Parse(os.Args)
 	clientConfig := kubectl_util.DefaultClientConfig(flags)
@@ -107,26 +102,20 @@ func main() {
 		glog.Fatalf("Please specify --default-backend-service")
 	}
 
-	var err error
-	if *inCluster {
-		kubeClient, err = unversioned.NewInCluster()
-	} else {
-		config, connErr := clientConfig.ClientConfig()
-		if connErr != nil {
-			glog.Fatalf("error connecting to the client: %v", err)
-		}
-		kubeClient, err = unversioned.New(config)
+	config, err := clientConfig.ClientConfig()
+	if err != nil {
+		glog.Fatalf("error connecting to the client: %v", err)
 	}
+	kubeClient, err := unversioned.New(config)
+
 	if err != nil {
 		glog.Fatalf("failed to create client: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	runtimePodInfo := &podInfo{NodeIP: "127.0.0.1"}
-	if *inCluster {
-		runtimePodInfo, err = getPodDetails(kubeClient)
-		if err != nil {
-			glog.Fatalf("unexpected error getting runtime information: %v", err)
-		}
+	runtimePodInfo, err := getPodDetails(kubeClient)
+	if err != nil {
+		runtimePodInfo = &podInfo{NodeIP: "127.0.0.1"}
+		glog.Warningf("unexpected error getting runtime information: %v", err)
 	}
 	if err := isValidService(kubeClient, *defaultSvc); err != nil {
 		glog.Fatalf("no service with name %v found: %v", *defaultSvc, err)
diff --git a/controllers/nginx/nginx/utils.go b/controllers/nginx/nginx/utils.go
index dea89f385..fa18be392 100644
--- a/controllers/nginx/nginx/utils.go
+++ b/controllers/nginx/nginx/utils.go
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ func diff(b1, b2 []byte) (data []byte, err error) {
 func sysctlSomaxconn() int {
 	maxConns, err := sysctl.GetSysctl("net/core/somaxconn")
 	if err != nil || maxConns < 512 {
-		glog.Warningf("system net.core.somaxconn=%v. Using NGINX default (511)", maxConns)
+		glog.V(3).Infof("system net.core.somaxconn=%v. Using NGINX default (511)", maxConns)
 		return 511
 	}
 
diff --git a/controllers/nginx/utils.go b/controllers/nginx/utils.go
index bf696e721..491e30539 100644
--- a/controllers/nginx/utils.go
+++ b/controllers/nginx/utils.go
@@ -119,6 +119,10 @@ func getPodDetails(kubeClient *unversioned.Client) (*podInfo, error) {
 	podName := os.Getenv("POD_NAME")
 	podNs := os.Getenv("POD_NAMESPACE")
 
+	if podName == "" && podNs == "" {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to get POD information (missing POD_NAME or POD_NAMESPACE environment variable")
+	}
+
 	err := waitForPodRunning(kubeClient, podNs, podName, time.Millisecond*200, time.Second*30)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -126,7 +130,7 @@ func getPodDetails(kubeClient *unversioned.Client) (*podInfo, error) {
 
 	pod, _ := kubeClient.Pods(podNs).Get(podName)
 	if pod == nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Unable to get POD information")
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to get POD information")
 	}
 
 	node, err := kubeClient.Nodes().Get(pod.Spec.NodeName)