diff --git a/build/dev-apko.sh b/build/dev-apko.sh
index ff578acef..e8a347918 100755
--- a/build/dev-apko.sh
+++ b/build/dev-apko.sh
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ if [ "${SKIP_IMAGE_CREATION:-false}" = "false" ]; then
   make build image
   docker tag "${REGISTRY}/controller:${TAG}" "${DEV_IMAGE}"
 fi
-export K8S_VERSION=${K8S_VERSION:-v1.24.2@sha256:1f0cee2282f43150b52dc7933183ed96abdcfc8d293f30ec07082495874876f1}
+export K8S_VERSION=${K8S_VERSION:-v1.25.2@sha256:9be91e9e9cdf116809841fc77ebdb8845443c4c72fe5218f3ae9eb57fdb4bace}
 
 KIND_CLUSTER_NAME="ingress-nginx-dev"
 
@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ controller:
     image: "${DEV_IMAGE}"
     tag: "${TAG}"
     digest: "${DIGEST}"
-    runAsUser: 0
   config:
     worker-processes: "1"
   podLabels:
diff --git a/distroless-build/Makefile b/distroless-build/Makefile
index 8d6accf92..ed3fedaac 100644
--- a/distroless-build/Makefile
+++ b/distroless-build/Makefile
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ IMAGE ?= $(REGISTRY)/controller
 ARCH := $(shell uname -m)
 MELANGE_DIR ?= melange
 APKO_DIR ?= apko
-MELANGE ?= docker run --rm --privileged -v "${PWD}":/work distroless.dev/melange:latest
-MELANGE_DETACHED ?= docker run -d --rm --privileged -v "${PWD}":/work distroless.dev/melange:latest
-APKO ?= docker run --rm -v "${PWD}":/work distroless.dev/apko:latest
+MELANGE ?= docker run --rm --privileged -w /work -v "${PWD}":/work distroless.dev/melange:latest
+MELANGE_DETACHED ?= docker run -d -w /work --rm --privileged -v "${PWD}":/work distroless.dev/melange:latest
+APKO ?= docker run --rm -w /work -v "${PWD}":/work ko.local:38f15a95ae791cd5deab7d054cb3c15129cedb25a2e30d0308a5f6c63c9865e3
 KEY ?= melange.rsa
 REPO ?= packages
 TEMPLATE ?= melange/nginx-templates.json
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ MELANGE_INGRESS_OPT ?= -k ${KEY}.pub --signing-key ${KEY} --arch ${ARCHS} --empt
 APKO_OPTS ?= -k ${KEY}.pub --debug --use-docker-mediatypes --sbom=false --build-arch ${ARCHS} ${APKO_DIR}/${FILE}.yaml
 KEY ?= melange.rsa
 REPO ?= $(shell pwd)/packages
-ARCHS?="amd64,arm64,arm/v6,arm/v7,s390x"
+ARCHS ?="amd64,arm64,arm/v6,arm/v7,s390x"
 
 define build-package
 	docker run $(2) --rm --privileged -v "${PWD}":/work distroless.dev/melange:latest build ${MELANGE_DIR}/$(1).yaml ${MELANGE_OPTS} --template '$(shell cat ${TEMPLATE})'
diff --git a/distroless-build/apko/ingress-debug.yaml b/distroless-build/apko/ingress-debug.yaml
index 22785b2b0..0193e0972 100644
--- a/distroless-build/apko/ingress-debug.yaml
+++ b/distroless-build/apko/ingress-debug.yaml
@@ -39,7 +39,13 @@ contents:
     - lua-resty-string@local
     - lua-resty-upload@local
 accounts:
-  run-as: root
+  groups:
+    - groupname: www-data
+      gid: 101
+  users:
+    - username: www-data
+      uid: 101
+  run-as: www-data
 
 annotations:
   org.opencontainers.image.title: "NGINX Ingress Controller for Kubernetes"
@@ -60,7 +66,16 @@ work-dir:  /etc/nginx
 
 
 paths:
-  - path:  /usr/bin/nginx
+  - path: /tmp/nginx/client-body
+    type: empty-file
+    permissions: 0o777
+    recursive: true
+  - path: /nginx-ingress-controller
+    type: capabilities
+    capabilities:
+      - cap_net_bind_service=+ep
+    permissions: 0o777
+  - path: /usr/bin/nginx
     type: hardlink
     source: /usr/local/nginx/sbin/nginx
     permissions: 0o777
diff --git a/distroless-build/apko/ingress.yaml b/distroless-build/apko/ingress.yaml
index 49ebf3bd1..b0da99d07 100644
--- a/distroless-build/apko/ingress.yaml
+++ b/distroless-build/apko/ingress.yaml
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ accounts:
   users:
     - username: www-data
       uid: 101
-  run-as: root
+  run-as: www-data
 
 annotations:
   org.opencontainers.image.title: "NGINX Ingress Controller for Kubernetes"
diff --git a/distroless-build/melange/ingress-nginx-controller.yaml b/distroless-build/melange/ingress.yaml
similarity index 100%
rename from distroless-build/melange/ingress-nginx-controller.yaml
rename to distroless-build/melange/ingress.yaml
diff --git a/distroless-build/melange/nginx-templates.json b/distroless-build/melange/nginx-templates.json
index 1672e5c46..4b9db0fb0 100644
--- a/distroless-build/melange/nginx-templates.json
+++ b/distroless-build/melange/nginx-templates.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  "INGRESS_NGINX_VERSION": "main",
+  "INGRESS_NGINX_VERSION": "debug",
   "PKG": "k8s.io/ingress-nginx",
   "TAG": "main",
   "COMMIT_SHA": "cee95b50a",
diff --git a/internal/net/net.go b/internal/net/net.go
index 712262f3a..4bb169295 100644
--- a/internal/net/net.go
+++ b/internal/net/net.go
@@ -17,8 +17,12 @@ limitations under the License.
 package net
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
+	"kernel.org/pub/linux/libs/security/libcap/cap"
 	_net "net"
+	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 )
 
@@ -59,3 +63,32 @@ func IsIPv6Enabled() bool {
 
 	return false
 }
+
+// CheckCapNetBind checks if cap_net_bind_service is set for ingress
+func CheckCapNetBind() error {
+	processID := os.Getpid()
+	set, err := cap.GetPID(processID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	klog.InfoS("ingress-nginx capability set %v", set.String())
+
+	//check effective
+	// Value 10 = NET_BIND_SERVICE
+	effective, err := set.GetFlag(0, 10)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	//check permitted
+	permitted, err := set.GetFlag(1, 10)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	klog.InfoS("ingress-nginx capabilities: permitted %v effective %v", permitted, effective)
+	if !permitted && !effective {
+		return errors.New(fmt.Sprintf("ingress-nginx capabilities: permitted %v effective %v", permitted, effective))
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/flags/flags.go b/pkg/flags/flags.go
index 370510380..7a9d186c5 100644
--- a/pkg/flags/flags.go
+++ b/pkg/flags/flags.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/ingress-nginx/internal/ingress/status"
 	ing_net "k8s.io/ingress-nginx/internal/net"
 	"k8s.io/ingress-nginx/internal/nginx"
-	klog "k8s.io/klog/v2"
+	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
 )
 
 // TODO: We should split the flags functions between common for all programs
@@ -254,6 +254,13 @@ https://blog.maxmind.com/2019/12/18/significant-changes-to-accessing-and-using-g
 
 	parser.AnnotationsPrefix = *annotationsPrefix
 
+	//Check if ingress-nginx controller has cap_net_bind_service privileges
+	klog.InfoS("Ingress-nginx http port %v, https port %v", *httpPort, *httpsPort)
+	if *httpPort == 80 || *httpsPort == 443 {
+		klog.InfoS("Checking Ingress-nginx Capabilities, http port %v, https port %v", *httpPort, *httpsPort)
+		return false, nil, ing_net.CheckCapNetBind()
+	}
+
 	// check port collisions
 	if !ing_net.IsPortAvailable(*httpPort) {
 		return false, nil, fmt.Errorf("port %v is already in use. Please check the flag --http-port", *httpPort)