diff --git a/controllers/nginx/nginx/template.go b/controllers/nginx/nginx/template.go
index fc67cfd1c..b7ad6f418 100644
--- a/controllers/nginx/nginx/template.go
+++ b/controllers/nginx/nginx/template.go
@@ -48,10 +48,6 @@ func (ngx *Manager) loadTemplate() {
 }
 
 func (ngx *Manager) writeCfg(cfg nginxConfiguration, ingressCfg IngressConfig) (bool, error) {
-	fromMap := structs.Map(cfg)
-	toMap := structs.Map(ngx.defCfg)
-	curNginxCfg := merge(toMap, fromMap)
-
 	conf := make(map[string]interface{})
 	conf["upstreams"] = ingressCfg.Upstreams
 	conf["servers"] = ingressCfg.Servers
@@ -59,7 +55,7 @@ func (ngx *Manager) writeCfg(cfg nginxConfiguration, ingressCfg IngressConfig) (
 	conf["udpUpstreams"] = ingressCfg.UDPUpstreams
 	conf["defResolver"] = ngx.defResolver
 	conf["sslDHParam"] = ngx.sslDHParam
-	conf["cfg"] = fixKeyNames(curNginxCfg)
+	conf["cfg"] = fixKeyNames(structs.Map(cfg))
 
 	buffer := new(bytes.Buffer)
 	err := ngx.template.Execute(buffer, conf)
diff --git a/controllers/nginx/nginx/utils.go b/controllers/nginx/nginx/utils.go
index 7c8656192..c4bfa8d8c 100644
--- a/controllers/nginx/nginx/utils.go
+++ b/controllers/nginx/nginx/utils.go
@@ -59,18 +59,36 @@ func getDNSServers() []string {
 	return nameservers
 }
 
+// getConfigKeyToStructKeyMap returns a map with the ConfigMapKey as key and the StructName as value.
+func getConfigKeyToStructKeyMap() map[string]string {
+	keyMap := map[string]string{}
+	n := &nginxConfiguration{}
+	val := reflect.Indirect(reflect.ValueOf(n))
+	for i := 0; i < val.Type().NumField(); i++ {
+		fieldSt := val.Type().Field(i)
+		configMapKey := strings.Split(fieldSt.Tag.Get("structs"), ",")[0]
+		structKey := fieldSt.Name
+		keyMap[configMapKey] = structKey
+	}
+	return keyMap
+}
+
 // ReadConfig obtains the configuration defined by the user merged with the defaults.
 func (ngx *Manager) ReadConfig(config *api.ConfigMap) nginxConfiguration {
 	if len(config.Data) == 0 {
 		return newDefaultNginxCfg()
 	}
 
-	cfg := newDefaultNginxCfg()
+	cfgCM := nginxConfiguration{}
+	cfgDefault := newDefaultNginxCfg()
+
+	metadata := &mapstructure.Metadata{}
 
 	decoder, err := mapstructure.NewDecoder(&mapstructure.DecoderConfig{
 		TagName:          "structs",
-		Result:           &cfg,
+		Result:           &cfgCM,
 		WeaklyTypedInput: true,
+		Metadata:         metadata,
 	})
 
 	err = decoder.Decode(config.Data)
@@ -78,7 +96,26 @@ func (ngx *Manager) ReadConfig(config *api.ConfigMap) nginxConfiguration {
 		glog.Infof("%v", err)
 	}
 
-	return cfg
+	keyMap := getConfigKeyToStructKeyMap()
+
+	valCM := reflect.Indirect(reflect.ValueOf(cfgCM))
+
+	for _, key := range metadata.Keys {
+		fieldName, ok := keyMap[key]
+		if !ok {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		valDefault := reflect.ValueOf(&cfgDefault).Elem().FieldByName(fieldName)
+
+		fieldCM := valCM.FieldByName(fieldName)
+
+		if valDefault.IsValid() {
+			valDefault.Set(fieldCM)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return cfgDefault
 }
 
 func (ngx *Manager) needsReload(data *bytes.Buffer) (bool, error) {
@@ -143,21 +180,6 @@ func diff(b1, b2 []byte) (data []byte, err error) {
 	return
 }
 
-func merge(dst, src map[string]interface{}) map[string]interface{} {
-	for key, srcVal := range src {
-		if dstVal, ok := dst[key]; ok {
-			srcMap, srcMapOk := toMap(srcVal)
-			dstMap, dstMapOk := toMap(dstVal)
-			if srcMapOk && dstMapOk {
-				srcVal = merge(dstMap, srcMap)
-			}
-		}
-		dst[key] = srcVal
-	}
-
-	return dst
-}
-
 func toMap(iface interface{}) (map[string]interface{}, bool) {
 	value := reflect.ValueOf(iface)
 	if value.Kind() == reflect.Map {
diff --git a/controllers/nginx/nginx/utils_test.go b/controllers/nginx/nginx/utils_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fc7008a1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/controllers/nginx/nginx/utils_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2015 The Kubernetes Authors All rights reserved.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package nginx
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/api"
+)
+
+func getConfigNginxBool(data map[string]string) nginxConfiguration {
+	manager := &Manager{}
+	configMap := &api.ConfigMap{
+		Data: data,
+	}
+	return manager.ReadConfig(configMap)
+}
+
+func TestManagerReadConfigBoolFalse(t *testing.T) {
+	configNginx := getConfigNginxBool(map[string]string{
+		"hts-include-subdomains": "false",
+		"use-proxy-protocol":     "false",
+	})
+	if configNginx.HTSIncludeSubdomains {
+		t.Error("Failed to config boolean value (default true) to false")
+	}
+	if configNginx.UseProxyProtocol {
+		t.Error("Failed to config boolean value (default false) to false")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestManagerReadConfigBoolTrue(t *testing.T) {
+	configNginx := getConfigNginxBool(map[string]string{
+		"hts-include-subdomains": "true",
+		"use-proxy-protocol":     "true",
+	})
+	if !configNginx.HTSIncludeSubdomains {
+		t.Error("Failed to config boolean value (default true) to true")
+	}
+	if !configNginx.UseProxyProtocol {
+		t.Error("Failed to config boolean value (default false) to true")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestManagerReadConfigBoolNothing(t *testing.T) {
+	configNginx := getConfigNginxBool(map[string]string{
+		"invaild-key": "true",
+	})
+	if !configNginx.HTSIncludeSubdomains {
+		t.Error("Failed to get default boolean value true")
+	}
+	if configNginx.UseProxyProtocol {
+		t.Error("Failed to get default boolean value false")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestManagerReadConfigStringSet(t *testing.T) {
+	configNginx := getConfigNginxBool(map[string]string{
+		"ssl-protocols": "TLSv1.2",
+	})
+	exp := "TLSv1.2"
+	if configNginx.SSLProtocols != exp {
+		t.Error("Failed to set string value true actual='%s' expected='%s'", configNginx.SSLProtocols, exp)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestManagerReadConfigStringNothing(t *testing.T) {
+	configNginx := getConfigNginxBool(map[string]string{
+		"not-existing": "TLSv1.2",
+	})
+	exp := "10m"
+	if configNginx.SSLSessionTimeout != exp {
+		t.Error("Failed to set string value true actual='%s' expected='%s'", configNginx.SSLSessionTimeout, exp)
+	}
+}