diff --git a/internal/ingress/controller/store/store.go b/internal/ingress/controller/store/store.go
index f65098a21..dd18594e9 100644
--- a/internal/ingress/controller/store/store.go
+++ b/internal/ingress/controller/store/store.go
@@ -660,6 +660,24 @@ func New(
 	}
 
 	serviceHandler := cache.ResourceEventHandlerFuncs{
+		AddFunc: func(obj interface{}) {
+			svc := obj.(*corev1.Service)
+			if svc.Spec.Type == corev1.ServiceTypeExternalName {
+				updateCh.In() <- Event{
+					Type: CreateEvent,
+					Obj:  obj,
+				}
+			}
+		},
+		DeleteFunc: func(obj interface{}) {
+			svc := obj.(*corev1.Service)
+			if svc.Spec.Type == corev1.ServiceTypeExternalName {
+				updateCh.In() <- Event{
+					Type: DeleteEvent,
+					Obj:  obj,
+				}
+			}
+		},
 		UpdateFunc: func(old, cur interface{}) {
 			oldSvc := old.(*corev1.Service)
 			curSvc := cur.(*corev1.Service)
diff --git a/test/e2e/servicebackend/service_externalname.go b/test/e2e/servicebackend/service_externalname.go
index 2c33c020f..d2a921cd3 100644
--- a/test/e2e/servicebackend/service_externalname.go
+++ b/test/e2e/servicebackend/service_externalname.go
@@ -34,6 +34,27 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/ingress-nginx/test/e2e/framework"
 )
 
+func buildHTTPBinExternalNameService(f *framework.Framework, portName string) *corev1.Service {
+	return &corev1.Service{
+		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+			Name:      framework.HTTPBinService,
+			Namespace: f.Namespace,
+		},
+		Spec: corev1.ServiceSpec{
+			ExternalName: "httpbin.org",
+			Type:         corev1.ServiceTypeExternalName,
+			Ports: []corev1.ServicePort{
+				{
+					Name:       portName,
+					Port:       80,
+					TargetPort: intstr.FromInt(80),
+					Protocol:   "TCP",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+}
+
 var _ = framework.IngressNginxDescribe("[Service] Type ExternalName", func() {
 	f := framework.NewDefaultFramework("type-externalname")
 
@@ -107,24 +128,7 @@ var _ = framework.IngressNginxDescribe("[Service] Type ExternalName", func() {
 	ginkgo.It("should return 200 for service type=ExternalName with a port defined", func() {
 		host := "echo"
 
-		svc := &corev1.Service{
-			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
-				Name:      framework.HTTPBinService,
-				Namespace: f.Namespace,
-			},
-			Spec: corev1.ServiceSpec{
-				ExternalName: "httpbin.org",
-				Type:         corev1.ServiceTypeExternalName,
-				Ports: []corev1.ServicePort{
-					{
-						Name:       host,
-						Port:       80,
-						TargetPort: intstr.FromInt(80),
-						Protocol:   "TCP",
-					},
-				},
-			},
-		}
+		svc := buildHTTPBinExternalNameService(f, host)
 		f.EnsureService(svc)
 
 		annotations := map[string]string{
@@ -179,24 +183,7 @@ var _ = framework.IngressNginxDescribe("[Service] Type ExternalName", func() {
 	ginkgo.It("should return 200 for service type=ExternalName using a port name", func() {
 		host := "echo"
 
-		svc := &corev1.Service{
-			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
-				Name:      framework.HTTPBinService,
-				Namespace: f.Namespace,
-			},
-			Spec: corev1.ServiceSpec{
-				ExternalName: "httpbin.org",
-				Type:         corev1.ServiceTypeExternalName,
-				Ports: []corev1.ServicePort{
-					{
-						Name:       host,
-						Port:       80,
-						TargetPort: intstr.FromInt(80),
-						Protocol:   "TCP",
-					},
-				},
-			},
-		}
+		svc := buildHTTPBinExternalNameService(f, host)
 		f.EnsureService(svc)
 
 		annotations := map[string]string{
@@ -260,24 +247,7 @@ var _ = framework.IngressNginxDescribe("[Service] Type ExternalName", func() {
 	ginkgo.It("should update the external name after a service update", func() {
 		host := "echo"
 
-		svc := &corev1.Service{
-			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
-				Name:      framework.HTTPBinService,
-				Namespace: f.Namespace,
-			},
-			Spec: corev1.ServiceSpec{
-				ExternalName: "httpbin.org",
-				Type:         corev1.ServiceTypeExternalName,
-				Ports: []corev1.ServicePort{
-					{
-						Name:       host,
-						Port:       80,
-						TargetPort: intstr.FromInt(80),
-						Protocol:   "TCP",
-					},
-				},
-			},
-		}
+		svc := buildHTTPBinExternalNameService(f, host)
 		f.EnsureService(svc)
 
 		annotations := map[string]string{
@@ -336,4 +306,50 @@ var _ = framework.IngressNginxDescribe("[Service] Type ExternalName", func() {
 		assert.Nil(ginkgo.GinkgoT(), err)
 		assert.Contains(ginkgo.GinkgoT(), output, `{"address":"eu.httpbin.org"`)
 	})
+
+	ginkgo.It("should sync ingress on external name service addition/deletion", func() {
+		host := "echo"
+
+		// Create the Ingress first
+		ing := framework.NewSingleIngress(host, "/", host, f.Namespace, framework.HTTPBinService, 80, nil)
+		f.EnsureIngress(ing)
+
+		f.WaitForNginxServer(host,
+			func(server string) bool {
+				return strings.Contains(server, "proxy_pass http://upstream_balancer;")
+			})
+
+		// Nginx should return 503 without the underlying service being available
+		f.HTTPTestClient().
+			GET("/get").
+			WithHeader("Host", host).
+			Expect().
+			Status(http.StatusServiceUnavailable)
+
+		// Now create the service
+		svc := buildHTTPBinExternalNameService(f, host)
+		f.EnsureService(svc)
+
+		framework.Sleep()
+
+		// 503 should change to 200 OK
+		f.HTTPTestClient().
+			GET("/get").
+			WithHeader("Host", host).
+			Expect().
+			Status(http.StatusOK)
+
+		// And back to 503 after deleting the service
+
+		err := f.KubeClientSet.CoreV1().Services(f.Namespace).Delete(context.TODO(), framework.HTTPBinService, metav1.DeleteOptions{})
+		assert.Nil(ginkgo.GinkgoT(), err, "unexpected error deleting httpbin service")
+
+		framework.Sleep()
+
+		f.HTTPTestClient().
+			GET("/get").
+			WithHeader("Host", host).
+			Expect().
+			Status(http.StatusServiceUnavailable)
+	})
 })