diff --git a/internal/ingress/controller/controller.go b/internal/ingress/controller/controller.go
index d02bee72b..6f5b46cf6 100644
--- a/internal/ingress/controller/controller.go
+++ b/internal/ingress/controller/controller.go
@@ -1199,22 +1199,27 @@ func mergeAlternativeBackends(ing *ingress.Ingress, upstreams map[string]*ingres
 
 		altUps := upstreams[upsName]
 
-		merged := false
+		if altUps == nil {
+			klog.Warningf("alternative backend %s has already been removed", upsName)
+		} else {
 
-		for _, loc := range servers[defServerName].Locations {
-			priUps := upstreams[loc.Backend]
+			merged := false
 
-			if canMergeBackend(priUps, altUps) {
-				klog.V(2).Infof("matching backend %v found for alternative backend %v",
-					priUps.Name, altUps.Name)
+			for _, loc := range servers[defServerName].Locations {
+				priUps := upstreams[loc.Backend]
 
-				merged = mergeAlternativeBackend(priUps, altUps)
+				if canMergeBackend(priUps, altUps) {
+					klog.V(2).Infof("matching backend %v found for alternative backend %v",
+						priUps.Name, altUps.Name)
+
+					merged = mergeAlternativeBackend(priUps, altUps)
+				}
 			}
-		}
 
-		if !merged {
-			klog.Warningf("unable to find real backend for alternative backend %v. Deleting.", altUps.Name)
-			delete(upstreams, altUps.Name)
+			if !merged {
+				klog.Warningf("unable to find real backend for alternative backend %v. Deleting.", altUps.Name)
+				delete(upstreams, altUps.Name)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -1225,7 +1230,7 @@ func mergeAlternativeBackends(ing *ingress.Ingress, upstreams map[string]*ingres
 			altUps := upstreams[upsName]
 
 			if altUps == nil {
-				klog.Errorf("alternative backend %s has already be removed", upsName)
+				klog.Warningf("alternative backend %s has already been removed", upsName)
 				continue
 			}
 
diff --git a/test/e2e/annotations/canary.go b/test/e2e/annotations/canary.go
index bcab689be..7a9a237c9 100644
--- a/test/e2e/annotations/canary.go
+++ b/test/e2e/annotations/canary.go
@@ -759,27 +759,24 @@ var _ = framework.IngressNginxDescribe("Annotations - canary", func() {
 		})
 	})
 
-	Context("Single canary Ingress with multiple paths to same backend", func() {
-		It("should work", func() {
-			host := "foo"
-			canaryIngName := fmt.Sprintf("%v-canary", host)
-			annotations := map[string]string{
-				"nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/canary":           "true",
-				"nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/canary-by-header": "CanaryByHeader",
-			}
+	It("does not crash when canary ingress has multiple paths to the same non-matching backend", func() {
+		host := "foo"
+		canaryIngName := fmt.Sprintf("%v-canary", host)
+		annotations := map[string]string{
+			"nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/canary":           "true",
+			"nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/canary-by-header": "CanaryByHeader",
+		}
 
-			paths := []string{"/foo", "/bar"}
+		paths := []string{"/foo", "/bar"}
+		ing := framework.NewSingleIngressWithMultiplePaths(canaryIngName, paths, host, f.Namespace, "httpy-svc-canary", 80, &annotations)
+		f.EnsureIngress(ing)
 
-			ing := framework.NewSingleIngressWithMultiplePaths(canaryIngName, paths, host, f.Namespace, "httpy-svc-canary", 80, &annotations)
-			f.EnsureIngress(ing)
+		ing = framework.NewSingleIngress(host, "/", host, f.Namespace, "http-svc", 80, nil)
+		f.EnsureIngress(ing)
 
-			ing = framework.NewSingleIngress(host, "/", host, f.Namespace, "http-svc", 80, nil)
-			f.EnsureIngress(ing)
-
-			f.WaitForNginxServer(host,
-				func(server string) bool {
-					return Expect(server).Should(ContainSubstring("server_name foo"))
-				})
-		})
+		f.WaitForNginxServer(host,
+			func(server string) bool {
+				return Expect(server).Should(ContainSubstring("server_name foo"))
+			})
 	})
 })