diff --git a/internal/ingress/controller/controller.go b/internal/ingress/controller/controller.go
index 2a9817d2c..306c96bc1 100644
--- a/internal/ingress/controller/controller.go
+++ b/internal/ingress/controller/controller.go
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ import (
 
 	apiv1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	extensions "k8s.io/api/extensions/v1beta1"
-	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/conversion"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/intstr"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets"
 	clientset "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes"
@@ -55,15 +54,6 @@ const (
 	rootLocation    = "/"
 )
 
-var (
-	cloner *conversion.Cloner
-)
-
-func init() {
-	cloner := conversion.NewCloner()
-	cloner.RegisterDeepCopyFunc(ingress.GetGeneratedDeepCopyFuncs)
-}
-
 // Configuration contains all the settings required by an Ingress controller
 type Configuration struct {
 	APIServerHost  string
@@ -554,17 +544,12 @@ func (n *NGINXController) getBackendServers(ingresses []*extensions.Ingress) ([]
 							if len(endps) > 0 {
 								glog.V(3).Infof("using custom default backend in server %v location %v (service %v/%v)",
 									server.Hostname, location.Path, location.DefaultBackend.Namespace, location.DefaultBackend.Name)
-								b, err := cloner.DeepCopy(upstream)
-								if err != nil {
-									glog.Errorf("unexpected error copying Upstream: %v", err)
-								} else {
-									name := fmt.Sprintf("custom-default-backend-%v", upstream.Name)
-									nb := b.(*ingress.Backend)
-									nb.Name = name
-									nb.Endpoints = endps
-									aUpstreams = append(aUpstreams, nb)
-									location.Backend = name
-								}
+								nb := upstream.DeepCopy()
+								name := fmt.Sprintf("custom-default-backend-%v", upstream.Name)
+								nb.Name = name
+								nb.Endpoints = endps
+								aUpstreams = append(aUpstreams, nb)
+								location.Backend = name
 							}
 						}
 					}