diff --git a/internal/ingress/annotations/class/main.go b/internal/ingress/annotations/class/main.go
index 812c63d91..6b5a6d06c 100644
--- a/internal/ingress/annotations/class/main.go
+++ b/internal/ingress/annotations/class/main.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ var (
 	// IngressClass sets the runtime ingress class to use
 	// An empty string means accept all ingresses without
 	// annotation and the ones configured with class nginx
-	IngressClass = ""
+	IngressClass = "nginx"
 )
 
 // IsValid returns true if the given Ingress either doesn't specify
diff --git a/internal/ingress/annotations/class/main_test.go b/internal/ingress/annotations/class/main_test.go
index bb8d2db65..8b85e3192 100644
--- a/internal/ingress/annotations/class/main_test.go
+++ b/internal/ingress/annotations/class/main_test.go
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ func TestIsValidClass(t *testing.T) {
 		{"nginx", "nginx", "nginx", true},
 		{"custom", "custom", "nginx", true},
 		{"", "killer", "nginx", false},
-		{"", "", "nginx", true},
 		{"custom", "nginx", "nginx", false},
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/ingress/controller/listers.go b/internal/ingress/controller/listers.go
index 568158c98..f3edc2f4b 100644
--- a/internal/ingress/controller/listers.go
+++ b/internal/ingress/controller/listers.go
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ import (
 
 	"k8s.io/ingress-nginx/internal/ingress"
 	"k8s.io/ingress-nginx/internal/ingress/annotations/class"
-	"k8s.io/ingress-nginx/internal/ingress/annotations/parser"
 )
 
 type cacheController struct {
@@ -66,7 +65,7 @@ func (n *NGINXController) createListers(stopCh chan struct{}) (*ingress.StoreLis
 		AddFunc: func(obj interface{}) {
 			addIng := obj.(*extensions.Ingress)
 			if !class.IsValid(addIng) {
-				a, _ := parser.GetStringAnnotation(class.IngressKey, addIng)
+				a := addIng.GetAnnotations()[class.IngressKey]
 				glog.Infof("ignoring add for ingress %v based on annotation %v with value %v", addIng.Name, class.IngressKey, a)
 				return
 			}
@@ -103,11 +102,13 @@ func (n *NGINXController) createListers(stopCh chan struct{}) (*ingress.StoreLis
 			curIng := cur.(*extensions.Ingress)
 			validOld := class.IsValid(oldIng)
 			validCur := class.IsValid(curIng)
+
+			c := curIng.GetAnnotations()[class.IngressKey]
 			if !validOld && validCur {
-				glog.Infof("creating ingress %v based on annotation %v", curIng.Name, class.IngressKey)
+				glog.Infof("creating ingress %v/%v based on annotation %v with value '%v'", curIng.Namespace, curIng.Name, class.IngressKey, c)
 				n.recorder.Eventf(curIng, apiv1.EventTypeNormal, "CREATE", fmt.Sprintf("Ingress %s/%s", curIng.Namespace, curIng.Name))
 			} else if validOld && !validCur {
-				glog.Infof("removing ingress %v based on annotation %v", curIng.Name, class.IngressKey)
+				glog.Infof("removing ingress %v/%v based on annotation %v with value '%v'", curIng.Namespace, curIng.Name, class.IngressKey, c)
 				n.recorder.Eventf(curIng, apiv1.EventTypeNormal, "DELETE", fmt.Sprintf("Ingress %s/%s", curIng.Namespace, curIng.Name))
 			} else if validCur && !reflect.DeepEqual(old, cur) {
 				n.recorder.Eventf(curIng, apiv1.EventTypeNormal, "UPDATE", fmt.Sprintf("Ingress %s/%s", curIng.Namespace, curIng.Name))
diff --git a/internal/ingress/controller/nginx.go b/internal/ingress/controller/nginx.go
index ab0533a40..1798c733c 100644
--- a/internal/ingress/controller/nginx.go
+++ b/internal/ingress/controller/nginx.go
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/ingress-nginx/internal/ingress"
 	"k8s.io/ingress-nginx/internal/ingress/annotations"
 	"k8s.io/ingress-nginx/internal/ingress/annotations/class"
-	"k8s.io/ingress-nginx/internal/ingress/annotations/parser"
 	ngx_config "k8s.io/ingress-nginx/internal/ingress/controller/config"
 	"k8s.io/ingress-nginx/internal/ingress/controller/process"
 	ngx_template "k8s.io/ingress-nginx/internal/ingress/controller/template"
@@ -258,7 +257,7 @@ func (n *NGINXController) Start() {
 		ing := obj.(*extensions.Ingress)
 
 		if !class.IsValid(ing) {
-			a, _ := parser.GetStringAnnotation(class.IngressKey, ing)
+			a := ing.GetAnnotations()[class.IngressKey]
 			glog.Infof("ignoring add for ingress %v based on annotation %v with value %v", ing.Name, class.IngressKey, a)
 			continue
 		}