diff --git a/internal/ingress/controller/config/config.go b/internal/ingress/controller/config/config.go
index 30d30f3f7..49230013b 100644
--- a/internal/ingress/controller/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/ingress/controller/config/config.go
@@ -87,11 +87,6 @@ const (
 	// Parameters for a shared memory zone that will keep states for various keys.
 	// http://nginx.org/en/docs/http/ngx_http_limit_conn_module.html#limit_conn_zone
 	defaultLimitConnZoneVariable = "$binary_remote_addr"
-
-	// Default sentinel value for Configuration.DatadogSampleRate, indicating
-	// that the Datadog tracer should consult the Datadog Agent for sampling
-	// rates rather than use a configured value.
-	DatadogDynamicSampleRate = -1.0
 )
 
 // Configuration represents the content of nginx.conf file
@@ -713,7 +708,7 @@ type Configuration struct {
 
 	// DatadogSampleRate specifies sample rate for any traces created.
 	// Default: use a dynamic rate instead
-	DatadogSampleRate float32 `json:"datadog-sample-rate"`
+	DatadogSampleRate *float32 `json:"datadog-sample-rate",omitempty`
 
 	// MainSnippet adds custom configuration to the main section of the nginx configuration
 	MainSnippet string `json:"main-snippet"`
@@ -999,7 +994,7 @@ func NewDefault() Configuration {
 		DatadogEnvironment:                     "prod",
 		DatadogCollectorPort:                   8126,
 		DatadogOperationNameOverride:           "nginx.handle",
-		DatadogSampleRate:                      DatadogDynamicSampleRate,
+		DatadogSampleRate:                      nil,
 		LimitReqStatusCode:                     503,
 		LimitConnStatusCode:                    503,
 		SyslogPort:                             514,
diff --git a/internal/ingress/controller/nginx.go b/internal/ingress/controller/nginx.go
index 41903fb0a..c797eb122 100644
--- a/internal/ingress/controller/nginx.go
+++ b/internal/ingress/controller/nginx.go
@@ -1083,12 +1083,11 @@ func datadogOpentracingCfg(cfg ngx_config.Configuration) (string, error) {
 		"operation_name_override": cfg.DatadogOperationNameOverride,
 	}
 
-	// Omit "sample_rate" if the configuration's sample rate is set to the
-	// default sentinel value DatadogDynamicSampleRate (-1).
+	// Omit "sample_rate" if the configuration's sample rate is unset (nil).
 	// Omitting "sample_rate" from the plugin JSON indicates to the tracer that
 	// it should use dynamic rates instead of a configured rate.
-	if cfg.DatadogSampleRate != ngx_config.DatadogDynamicSampleRate {
-		jsn["sample_rate"] = cfg.DatadogSampleRate
+	if cfg.DatadogSampleRate != nil {
+		jsn["sample_rate"] = *cfg.DatadogSampleRate
 	}
 
 	jsnBytes, err := json.Marshal(jsn)