diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c513928e8..1138419b2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ Supported Components
     -   [cephfs-provisioner](https://github.com/kubernetes-incubator/external-storage) v2.1.0-k8s1.11
     -   [cert-manager](https://github.com/jetstack/cert-manager) v0.5.2
     -   [coredns](https://github.com/coredns/coredns) v1.2.6
-    -   [ingress-nginx](https://github.com/kubernetes/ingress-nginx) v0.20.0
+    -   [ingress-nginx](https://github.com/kubernetes/ingress-nginx) v0.21.0
 
 Note: The list of validated [docker versions](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/blob/master/CHANGELOG-1.12.md) was updated to 1.11.1, 1.12.1, 1.13.1, 17.03, 17.06, 17.09, 18.06. The kubelet might break on docker's non-standard version numbering (it no longer uses semantic versioning). To ensure auto-updates don't break your cluster look into e.g. yum versionlock plugin or apt pin).
 
diff --git a/roles/download/defaults/main.yml b/roles/download/defaults/main.yml
index 0f6b8b38c..dc96c2908 100644
--- a/roles/download/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/download/defaults/main.yml
@@ -208,9 +208,7 @@ local_volume_provisioner_image_tag: "v2.1.0"
 cephfs_provisioner_image_repo: "quay.io/external_storage/cephfs-provisioner"
 cephfs_provisioner_image_tag: "v2.1.0-k8s1.11"
 ingress_nginx_controller_image_repo: "quay.io/kubernetes-ingress-controller/nginx-ingress-controller"
-ingress_nginx_controller_image_tag: "0.20.0"
-ingress_nginx_default_backend_image_repo: "k8s.gcr.io/defaultbackend-amd64"
-ingress_nginx_default_backend_image_tag: "1.5"
+ingress_nginx_controller_image_tag: "0.21.0"
 cert_manager_version: "v0.5.2"
 cert_manager_controller_image_repo: "quay.io/jetstack/cert-manager-controller"
 cert_manager_controller_image_tag: "{{ cert_manager_version }}"
@@ -602,15 +600,6 @@ downloads:
     groups:
       - kube-node
 
-  ingress_nginx_default_backend:
-    enabled: "{{ ingress_nginx_enabled }}"
-    container: true
-    repo: "{{ ingress_nginx_default_backend_image_repo }}"
-    tag: "{{ ingress_nginx_default_backend_image_tag }}"
-    sha256: "{{ ingress_nginx_default_backend_digest_checksum|default(None) }}"
-    groups:
-      - kube-node
-
   cert_manager_controller:
     enabled: "{{ cert_manager_enabled }}"
     container: true
diff --git a/roles/kubernetes-apps/ingress_controller/ingress_nginx/tasks/main.yml b/roles/kubernetes-apps/ingress_controller/ingress_nginx/tasks/main.yml
index 8db7d2972..c3c5d9c17 100644
--- a/roles/kubernetes-apps/ingress_controller/ingress_nginx/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/kubernetes-apps/ingress_controller/ingress_nginx/tasks/main.yml
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@
   set_fact:
     ingress_nginx_templates:
       - { name: 00-namespace, file: 00-namespace.yml, type: ns }
-      - { name: deploy-default-backend, file: deploy-default-backend.yml, type: deploy }
       - { name: svc-default-backend, file: svc-default-backend.yml, type: svc }
       - { name: cm-ingress-nginx, file: cm-ingress-nginx.yml, type: cm }
       - { name: cm-tcp-services, file: cm-tcp-services.yml, type: cm }
diff --git a/roles/kubernetes-apps/ingress_controller/ingress_nginx/templates/deploy-default-backend.yml.j2 b/roles/kubernetes-apps/ingress_controller/ingress_nginx/templates/deploy-default-backend.yml.j2
deleted file mode 100644
index 679ad9ca2..000000000
--- a/roles/kubernetes-apps/ingress_controller/ingress_nginx/templates/deploy-default-backend.yml.j2
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,49 +0,0 @@
----
-apiVersion: apps/v1
-kind: Deployment
-metadata:
-  name: default-backend
-  namespace: {{ ingress_nginx_namespace }}
-  labels:
-    app.kubernetes.io/name: default-backend
-    app.kubernetes.io/part-of: ingress-nginx
-spec:
-  replicas: 1
-  selector:
-    matchLabels:
-      app.kubernetes.io/name: default-backend
-      app.kubernetes.io/part-of: ingress-nginx
-  template:
-    metadata:
-      labels:
-        app.kubernetes.io/name: default-backend
-        app.kubernetes.io/part-of: ingress-nginx
-    spec:
-{% if kube_version is version('v1.11.1', '>=') %}
-      priorityClassName: {% if ingress_nginx_namespace == 'kube-system' %}system-cluster-critical{% else %}k8s-cluster-critical{% endif %}{{''}}
-{% endif %}
-      terminationGracePeriodSeconds: 60
-      containers:
-        - name: default-backend
-          # Any image is permissible as long as:
-          # 1. It serves a 404 page at /
-          # 2. It serves 200 on a /healthz endpoint
-          image: {{ ingress_nginx_default_backend_image_repo }}:{{ ingress_nginx_default_backend_image_tag }}
-          livenessProbe:
-            httpGet:
-              path: /healthz
-              port: 8080
-              scheme: HTTP
-            initialDelaySeconds: 30
-            timeoutSeconds: 5
-          ports:
-            - containerPort: 8080
-          resources:
-            limits:
-              cpu: 10m
-              memory: 20Mi
-            requests:
-              cpu: 10m
-              memory: 20Mi
-      nodeSelector:
-        beta.kubernetes.io/os: linux
diff --git a/roles/kubernetes-apps/ingress_controller/ingress_nginx/templates/ds-ingress-nginx-controller.yml.j2 b/roles/kubernetes-apps/ingress_controller/ingress_nginx/templates/ds-ingress-nginx-controller.yml.j2
index 617a6df93..e6a512935 100644
--- a/roles/kubernetes-apps/ingress_controller/ingress_nginx/templates/ds-ingress-nginx-controller.yml.j2
+++ b/roles/kubernetes-apps/ingress_controller/ingress_nginx/templates/ds-ingress-nginx-controller.yml.j2
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ spec:
           imagePullPolicy: {{ k8s_image_pull_policy }}
           args:
             - /nginx-ingress-controller
-            - --default-backend-service=$(POD_NAMESPACE)/default-backend
             - --configmap=$(POD_NAMESPACE)/ingress-nginx
             - --tcp-services-configmap=$(POD_NAMESPACE)/tcp-services
             - --udp-services-configmap=$(POD_NAMESPACE)/udp-services