diff --git a/cli/ingress-controller/flags.go b/cli/ingress-controller/flags.go
index fa90ce07d3..ec2c789a6f 100644
--- a/cli/ingress-controller/flags.go
+++ b/cli/ingress-controller/flags.go
@@ -63,9 +63,10 @@ type cliConfig struct {
 	UpdateStatus           bool
 	UpdateStatusOnShutdown bool
 
-	// Rutnime behavior
-	SyncPeriod    time.Duration
-	SyncRateLimit float32
+	// Runtime behavior
+	SyncPeriod        time.Duration
+	SyncRateLimit     float32
+	EnableReverseSync bool
 
 	// k8s connection details
 	APIServerHost      string
@@ -182,6 +183,7 @@ IP/hostname when the controller is being stopped.`)
 		`Relist and confirm cloud resources this often.`)
 	flags.Float32("sync-rate-limit", 0.3,
 		`Define the sync frequency upper limit`)
+	flag.Bool("enable-reverse-sync", false, `Enable reverse checks from Kong to Kubernetes`)
 
 	// k8s connection details
 	flags.String("apiserver-host", "",
@@ -293,6 +295,7 @@ func parseFlags() (cliConfig, error) {
 	// Rutnime behavior
 	config.SyncPeriod = viper.GetDuration("sync-period")
 	config.SyncRateLimit = (float32)(viper.GetFloat64("sync-rate-limit"))
+	config.EnableReverseSync = viper.GetBool("enable-reverse-sync")
 
 	// k8s connection details
 	config.APIServerHost = viper.GetString("apiserver-host")
diff --git a/cli/ingress-controller/main.go b/cli/ingress-controller/main.go
index bbbb90690e..ccedad7fc4 100644
--- a/cli/ingress-controller/main.go
+++ b/cli/ingress-controller/main.go
@@ -69,8 +69,9 @@ func controllerConfigFromCLIConfig(cliConfig cliConfig) controller.Configuration
 			Concurrency: cliConfig.KongAdminConcurrency,
 		},
 
-		ResyncPeriod:  cliConfig.SyncPeriod,
-		SyncRateLimit: cliConfig.SyncRateLimit,
+		ResyncPeriod:      cliConfig.SyncPeriod,
+		SyncRateLimit:     cliConfig.SyncRateLimit,
+		EnableReverseSync: cliConfig.EnableReverseSync,
 
 		Namespace: cliConfig.WatchNamespace,
 
diff --git a/internal/ingress/controller/controller.go b/internal/ingress/controller/controller.go
index 54cf781721..e515a7581f 100644
--- a/internal/ingress/controller/controller.go
+++ b/internal/ingress/controller/controller.go
@@ -72,8 +72,9 @@ type Configuration struct {
 	KongConfigClient configurationClientSet.Interface
 	KnativeClient    knativeClientSet.Interface
 
-	ResyncPeriod  time.Duration
-	SyncRateLimit float32
+	ResyncPeriod      time.Duration
+	SyncRateLimit     float32
+	EnableReverseSync bool
 
 	Namespace string
 
@@ -219,7 +220,7 @@ type KongController struct {
 	// backgroundGroup tracks running background goroutines, on which we'll wait to stop in Stop.
 	backgroundGroup errgroup.Group
 
-	runningConfigHash [32]byte
+	runningConfigHash []byte
 
 	isShuttingDown uint32
 
diff --git a/internal/ingress/controller/kong.go b/internal/ingress/controller/kong.go
index 6d091e8c9d..9e808c5c5d 100644
--- a/internal/ingress/controller/kong.go
+++ b/internal/ingress/controller/kong.go
@@ -47,26 +47,39 @@ func (n *KongController) OnUpdate(state *parser.KongState) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	jsonConfig, err := json.Marshal(targetContent)
-	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err,
-			"marshaling Kong declarative configuration to JSON")
-	}
-	shaSum := sha256.Sum256(jsonConfig)
-	if reflect.DeepEqual(n.runningConfigHash, shaSum) {
-		glog.Info("no configuration change, skipping sync to Kong")
-		return nil
+	var shaSum []byte
+	// disable optimization if reverse sync is enabled
+	if !n.cfg.EnableReverseSync {
+		shaSum, err = generateSHA(targetContent)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if reflect.DeepEqual(n.runningConfigHash, shaSum) {
+			glog.Info("no configuration change, skipping sync to Kong")
+			return nil
+		}
 	}
 	if n.cfg.InMemory {
 		err = n.onUpdateInMemoryMode(targetContent)
 	} else {
 		err = n.onUpdateDBMode(targetContent)
 	}
-	if err == nil {
-		glog.Info("successfully synced configuration to Kong")
-		n.runningConfigHash = shaSum
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	n.runningConfigHash = shaSum
+	glog.Info("successfully synced configuration to Kong")
+	return nil
+}
+
+func generateSHA(targetContent *file.Content) ([]byte, error) {
+	jsonConfig, err := json.Marshal(targetContent)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrap(err,
+			"marshaling Kong declarative configuration to JSON")
 	}
-	return err
+	shaSum := sha256.Sum256(jsonConfig)
+	return shaSum[:], nil
 }
 
 func cleanUpNullsInPluginConfigs(state *file.Content) {