diff --git a/docs/reference/providers/kubernetes.md b/docs/reference/providers/kubernetes.md
index d89a763713..635267501b 100644
--- a/docs/reference/providers/kubernetes.md
+++ b/docs/reference/providers/kubernetes.md
@@ -578,6 +578,14 @@ The external HTTPS port of the cluster's ingress controller.
 
 Specify which namespace to deploy services to (defaults to <project name>). Note that the framework generates other namespaces as well with this name as a prefix.
 
+| Type | Required |
+| ---- | -------- |
+| `string` | No
+### `environments[].providers[].setupIngressController`
+[environments](#environments) > [providers](#environments[].providers[]) > setupIngressController
+
+Set this to `nginx` to install/enable the NGINX ingress controller.
+
 | Type | Required |
 | ---- | -------- |
 | `string` | No
@@ -643,4 +651,5 @@ environments:
         ingressHttpPort: 80
         ingressHttpsPort: 443
         namespace:
+        setupIngressController: false
 ```
diff --git a/garden-service/src/plugins/kubernetes/config.ts b/garden-service/src/plugins/kubernetes/config.ts
index be762f0477..eba89e9ce0 100644
--- a/garden-service/src/plugins/kubernetes/config.ts
+++ b/garden-service/src/plugins/kubernetes/config.ts
@@ -274,5 +274,9 @@ export const configSchema = kubernetesConfigBase
         "Specify which namespace to deploy services to (defaults to <project name>). " +
         "Note that the framework generates other namespaces as well with this name as a prefix.",
       ),
+    setupIngressController: Joi.string()
+      .allow("nginx", false, null)
+      .default(false)
+      .description("Set this to `nginx` to install/enable the NGINX ingress controller."),
     _system: Joi.any().meta({ internal: true }),
   })
diff --git a/garden-service/src/plugins/kubernetes/kubernetes.ts b/garden-service/src/plugins/kubernetes/kubernetes.ts
index acf76e99ed..2502795e17 100644
--- a/garden-service/src/plugins/kubernetes/kubernetes.ts
+++ b/garden-service/src/plugins/kubernetes/kubernetes.ts
@@ -26,10 +26,16 @@ import { ConfigurationError } from "../../exceptions"
 export const name = "kubernetes"
 
 export async function configureProvider({ projectName, config }: ConfigureProviderParams<KubernetesConfig>) {
+  config._systemServices = []
+
   if (!config.namespace) {
     config.namespace = projectName
   }
 
+  if (config.setupIngressController === "nginx") {
+    config._systemServices.push("ingress-controller", "default-backend")
+  }
+
   if (config.buildMode === "cluster-docker") {
     if (config.deploymentRegistry) {
       throw new ConfigurationError(
@@ -47,7 +53,7 @@ export async function configureProvider({ projectName, config }: ConfigureProvid
     }
 
     // Deploy build services on init
-    config._systemServices = ["docker-daemon", "docker-registry", "registry-proxy"]
+    config._systemServices.push("docker-daemon", "docker-registry", "registry-proxy")
 
   } else if (!config.deploymentRegistry) {
     throw new ConfigurationError(