diff --git a/generator/ingress.go b/generator/ingress.go
index 79937f1..5f869c8 100644
--- a/generator/ingress.go
+++ b/generator/ingress.go
@@ -51,9 +51,9 @@ func NewIngress(service types.ServiceConfig, Chart *HelmChart) *Ingress {
 
 	Chart.Values[service.Name].(*Value).Ingress = &IngressValue{
 		Enabled:     mapping.Enabled,
-		Path:        mapping.Path,
+		Path:        *mapping.Path,
 		Host:        mapping.Hostname,
-		Class:       mapping.Class,
+		Class:       *mapping.Class,
 		Annotations: mapping.Annotations,
 		TLS:         TLS{Enabled: mapping.TLS.Enabled},
 	}
diff --git a/generator/katenaryfile/main.go b/generator/katenaryfile/main.go
index 98ebddc..789855d 100644
--- a/generator/katenaryfile/main.go
+++ b/generator/katenaryfile/main.go
@@ -107,6 +107,19 @@ func getLabelContent(o any, service *types.ServiceConfig, labelName string) erro
 		return err
 	}
 	val := strings.TrimSpace(string(c))
+	if labelName == labels.LabelIngress {
+		// special case, values must be set from some defaults
+		ing, err := labelStructs.IngressFrom(val)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Fatal(err)
+			return err
+		}
+		c, err := yaml.Marshal(ing)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		val = strings.TrimSpace(string(c))
+	}
 
 	service.Labels[labelName] = val
 	return nil
diff --git a/generator/labels/labelStructs/ingress.go b/generator/labels/labelStructs/ingress.go
index 5fe0e57..8f4f790 100644
--- a/generator/labels/labelStructs/ingress.go
+++ b/generator/labels/labelStructs/ingress.go
@@ -1,33 +1,43 @@
 package labelStructs
 
-import "gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
+)
 
 type TLS struct {
 	Enabled bool `yaml:"enabled" json:"enabled,omitempty"`
 }
 
 type Ingress struct {
-	Port        *int32            `yaml:"port,omitempty" jsonschema:"nullable" json:"port,omitempty"`
+	Port        *int32            `yaml:"port,omitempty" json:"port,omitempty"`
 	Annotations map[string]string `yaml:"annotations,omitempty" jsonschema:"nullable" json:"annotations,omitempty"`
 	Hostname    string            `yaml:"hostname" json:"hostname,omitempty"`
-	Path        string            `yaml:"path" json:"path,omitempty"`
-	Class       string            `yaml:"class" json:"class,omitempty" jsonschema:"default:-"`
+	Path        *string           `yaml:"path,omitempty" json:"path,omitempty"`
+	Class       *string           `yaml:"class,omitempty" json:"class,omitempty" jsonschema:"default:-"`
 	Enabled     bool              `yaml:"enabled" json:"enabled,omitempty"`
 	TLS         *TLS              `yaml:"tls,omitempty" json:"tls,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // IngressFrom creates a new Ingress from a compose service.
 func IngressFrom(data string) (*Ingress, error) {
+	strPtr := func(s string) *string {
+		return &s
+	}
 	mapping := Ingress{
 		Hostname: "",
-		Path:     "/",
+		Path:     strPtr("/"),
 		Enabled:  false,
-		Class:    "-",
+		Class:    strPtr("-"),
 		Port:     nil,
 		TLS:      &TLS{Enabled: true},
 	}
 	if err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(data), &mapping); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	if mapping.Port == nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("port is required in ingress definition")
+	}
 	return &mapping, nil
 }