diff --git a/deploy/crds/crd-certificates.yaml b/deploy/crds/crd-certificates.yaml
index 16fa096c9..80462702d 100644
--- a/deploy/crds/crd-certificates.yaml
+++ b/deploy/crds/crd-certificates.yaml
@@ -507,8 +507,8 @@ spec:
                     revisions exceeds this number.
 
                     If set, revisionHistoryLimit must be a value of `1` or greater.
-                    If unset (`nil`), revisions will not be garbage collected.
-                    Default value is `nil`.
+                    If set to 0, revisions will not be garbage collected.
+                    Default value is `1`.
                   type: integer
                   format: int32
                 secretName:
diff --git a/internal/apis/certmanager/types_certificate.go b/internal/apis/certmanager/types_certificate.go
index 82e0c9bbd..3b8423e07 100644
--- a/internal/apis/certmanager/types_certificate.go
+++ b/internal/apis/certmanager/types_certificate.go
@@ -252,8 +252,8 @@ type CertificateSpec struct {
 	// revisions exceeds this number.
 	//
 	// If set, revisionHistoryLimit must be a value of `1` or greater.
-	// If unset (`nil`), revisions will not be garbage collected.
-	// Default value is `nil`.
+	// If set to 0, revisions will not be garbage collected.
+	// Default value is `1`.
 	RevisionHistoryLimit *int32
 
 	// Defines extra output formats of the private key and signed certificate chain
diff --git a/pkg/controller/certificates/revisionmanager/revisionmanager_controller.go b/pkg/controller/certificates/revisionmanager/revisionmanager_controller.go
index c2d81e722..d68bb52ba 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/certificates/revisionmanager/revisionmanager_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/certificates/revisionmanager/revisionmanager_controller.go
@@ -117,9 +117,15 @@ func (c *controller) ProcessItem(ctx context.Context, key types.NamespacedName)
 
 	log = logf.WithResource(log, crt)
 
-	// If RevisionHistoryLimit is nil, don't attempt to garbage collect old
-	// CertificateRequests
+	// If RevisionHistoryLimit is nil, then default to 1
 	if crt.Spec.RevisionHistoryLimit == nil {
+		defaultRevisionHistoryLimit := int32(1)
+		crt.Spec.RevisionHistoryLimit = &defaultRevisionHistoryLimit
+	}
+
+	// If RevisionHistoryLimit is 0, don't attempt to garbage collect old
+	// CertificateRequests
+	if *crt.Spec.RevisionHistoryLimit == 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/controller/certificates/revisionmanager/revisionmanager_controller_test.go b/pkg/controller/certificates/revisionmanager/revisionmanager_controller_test.go
index 579abd60f..8b46cbd5b 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/certificates/revisionmanager/revisionmanager_controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/certificates/revisionmanager/revisionmanager_controller_test.go
@@ -81,7 +81,6 @@ func TestProcessItem(t *testing.T) {
 		"do nothing if Certificate is not in a Ready=True state": {
 			certificate: gen.CertificateFrom(baseCrt,
 				gen.SetCertificateStatusCondition(cmapi.CertificateCondition{Type: cmapi.CertificateConditionIssuing, Status: cmmeta.ConditionFalse}),
-				gen.SetCertificateRevisionHistoryLimit(1),
 			),
 			requests: []runtime.Object{
 				gen.CertificateRequestFrom(baseCR,
@@ -96,13 +95,11 @@ func TestProcessItem(t *testing.T) {
 		"do nothing if no requests exist": {
 			certificate: gen.CertificateFrom(baseCrt,
 				gen.SetCertificateStatusCondition(cmapi.CertificateCondition{Type: cmapi.CertificateConditionReady, Status: cmmeta.ConditionTrue}),
-				gen.SetCertificateRevisionHistoryLimit(1),
 			),
 		},
 		"do nothing if requests don't have or bad revisions set": {
 			certificate: gen.CertificateFrom(baseCrt,
 				gen.SetCertificateStatusCondition(cmapi.CertificateCondition{Type: cmapi.CertificateConditionReady, Status: cmmeta.ConditionTrue}),
-				gen.SetCertificateRevisionHistoryLimit(1),
 			),
 			requests: []runtime.Object{
 				gen.CertificateRequestFrom(baseCR,
@@ -117,7 +114,6 @@ func TestProcessItem(t *testing.T) {
 		"do nothing if requests aren't owned by this Certificate": {
 			certificate: gen.CertificateFrom(baseCrt,
 				gen.SetCertificateStatusCondition(cmapi.CertificateCondition{Type: cmapi.CertificateConditionReady, Status: cmmeta.ConditionTrue}),
-				gen.SetCertificateRevisionHistoryLimit(1),
 			),
 			requests: []runtime.Object{
 				gen.CertificateRequestFrom(baseCRNoOwner,
@@ -146,9 +142,10 @@ func TestProcessItem(t *testing.T) {
 				),
 			},
 		},
-		"do nothing if revision limit is not set": {
+		"do nothing if revision limit is not set to 0": {
 			certificate: gen.CertificateFrom(baseCrt,
 				gen.SetCertificateStatusCondition(cmapi.CertificateCondition{Type: cmapi.CertificateConditionReady, Status: cmmeta.ConditionTrue}),
+				gen.SetCertificateRevisionHistoryLimit(0),
 			),
 			requests: []runtime.Object{
 				gen.CertificateRequestFrom(baseCR,
@@ -161,10 +158,9 @@ func TestProcessItem(t *testing.T) {
 				),
 			},
 		},
-		"delete 1 request if limit is 1 and 2 requests exist": {
+		"delete 1 request if 2 requests exist since the default limit is 1": {
 			certificate: gen.CertificateFrom(baseCrt,
 				gen.SetCertificateStatusCondition(cmapi.CertificateCondition{Type: cmapi.CertificateConditionReady, Status: cmmeta.ConditionTrue}),
-				gen.SetCertificateRevisionHistoryLimit(1),
 			),
 			requests: []runtime.Object{
 				gen.CertificateRequestFrom(baseCR,