diff --git a/pkg/issuer/acme/http/pod.go b/pkg/issuer/acme/http/pod.go
index 75e703f61..11bb0f6ab 100644
--- a/pkg/issuer/acme/http/pod.go
+++ b/pkg/issuer/acme/http/pod.go
@@ -142,7 +142,9 @@ func (s *Solver) buildPod(ch *v1alpha1.Challenge) *corev1.Pod {
 	pod := s.buildDefaultPod(ch)
 
 	// Override defaults if they have changed in the pod template.
-	if ch.Spec.Solver != nil {
+	if ch.Spec.Solver != nil &&
+		ch.Spec.Solver.HTTP01 != nil &&
+		ch.Spec.Solver.HTTP01.Ingress != nil {
 		pod = s.mergePodObjectMetaWithPodTemplate(pod,
 			ch.Spec.Solver.HTTP01.Ingress.PodTemplate)
 	}
@@ -206,10 +208,18 @@ func (s *Solver) mergePodObjectMetaWithPodTemplate(pod *corev1.Pod, podTempl *v1
 		return pod
 	}
 
+	if pod.Labels == nil {
+		pod.Labels = make(map[string]string)
+	}
+
 	for k, v := range podTempl.Labels {
 		pod.Labels[k] = v
 	}
 
+	if pod.Annotations == nil {
+		pod.Annotations = make(map[string]string)
+	}
+
 	for k, v := range podTempl.Annotations {
 		pod.Annotations[k] = v
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/issuer/acme/http/pod_test.go b/pkg/issuer/acme/http/pod_test.go
index 7a1c08884..8aecc060c 100644
--- a/pkg/issuer/acme/http/pod_test.go
+++ b/pkg/issuer/acme/http/pod_test.go
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ func TestGetPodsForCertificate(t *testing.T) {
 func TestMergePodObjectMetaWithPodTemplate(t *testing.T) {
 	const createdPodKey = "createdPod"
 	tests := map[string]solverFixture{
-		"should use labels and owner references from template": {
+		"should use labels and annotations from template": {
 			Challenge: &v1alpha1.Challenge{
 				Spec: v1alpha1.ChallengeSpec{
 					DNSName: "example.com",