diff --git a/pkg/annotations/service.go b/pkg/annotations/service.go
index 1e4a013671..be1d477904 100644
--- a/pkg/annotations/service.go
+++ b/pkg/annotations/service.go
@@ -106,8 +106,8 @@ func (svc Service) NEGEnabled() bool {
 
 var (
 	ErrBackendConfigNoneFound         = errors.New("no BackendConfig's found in annotation")
-	ErrBackendConfigInvalidJSON       = errors.New("annotation is invalid json")
-	ErrBackendConfigAnnotationMissing = errors.New("annotation is missing")
+	ErrBackendConfigInvalidJSON       = errors.New("BackendConfig annotation is invalid json")
+	ErrBackendConfigAnnotationMissing = errors.New("BackendConfig annotation is missing")
 )
 
 type BackendConfigs struct {
diff --git a/pkg/backendconfig/backendconfig.go b/pkg/backendconfig/backendconfig.go
index 76b549f3f0..47077186e0 100644
--- a/pkg/backendconfig/backendconfig.go
+++ b/pkg/backendconfig/backendconfig.go
@@ -62,7 +62,11 @@ func GetServicesForBackendConfig(svcLister cache.Store, backendConfig *backendco
 		}
 		backendConfigNames, err := annotations.FromService(svc).GetBackendConfigs()
 		if err != nil {
-			glog.Errorf("Failed to get BackendConfig names from service %s/%s: %v", svc.Namespace, svc.Name, err)
+			// If the user did not provide the annotation at all, then we
+			// do not want to log an error.
+			if err != annotations.ErrBackendConfigAnnotationMissing {
+				glog.Errorf("Failed to get BackendConfig names from service %s/%s: %v", svc.Namespace, svc.Name, err)
+			}
 			continue
 		}
 		if backendConfigNames != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/controller/errors/errors.go b/pkg/controller/errors/errors.go
index bd125f0da2..32a034e3a3 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/errors/errors.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/errors/errors.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ type ErrSvcBackendConfig struct {
 
 // Error returns the port name/number, service name, and the underlying error.
 func (e ErrSvcBackendConfig) Error() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("error getting BackendConfig for port %q on service %q, err: %v", e.ServicePortID.Port, e.ServicePortID.Service, e.Err)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("error getting BackendConfig for port %q on service %q, err: %v", e.ServicePortID.Port.String(), e.ServicePortID.Service.String(), e.Err)
 }
 
 // ErrBackendConfigValidation is returned when there was an error validating a BackendConfig.
diff --git a/pkg/controller/translator/translator.go b/pkg/controller/translator/translator.go
index f6ab2b068f..3fb366e365 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/translator/translator.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/translator/translator.go
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ func (t *Translator) TranslateIngress(ing *extensions.Ingress, systemDefaultBack
 		return urlMap, errs
 	}
 
-	errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("failed to retrieve the system default backend service %q with port %q", systemDefaultBackend.Service, systemDefaultBackend.Port))
+	errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("failed to retrieve the system default backend service %q with port %q: %v", systemDefaultBackend.Service.String(), systemDefaultBackend.Port.String(), err))
 	return urlMap, errs
 }