diff --git a/pkg/ingress/apisix_upstream.go b/pkg/ingress/apisix_upstream.go
index 790ca33654..3a1aab2711 100644
--- a/pkg/ingress/apisix_upstream.go
+++ b/pkg/ingress/apisix_upstream.go
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ func (c *apisixUpstreamController) sync(ctx context.Context, ev *types.Event) er
 	}
 
 	var portLevelSettings map[int32]*configv2beta3.ApisixUpstreamConfig
-	if len(au.Spec.PortLevelSettings) > 0 {
+	if au.Spec != nil && len(au.Spec.PortLevelSettings) > 0 {
 		portLevelSettings = make(map[int32]*configv2beta3.ApisixUpstreamConfig, len(au.Spec.PortLevelSettings))
 		for _, port := range au.Spec.PortLevelSettings {
 			portLevelSettings[port.Port] = &port.ApisixUpstreamConfig
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ func (c *apisixUpstreamController) sync(ctx context.Context, ev *types.Event) er
 
 	var subsets []configv2beta3.ApisixUpstreamSubset
 	subsets = append(subsets, configv2beta3.ApisixUpstreamSubset{})
-	if len(au.Spec.Subsets) > 0 {
+	if au.Spec != nil && len(au.Spec.Subsets) > 0 {
 		subsets = append(subsets, au.Spec.Subsets...)
 	}
 	clusterName := c.controller.cfg.APISIX.DefaultClusterName
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ func (c *apisixUpstreamController) sync(ctx context.Context, ev *types.Event) er
 				return err
 			}
 			var newUps *apisixv1.Upstream
-			if ev.Type != types.EventDelete {
+			if au.Spec != nil && ev.Type != types.EventDelete {
 				cfg, ok := portLevelSettings[port.Port]
 				if !ok {
 					cfg = &au.Spec.ApisixUpstreamConfig
diff --git a/pkg/ingress/controller.go b/pkg/ingress/controller.go
index dc44239858..917fd6188b 100644
--- a/pkg/ingress/controller.go
+++ b/pkg/ingress/controller.go
@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@ func (c *Controller) syncEndpoint(ctx context.Context, ep kube.Endpoint) error {
 			log.Errorf("failed to get ApisixUpstream %s/%s: %s", ep.Namespace(), svcName, err)
 			return err
 		}
-	} else if len(au.Spec.Subsets) > 0 {
+	} else if au.Spec != nil && len(au.Spec.Subsets) > 0 {
 		subsets = append(subsets, au.Spec.Subsets...)
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/kube/translation/translator.go b/pkg/kube/translation/translator.go
index 8d48bbcb2e..a4d2ad5d1b 100644
--- a/pkg/kube/translation/translator.go
+++ b/pkg/kube/translation/translator.go
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ func (t *translator) TranslateUpstream(namespace, name, subset string, port int3
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	if au == nil {
+	if au == nil || au.Spec == nil {
 		ups.Nodes = nodes
 		return ups, nil
 	}