diff --git a/cmd/nginx-ingress/main.go b/cmd/nginx-ingress/main.go
index df2f968942..45697b747c 100644
--- a/cmd/nginx-ingress/main.go
+++ b/cmd/nginx-ingress/main.go
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ func main() {
 	parsedFlags := os.Args[1:]
 
 	buildOS := os.Getenv("BUILD_OS")
+	controllerNamespace := os.Getenv("POD_NAMESPACE")
 
 	config, kubeClient := mustCreateConfigAndKubeClient(ctx)
 	mustValidateKubernetesVersionInfo(ctx, kubeClient)
@@ -146,6 +147,8 @@ func main() {
 
 	isWildcardEnabled := processWildcardSecret(ctx, kubeClient, nginxManager)
 
+	staticSSLPath := nginxManager.GetSecretsDir()
+
 	globalConfigurationValidator := createGlobalConfigurationValidator()
 
 	mustProcessGlobalConfiguration(ctx)
@@ -177,7 +180,7 @@ func main() {
 		EnableCertManager:              *enableCertManager,
 		DynamicSSLReload:               *enableDynamicSSLReload,
 		DynamicWeightChangesReload:     *enableDynamicWeightChangesReload,
-		StaticSSLPath:                  nginxManager.GetSecretsDir(),
+		StaticSSLPath:                  staticSSLPath,
 		NginxVersion:                   nginxVersion,
 		AppProtectBundlePath:           appProtectBundlePath,
 	}
@@ -211,8 +214,6 @@ func main() {
 		NginxVersion:                        nginxVersion,
 	})
 
-	controllerNamespace := os.Getenv("POD_NAMESPACE")
-
 	transportServerValidator := cr_validation.NewTransportServerValidator(*enableTLSPassthrough, *enableSnippets, *nginxPlus)
 	virtualServerValidator := cr_validation.NewVirtualServerValidator(
 		cr_validation.IsPlus(*nginxPlus),
diff --git a/internal/configs/version1/template_test.go b/internal/configs/version1/template_test.go
index 9097611137..5075c754d8 100644
--- a/internal/configs/version1/template_test.go
+++ b/internal/configs/version1/template_test.go
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/nginxinc/kubernetes-ingress/internal/nginx"
 )
 
+var fakeManager = nginx.NewFakeManager("/etc/nginx")
+
 func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 	v := m.Run()
 
@@ -2017,6 +2019,7 @@ var (
 	}
 
 	mainCfg = MainConfig{
+		StaticSSLPath:                      fakeManager.GetSecretsDir(),
 		DefaultHTTPListenerPort:            80,
 		DefaultHTTPSListenerPort:           443,
 		ServerNamesHashMaxSize:             "512",
@@ -2061,6 +2064,7 @@ var (
 	}
 
 	mainCfgR31 = MainConfig{
+		StaticSSLPath:            fakeManager.GetSecretsDir(),
 		DefaultHTTPListenerPort:  80,
 		DefaultHTTPSListenerPort: 443,
 		ServerNamesHashMaxSize:   "512",
@@ -2090,6 +2094,7 @@ var (
 	}
 
 	mainCfgHTTP2On = MainConfig{
+		StaticSSLPath:                      fakeManager.GetSecretsDir(),
 		DefaultHTTPListenerPort:            80,
 		DefaultHTTPSListenerPort:           443,
 		HTTP2:                              true,
@@ -2130,6 +2135,7 @@ var (
 	}
 
 	mainCfgCustomTLSPassthroughPort = MainConfig{
+		StaticSSLPath:           fakeManager.GetSecretsDir(),
 		ServerNamesHashMaxSize:  "512",
 		ServerTokens:            "off",
 		WorkerProcesses:         "auto",
@@ -2157,6 +2163,7 @@ var (
 	}
 
 	mainCfgWithoutTLSPassthrough = MainConfig{
+		StaticSSLPath:           fakeManager.GetSecretsDir(),
 		ServerNamesHashMaxSize:  "512",
 		ServerTokens:            "off",
 		WorkerProcesses:         "auto",
@@ -2184,6 +2191,7 @@ var (
 	}
 
 	mainCfgDefaultTLSPassthroughPort = MainConfig{
+		StaticSSLPath:           fakeManager.GetSecretsDir(),
 		ServerNamesHashMaxSize:  "512",
 		ServerTokens:            "off",
 		WorkerProcesses:         "auto",
@@ -2211,6 +2219,7 @@ var (
 	}
 
 	mainCfgCustomDefaultHTTPAndHTTPSListenerPorts = MainConfig{
+		StaticSSLPath:            fakeManager.GetSecretsDir(),
 		DefaultHTTPListenerPort:  8083,
 		DefaultHTTPSListenerPort: 8443,
 		ServerNamesHashMaxSize:   "512",
@@ -2238,6 +2247,7 @@ var (
 	}
 
 	mainCfgCustomDefaultHTTPListenerPort = MainConfig{
+		StaticSSLPath:            fakeManager.GetSecretsDir(),
 		DefaultHTTPListenerPort:  8083,
 		DefaultHTTPSListenerPort: 443,
 		ServerNamesHashMaxSize:   "512",
@@ -2265,6 +2275,7 @@ var (
 	}
 
 	mainCfgCustomDefaultHTTPSListenerPort = MainConfig{
+		StaticSSLPath:            fakeManager.GetSecretsDir(),
 		DefaultHTTPListenerPort:  80,
 		DefaultHTTPSListenerPort: 8443,
 		ServerNamesHashMaxSize:   "512",