diff --git a/pkg/provider/kubernetes/ingress-nginx/build.go b/pkg/provider/kubernetes/ingress-nginx/build.go
index e39e243b9..c319f5cd8 100644
--- a/pkg/provider/kubernetes/ingress-nginx/build.go
+++ b/pkg/provider/kubernetes/ingress-nginx/build.go
@@ -415,11 +415,13 @@ func (p *Provider) build(ctx context.Context, ingressClasses []*netv1.IngressCla
 						logger.Error().
 							Err(err).
 							Str("ingress", fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s rule-%d path-%d", ing.Namespace, ing.Name, ri, pi)).
-							Msg("Cannot resolve auth secret, skipping auth middleware")
-					} else {
-						loc.BasicAuth = basic
-						loc.DigestAuth = digest
+							Msg("Cannot resolve auth secret, skipping ingress")
+						// Skipping the ingress entirely when auth secret resolution fails,
+						// to match ingress-nginx behavior.
+						continue
 					}
+					loc.BasicAuth = basic
+					loc.DigestAuth = digest
 				}
 
 				// Pre-resolve custom headers ConfigMap.
diff --git a/pkg/provider/kubernetes/ingress-nginx/fixtures/ingresses/ingress-with-basicauth-secret-missing.yml b/pkg/provider/kubernetes/ingress-nginx/fixtures/ingresses/ingress-with-basicauth-secret-missing.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2c3f630a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/provider/kubernetes/ingress-nginx/fixtures/ingresses/ingress-with-basicauth-secret-missing.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+---
+kind: Ingress
+apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
+metadata:
+  name: ingress-with-basicauth-secret-missing
+  namespace: default
+  annotations:
+    nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/auth-type: "basic"
+    nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/auth-secret-type: "auth-file"
+    nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/auth-secret: "default/missing-basic-auth"
+    nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/auth-realm: "Authentication Required"
+
+spec:
+  ingressClassName: nginx
+  rules:
+    - host: whoami.localhost
+      http:
+        paths:
+          - path: /basicauth
+            pathType: Exact
+            backend:
+              service:
+                name: whoami
+                port:
+                  number: 80
diff --git a/pkg/provider/kubernetes/ingress-nginx/kubernetes_test.go b/pkg/provider/kubernetes/ingress-nginx/kubernetes_test.go
index 981246150..a594a8406 100644
--- a/pkg/provider/kubernetes/ingress-nginx/kubernetes_test.go
+++ b/pkg/provider/kubernetes/ingress-nginx/kubernetes_test.go
@@ -1329,6 +1329,37 @@ func TestLoadIngresses(t *testing.T) {
 				TLS: &dynamic.TLSConfiguration{},
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			desc: "Basic Auth with missing secret — ingress is skipped entirely",
+			paths: []string{
+				"services.yml",
+				"ingressclasses.yml",
+				"ingresses/ingress-with-basicauth-secret-missing.yml",
+			},
+			expected: &dynamic.Configuration{
+				TCP: &dynamic.TCPConfiguration{
+					Routers:  map[string]*dynamic.TCPRouter{},
+					Services: map[string]*dynamic.TCPService{},
+				},
+				HTTP: &dynamic.HTTPConfiguration{
+					Routers:     map[string]*dynamic.Router{},
+					Middlewares: map[string]*dynamic.Middleware{},
+					Services: map[string]*dynamic.Service{
+						"unavailable-service": {
+							LoadBalancer: &dynamic.ServersLoadBalancer{
+								Strategy:       "wrr",
+								PassHostHeader: ptr.To(true),
+								ResponseForwarding: &dynamic.ResponseForwarding{
+									FlushInterval: dynamic.DefaultFlushInterval,
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+					ServersTransports: map[string]*dynamic.ServersTransport{},
+				},
+				TLS: &dynamic.TLSConfiguration{},
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			desc: "Forward Auth",
 			paths: []string{