diff --git a/provider/ecs/config.go b/provider/ecs/config.go
index 8bb1aa234..df28c315d 100644
--- a/provider/ecs/config.go
+++ b/provider/ecs/config.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ func (p *Provider) buildConfiguration(services map[string][]ecsInstance) (*types
 		"filterFrontends":         filterFrontends,
 		"getFrontendRule":         p.getFrontendRule,
 		"getBasicAuth":            getFuncSliceString(label.TraefikFrontendAuthBasic),
+		"hasLoadBalancerLabel":    hasLoadBalancerLabel,
 		"getLoadBalancerMethod":   getFuncFirstStringValue(label.TraefikBackendLoadBalancerMethod, label.DefaultBackendLoadBalancerMethod),
 		"getSticky":               getSticky,
 		"hasStickinessLabel":      getFuncFirstBoolValue(label.TraefikBackendLoadBalancerStickiness, false),
@@ -77,6 +78,15 @@ func filterFrontends(instances []ecsInstance) []ecsInstance {
 	}, instances).([]ecsInstance)
 }
 
+func hasLoadBalancerLabel(instances []ecsInstance) bool {
+	method := hasFirst(instances, label.TraefikBackendLoadBalancerMethod)
+	sticky := hasFirst(instances, label.TraefikBackendLoadBalancerSticky)
+	stickiness := hasFirst(instances, label.TraefikBackendLoadBalancerStickiness)
+	cookieName := hasFirst(instances, label.TraefikBackendLoadBalancerStickinessCookieName)
+
+	return method || sticky || stickiness || cookieName
+}
+
 // Label functions
 
 func getFuncStringValue(labelName string, defaultValue string) func(i ecsInstance) string {
diff --git a/provider/ecs/config_test.go b/provider/ecs/config_test.go
index da663c553..24d14c5d8 100644
--- a/provider/ecs/config_test.go
+++ b/provider/ecs/config_test.go
@@ -105,9 +105,6 @@ func TestBuildConfiguration(t *testing.T) {
 						},
 					},
 					"backend-testing": {
-						LoadBalancer: &types.LoadBalancer{
-							Method: "wrr",
-						},
 						HealthCheck: &types.HealthCheck{
 							Path:     "/health",
 							Interval: "1s",
diff --git a/templates/ecs.tmpl b/templates/ecs.tmpl
index 7bf03b3de..371046b8c 100644
--- a/templates/ecs.tmpl
+++ b/templates/ecs.tmpl
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 [backends]
 {{range $serviceName, $instances := .Services}}
 
+  {{if hasLoadBalancerLabel $instances}}
   [backends.backend-{{ $serviceName }}.loadBalancer]
     method = "{{ getLoadBalancerMethod $instances}}"
     sticky = {{ getSticky $instances}}
@@ -8,6 +9,7 @@
     [backends.backend-{{ $serviceName }}.loadBalancer.stickiness]
       cookieName = "{{getStickinessCookieName $instances}}"
     {{end}}
+  {{end}}
 
   {{ if hasHealthCheckLabels $instances }}
   [backends.backend-{{ $serviceName }}.healthCheck]