diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1ead4454..426c4564 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 - Added support for annotations on the PgSTAC bootstrap job via `pgstacBootstrap.jobAnnotations` in values.yaml [#381](https://github.com/developmentseed/eoapi-k8s/pull/381)
 
+### Changed
+
+- Moved to traefik for the default ingress solution [#384](https://github.com/developmentseed/eoapi-k8s/pull/384)
+
 ### Fixed
 
 - Fixed Helm template to check queryables `file` field with schema validation [#380](https://github.com/developmentseed/eoapi-k8s/pull/380)
diff --git a/charts/eoapi/README.md b/charts/eoapi/README.md
index f7ea9f21..7e2fe50e 100644
--- a/charts/eoapi/README.md
+++ b/charts/eoapi/README.md
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ apiServices:
 # Configure ingress
 ingress:
   enabled: true
-  className: "nginx"  # or "traefik"
+  className: "traefik"  # Or "nginx" for legacy setups
   host: "your-domain.com"  # Optional
 
 # Database options
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ pgstacBootstrap:
 | `postgresql.type` | Database deployment type | `postgrescluster` |
 | `postgrescluster.enabled` | Enable PostgreSQL cluster. Must be set to `false` when using external databases | `true` |
 | `ingress.enabled` | Enable ingress | `true` |
-| `ingress.className` | Ingress controller class | `nginx` |
+| `ingress.className` | Ingress controller class | `traefik` |
 | `browser.enabled` | Enable STAC Browser interface | `true` |
 | `pgstacBootstrap.enabled` | Enable database initialization | `true` |
 | `notifications.sources.pgstac` | Enable PostgreSQL notification triggers for STAC item changes | `false` |
diff --git a/charts/eoapi/profiles/core.yaml b/charts/eoapi/profiles/core.yaml
index c401ed92..5798ab29 100644
--- a/charts/eoapi/profiles/core.yaml
+++ b/charts/eoapi/profiles/core.yaml
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ observability:
 ######################
 ingress:
   enabled: true
-  className: "nginx"
+  className: "traefik"
   pathType: "Prefix"
   host: ""
   tls:
diff --git a/charts/eoapi/profiles/experimental.yaml b/charts/eoapi/profiles/experimental.yaml
index 943843d5..ef68ea2d 100644
--- a/charts/eoapi/profiles/experimental.yaml
+++ b/charts/eoapi/profiles/experimental.yaml
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ autoscaling:
 ######################
 ingress:
   enabled: true
-  className: "nginx"
+  className: "traefik"
   pathType: "Prefix"
   host: "localhost"
   tls:
diff --git a/charts/eoapi/profiles/production.yaml b/charts/eoapi/profiles/production.yaml
index 042ae4a6..ec5fa95a 100644
--- a/charts/eoapi/profiles/production.yaml
+++ b/charts/eoapi/profiles/production.yaml
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ knative:
 ######################
 ingress:
   enabled: true
-  className: "nginx"
+  className: "traefik"
   pathType: "Prefix"
   host: "eoapi.example.com"  # CHANGE THIS to your domain
   tls:
diff --git a/charts/eoapi/templates/networking/ingress-browser.yaml b/charts/eoapi/templates/networking/ingress-browser.yaml
index 35eccc23..f57f5737 100644
--- a/charts/eoapi/templates/networking/ingress-browser.yaml
+++ b/charts/eoapi/templates/networking/ingress-browser.yaml
@@ -13,17 +13,17 @@ metadata:
   labels:
     app: {{ .Release.Name }}-ingress-browser
   annotations:
-    {{- if .Values.ingress.annotations }}
-{{ toYaml .Values.ingress.annotations | indent 4 }}
-    {{- end }}
     {{- if eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}
     nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/rewrite-target: /browser/$2
     nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/use-regex: "true"
-    {{- end }}
-    # Temporary annotations for Traefik until uvicorn support real prefix in ASGI: https://github.com/encode/uvicorn/discussions/2490
-    {{- if eq .Values.ingress.className "traefik" }}
+    {{- else if eq .Values.ingress.className "traefik" }}
+    # Traefik with NGINX provider supports nginx annotations
+    nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/rewrite-target: /browser/$2
+    nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/use-regex: "true"
     traefik.ingress.kubernetes.io/router.entrypoints: web
-    traefik.ingress.kubernetes.io/router.middlewares: {{ $.Release.Namespace }}-{{ $.Release.Name }}-strip-prefix-middleware@kubernetescrd
+    {{- end }}
+    {{- if .Values.ingress.annotations }}
+{{ toYaml .Values.ingress.annotations | indent 4 }}
     {{- end }}
 spec:
   {{- if and .Values.ingress.className (semverCompare ">=1.18-0" .Capabilities.KubeVersion.GitVersion) }}
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ spec:
       http:
         paths:
           {{- if and $.Values.browser.enabled (or (not (hasKey $.Values.browser "ingress")) $.Values.browser.ingress.enabled) }}
-          - pathType: {{ if eq $.Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}ImplementationSpecific{{ else }}Prefix{{ end }}
-            path: "/browser{{ if eq $.Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}(/|$)(.*){{ end }}"
+          - pathType: {{ if or (eq $.Values.ingress.className "nginx") (eq $.Values.ingress.className "traefik") }}ImplementationSpecific{{ else }}Prefix{{ end }}
+            path: "/browser{{ if or (eq $.Values.ingress.className "nginx") (eq $.Values.ingress.className "traefik") }}(/|$)(.*){{ end }}"
             backend:
               service:
                 name: {{ .Release.Name }}-browser
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@ spec:
       http:
         paths:
           {{- if and .Values.browser.enabled (or (not (hasKey .Values.browser "ingress")) .Values.browser.ingress.enabled) }}
-          - pathType: {{ if eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}ImplementationSpecific{{ else }}Prefix{{ end }}
-            path: "/browser{{ if eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}(/|$)(.*){{ end }}"
+          - pathType: {{ if or (eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx") (eq .Values.ingress.className "traefik") }}ImplementationSpecific{{ else }}Prefix{{ end }}
+            path: "/browser{{ if or (eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx") (eq .Values.ingress.className "traefik") }}(/|$)(.*){{ end }}"
             backend:
               service:
                 name: {{ .Release.Name }}-browser
diff --git a/charts/eoapi/templates/networking/ingress.yaml b/charts/eoapi/templates/networking/ingress.yaml
index dc49bb70..b8ff3fdb 100644
--- a/charts/eoapi/templates/networking/ingress.yaml
+++ b/charts/eoapi/templates/networking/ingress.yaml
@@ -15,15 +15,15 @@ metadata:
     {{- if eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}
     nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/rewrite-target: /$2
     nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/use-regex: "true"
+    {{- else if eq .Values.ingress.className "traefik" }}
+    # Traefik with NGINX provider supports nginx annotations
+    nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/rewrite-target: /$2
+    nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/use-regex: "true"
+    traefik.ingress.kubernetes.io/router.entrypoints: web
     {{- end }}
     {{- if .Values.ingress.annotations }}
 {{ toYaml .Values.ingress.annotations | indent 4 }}
     {{- end }}
-    # Temporary annotations for Traefik until uvicorn support real prefix in ASGI: https://github.com/encode/uvicorn/discussions/2490
-    {{- if eq .Values.ingress.className "traefik" }}
-    traefik.ingress.kubernetes.io/router.entrypoints: web
-    traefik.ingress.kubernetes.io/router.middlewares: {{ $.Release.Namespace }}-{{ $.Release.Name }}-strip-prefix-middleware@kubernetescrd
-    {{- end }}
 spec:
   {{- if and .Values.ingress.className (semverCompare ">=1.18-0" .Capabilities.KubeVersion.GitVersion) }}
   ingressClassName: {{ .Values.ingress.className }}
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ spec:
       http:
         paths:
           {{- if and $.Values.raster.enabled (or (not (hasKey $.Values.raster "ingress")) $.Values.raster.ingress.enabled) }}
-          - pathType: {{ if eq $.Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}ImplementationSpecific{{ else }}Prefix{{ end }}
-            path: {{ $.Values.raster.ingress.path }}{{ if eq $.Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}(/|$)(.*){{ end }}
+          - pathType: {{ if or (eq $.Values.ingress.className "nginx") (eq $.Values.ingress.className "traefik") }}ImplementationSpecific{{ else }}Prefix{{ end }}
+            path: {{ $.Values.raster.ingress.path }}{{ if or (eq $.Values.ingress.className "nginx") (eq $.Values.ingress.className "traefik") }}(/|$)(.*){{ end }}
             backend:
               service:
                 name: {{ $.Release.Name }}-raster
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ spec:
           {{- end }}
 
           {{- if and $.Values.stac.enabled (or (not (hasKey $.Values.stac "ingress")) $.Values.stac.ingress.enabled) }}
-          - pathType: {{ if eq $.Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}ImplementationSpecific{{ else }}Prefix{{ end }}
-            path: {{ $.Values.stac.ingress.path }}{{ if eq $.Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}(/|$)(.*){{ end }}
+          - pathType: {{ if or (eq $.Values.ingress.className "nginx") (eq $.Values.ingress.className "traefik") }}ImplementationSpecific{{ else }}Prefix{{ end }}
+            path: {{ $.Values.stac.ingress.path }}{{ if or (eq $.Values.ingress.className "nginx") (eq $.Values.ingress.className "traefik") }}(/|$)(.*){{ end }}
             backend:
               service:
                 {{- if index $.Values "stac-auth-proxy" "enabled" }}
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ spec:
           {{- end }}
 
           {{- if and $.Values.vector.enabled (or (not (hasKey $.Values.vector "ingress")) $.Values.vector.ingress.enabled) }}
-          - pathType: {{ if eq $.Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}ImplementationSpecific{{ else }}Prefix{{ end }}
-            path: {{ $.Values.vector.ingress.path }}{{ if eq $.Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}(/|$)(.*){{ end }}
+          - pathType: {{ if or (eq $.Values.ingress.className "nginx") (eq $.Values.ingress.className "traefik") }}ImplementationSpecific{{ else }}Prefix{{ end }}
+            path: {{ $.Values.vector.ingress.path }}{{ if or (eq $.Values.ingress.className "nginx") (eq $.Values.ingress.className "traefik") }}(/|$)(.*){{ end }}
             backend:
               service:
                 name: {{ $.Release.Name }}-vector
@@ -69,8 +69,8 @@ spec:
           {{- end }}
 
           {{- if and $.Values.multidim.enabled (or (not (hasKey $.Values.multidim "ingress")) $.Values.multidim.ingress.enabled) }}
-          - pathType: {{ if eq $.Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}ImplementationSpecific{{ else }}Prefix{{ end }}
-            path: {{ $.Values.multidim.ingress.path }}{{ if eq $.Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}(/|$)(.*){{ end }}
+          - pathType: {{ if or (eq $.Values.ingress.className "nginx") (eq $.Values.ingress.className "traefik") }}ImplementationSpecific{{ else }}Prefix{{ end }}
+            path: {{ $.Values.multidim.ingress.path }}{{ if or (eq $.Values.ingress.className "nginx") (eq $.Values.ingress.className "traefik") }}(/|$)(.*){{ end }}
             backend:
               service:
                 name: {{ $.Release.Name }}-multidim
@@ -79,8 +79,8 @@ spec:
           {{- end }}
 
           {{- if and $.Values.mockOidcServer.enabled $.Values.mockOidcServer.ingress.enabled }}
-          - pathType: {{ if eq $.Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}ImplementationSpecific{{ else }}Prefix{{ end }}
-            path: {{ $.Values.mockOidcServer.ingress.path }}{{ if eq $.Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}(/|$)(.*){{ end }}
+          - pathType: {{ if or (eq $.Values.ingress.className "nginx") (eq $.Values.ingress.className "traefik") }}ImplementationSpecific{{ else }}Prefix{{ end }}
+            path: {{ $.Values.mockOidcServer.ingress.path }}{{ if or (eq $.Values.ingress.className "nginx") (eq $.Values.ingress.className "traefik") }}(/|$)(.*){{ end }}
             backend:
               service:
                 name: {{ $.Release.Name }}-mock-oidc-server
@@ -105,8 +105,8 @@ spec:
       http:
         paths:
           {{- if and .Values.raster.enabled (or (not (hasKey .Values.raster "ingress")) .Values.raster.ingress.enabled) }}
-          - pathType: {{ if eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}ImplementationSpecific{{ else }}Prefix{{ end }}
-            path: {{ .Values.raster.ingress.path }}{{ if eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}(/|$)(.*){{ end }}
+          - pathType: {{ if or (eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx") (eq .Values.ingress.className "traefik") }}ImplementationSpecific{{ else }}Prefix{{ end }}
+            path: {{ .Values.raster.ingress.path }}{{ if or (eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx") (eq .Values.ingress.className "traefik") }}(/|$)(.*){{ end }}
             backend:
               service:
                 name: {{ .Release.Name }}-raster
@@ -115,8 +115,8 @@ spec:
           {{- end }}
 
           {{- if and .Values.stac.enabled (or (not (hasKey .Values.stac "ingress")) .Values.stac.ingress.enabled) }}
-          - pathType: {{ if eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}ImplementationSpecific{{ else }}Prefix{{ end }}
-            path: {{ .Values.stac.ingress.path }}{{ if eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}(/|$)(.*){{ end }}
+          - pathType: {{ if or (eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx") (eq .Values.ingress.className "traefik") }}ImplementationSpecific{{ else }}Prefix{{ end }}
+            path: {{ .Values.stac.ingress.path }}{{ if or (eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx") (eq .Values.ingress.className "traefik") }}(/|$)(.*){{ end }}
             backend:
               service:
                 {{- if index .Values "stac-auth-proxy" "enabled" }}
@@ -129,8 +129,8 @@ spec:
           {{- end }}
 
           {{- if and .Values.vector.enabled (or (not (hasKey .Values.vector "ingress")) .Values.vector.ingress.enabled) }}
-          - pathType: {{ if eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}ImplementationSpecific{{ else }}Prefix{{ end }}
-            path: {{ .Values.vector.ingress.path }}{{ if eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}(/|$)(.*){{ end }}
+          - pathType: {{ if or (eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx") (eq .Values.ingress.className "traefik") }}ImplementationSpecific{{ else }}Prefix{{ end }}
+            path: {{ .Values.vector.ingress.path }}{{ if or (eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx") (eq .Values.ingress.className "traefik") }}(/|$)(.*){{ end }}
             backend:
               service:
                 name: {{ .Release.Name }}-vector
@@ -139,8 +139,8 @@ spec:
           {{- end }}
 
           {{- if and .Values.multidim.enabled (or (not (hasKey .Values.multidim "ingress")) .Values.multidim.ingress.enabled) }}
-          - pathType: {{ if eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}ImplementationSpecific{{ else }}Prefix{{ end }}
-            path: {{ .Values.multidim.ingress.path }}{{ if eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}(/|$)(.*){{ end }}
+          - pathType: {{ if or (eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx") (eq .Values.ingress.className "traefik") }}ImplementationSpecific{{ else }}Prefix{{ end }}
+            path: {{ .Values.multidim.ingress.path }}{{ if or (eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx") (eq .Values.ingress.className "traefik") }}(/|$)(.*){{ end }}
             backend:
               service:
                 name: {{ .Release.Name }}-multidim
@@ -149,8 +149,8 @@ spec:
           {{- end }}
 
           {{- if and .Values.mockOidcServer.enabled .Values.mockOidcServer.ingress.enabled }}
-          - pathType: {{ if eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}ImplementationSpecific{{ else }}Prefix{{ end }}
-            path: {{ .Values.mockOidcServer.ingress.path }}{{ if eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx" }}(/|$)(.*){{ end }}
+          - pathType: {{ if or (eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx") (eq .Values.ingress.className "traefik") }}ImplementationSpecific{{ else }}Prefix{{ end }}
+            path: {{ .Values.mockOidcServer.ingress.path }}{{ if or (eq .Values.ingress.className "nginx") (eq .Values.ingress.className "traefik") }}(/|$)(.*){{ end }}
             backend:
               service:
                 name: {{ .Release.Name }}-mock-oidc-server
diff --git a/charts/eoapi/values.yaml b/charts/eoapi/values.yaml
index c936cc5c..e04a7339 100644
--- a/charts/eoapi/values.yaml
+++ b/charts/eoapi/values.yaml
@@ -32,9 +32,10 @@ service:
 
 ingress:
   # Unified ingress configuration for both nginx and traefik
+  # Traefik 3.5+ supports nginx annotations via the nginx provider
   enabled: true
   # ingressClassName: "nginx" or "traefik"
-  className: "nginx"
+  className: "traefik"
   rootPath: ""        # Root path for doc server
   # Single host domain configuration (default)
   host: ""
diff --git a/docs/argocd.md b/docs/argocd.md
index 0cf662a9..0efea414 100644
--- a/docs/argocd.md
+++ b/docs/argocd.md
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ spec:
         # Ingress setup
         ingress:
           enabled: true
-          className: "nginx"
+          className: "traefik"
           host: "eoapi.example.com"
 
   destination:
diff --git a/docs/autoscaling.md b/docs/autoscaling.md
index 1bcf6be4..64c6f503 100644
--- a/docs/autoscaling.md
+++ b/docs/autoscaling.md
@@ -408,19 +408,19 @@ metadata:
     kubernetes.io/ingress.class: alb
     alb.ingress.kubernetes.io/scheme: internet-facing
 spec:
-  ingressClassName: nginx
+  ingressClassName: traefik
   rules:
   - host: your-domain.com
     http:
       paths: [...]
 
-# For nginx ingress
+# For traefik ingress
 apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
 kind: Ingress
 metadata:
   name: eoapi-ingress
 spec:
-  ingressClassName: nginx
+  ingressClassName: traefik
   rules:
   - host: abc5929f88f8c45c38f6cbab2faad43c-776419634.us-west-2.elb.amazonaws.com
     http:
diff --git a/docs/configuration.md b/docs/configuration.md
index a0362589..72eb7031 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/configuration.md
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ Unified ingress configuration supporting both NGINX and Traefik:
 | **Values Key** | **Description** | **Default** | **Choices** |
 |:--------------|:----------------|:------------|:------------|
 | `ingress.enabled` | Enable ingress | true | true/false |
-| `ingress.className` | Ingress controller | "nginx" | "nginx", "traefik" |
+| `ingress.className` | Ingress controller | "traefik" | "traefik", "nginx" |
 | `ingress.host` | Ingress hostname | "" | valid hostname |
 | `ingress.rootPath` | Doc server root path | "" | valid path |
 
diff --git a/docs/unified-ingress.md b/docs/unified-ingress.md
index 6a41b78e..6d4bfd48 100644
--- a/docs/unified-ingress.md
+++ b/docs/unified-ingress.md
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
 ---
 title: "Unified Ingress Configuration"
-description: "NGINX and Traefik ingress setup with TLS and cert-manager integration"
+description: "Traefik ingress setup with NGINX compatibility, TLS and cert-manager integration"
 external_links:
   - name: "eoapi-k8s Repository"
     url: "https://github.com/developmentseed/eoapi-k8s"
-  - name: "NGINX Ingress Controller"
-    url: "https://kubernetes.github.io/ingress-nginx/"
   - name: "Traefik Documentation"
     url: "https://doc.traefik.io/traefik/"
+  - name: "Traefik NGINX Provider"
+    url: "https://doc.traefik.io/traefik/routing/providers/kubernetes-ingress-nginx/"
+  - name: "NGINX Ingress Controller"
+    url: "https://kubernetes.github.io/ingress-nginx/"
   - name: "cert-manager"
     url: "https://cert-manager.io/"
 ---
@@ -18,23 +20,26 @@ This document describes the unified ingress approach implemented in the eoAPI He
 
 ## Overview
 
-eoAPI includes a streamlined ingress configuration with smart defaults for different controllers. This approach:
+eoAPI defaults to **Traefik** as the ingress controller, leveraging Traefik's NGINX provider for seamless compatibility with NGINX ingress annotations. This approach:
 
+- Uses Traefik 3.5+ with NGINX provider support for zero-drama migration from ingress-nginx
+- Maintains compatibility with existing NGINX ingress annotations
 - Eliminates manual pathType and suffix configurations
-- Uses controller-specific optimizations for NGINX and Traefik
 - Provides separate configuration for STAC browser
-- Maintains backward compatibility while improving usability
+- Maintains backward compatibility with NGINX ingress controller
 
 ## Configuration
 
-The ingress configuration has been simplified in the `values.yaml` file:
+The ingress configuration defaults to Traefik with NGINX provider support:
 
 ```yaml
 ingress:
   # Unified ingress configuration for both nginx and traefik
+  # Traefik 3.5+ supports nginx annotations via the nginx provider
+  # Set --experimental.kubernetesIngressNGINX and --providers.kubernetesIngressNGINX when deploying Traefik
   enabled: true
-  # ingressClassName: "nginx" or "traefik"
-  className: "nginx"
+  # ingressClassName: "traefik" (default) or "nginx"
+  className: "traefik"
   # Root path for doc server
   rootPath: ""
   # Host configuration
@@ -47,44 +52,64 @@ ingress:
     secretName: eoapi-tls
 ```
 
+## Deploying Traefik with NGINX Provider
+
+To use Traefik as a drop-in replacement for ingress-nginx, deploy Traefik with the NGINX provider enabled:
+
+```bash
+helm repo add traefik https://traefik.github.io/charts
+helm repo update
+
+helm upgrade --install traefik traefik/traefik \
+  --namespace traefik \
+  --create-namespace \
+  --version ~v37.3.0 \
+  --set providers.kubernetesGateway.enabled=true \
+  --set 'additionalArguments[0]=--providers.kubernetesIngressNGINX' \
+  --set 'additionalArguments[1]=--experimental.kubernetesIngressNGINX=true' \
+  --wait
+```
+
+This enables Traefik to understand and process NGINX ingress annotations, allowing you to migrate from ingress-nginx with minimal changes.
+
 ## Controller-Specific Behavior
 
-### NGINX Ingress Controller
+### Traefik Ingress Controller (Default)
 
-For NGINX, the system automatically:
-- Uses `ImplementationSpecific` pathType
-- Adds regex-based path matching
-- Sets up proper rewrite rules
+Traefik is now the default ingress controller. When using Traefik with the NGINX provider:
+- Uses `ImplementationSpecific` pathType (same as NGINX)
+- Supports NGINX ingress annotations natively
+- Handles regex-based path matching via NGINX annotations
+- Automatically processes rewrite rules from NGINX annotations
+
+The eoAPI chart automatically applies NGINX annotations when using Traefik, which are understood by Traefik's NGINX provider:
 
-Basic NGINX configuration:
 ```yaml
 ingress:
   enabled: true
-  className: "nginx"
+  className: "traefik"  # Default
+  host: "example.domain.com"
   annotations:
-    # Additional custom annotations if needed
+    # NGINX annotations work with Traefik's NGINX provider
     nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/enable-cors: "true"
     nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/enable-access-log: "true"
 ```
 
-### Traefik Ingress Controller
+### NGINX Ingress Controller (Legacy)
 
-For Traefik, the system:
-- Uses `Prefix` pathType by default
-- Automatically configures strip-prefix middleware
-- Handles path-based routing appropriately
+For backward compatibility, NGINX ingress controller is still supported:
 
-Basic Traefik configuration:
 ```yaml
 ingress:
   enabled: true
-  className: "traefik"
-  # When using TLS, setting host is required
-  host: "example.domain.com"
+  className: "nginx"
   annotations:
-    traefik.ingress.kubernetes.io/router.entrypoints: web
+    nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/enable-cors: "true"
+    nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/enable-access-log: "true"
 ```
 
+**Note:** With ingress-nginx entering maintenance mode (EoL March 2026), migrating to Traefik is recommended.
+
 ## STAC Browser Configuration
 
 The STAC browser now uses a separate ingress configuration to handle its unique requirements:
@@ -131,7 +156,7 @@ spec:
     solvers:
     - http01:
         ingress:
-          class: nginx  # or traefik, depending on your setup
+          class: traefik  # or nginx for legacy setups
 ```
 
 3. After testing with staging, create the production issuer:
@@ -149,14 +174,14 @@ spec:
     solvers:
     - http01:
         ingress:
-          class: nginx  # or traefik, depending on your setup
+          class: traefik  # or nginx for legacy setups
 ```
 
 4. Configure your eoAPI ingress to use cert-manager:
 ```yaml
 ingress:
   enabled: true
-  className: "nginx"  # or "traefik"
+  className: "traefik"  # Default, or "nginx" for legacy setups
   host: "eoapi.example.com"
   annotations:
     cert-manager.io/cluster-issuer: "letsencrypt-prod"
@@ -165,14 +190,44 @@ ingress:
     secretName: eoapi-tls  # cert-manager will create this secret
 ```
 
-## Migration from 0.7.0
+## Migration from ingress-nginx to Traefik
+
+### Why Migrate?
+
+With ingress-nginx entering maintenance mode (EoL March 2026), migrating to Traefik provides:
+- **Security**: Traefik's secure-by-design architecture eliminates template injection vulnerabilities
+- **Future-proof**: Gateway API leadership and modern cloud-native design
+- **Zero-drama migration**: NGINX provider allows using existing annotations without changes
+- **Production-ready**: Battle-tested at scale with 3.4+ billion downloads
+
+### Migration Steps
+
+1. **Deploy Traefik with NGINX provider** (see [Deploying Traefik](#deploying-traefik-with-nginx-provider) above)
+
+2. **Update your values.yaml**:
+   ```yaml
+   ingress:
+     className: "traefik"  # Changed from "nginx"
+   ```
+
+3. **No annotation changes needed**: Your existing NGINX annotations will work with Traefik's NGINX provider
+
+4. **Verify the migration**:
+   ```bash
+   kubectl get ingress
+   kubectl get pods -n traefik
+   ```
+
+5. **Test your endpoints** to ensure everything works as expected
+
+### Migration from 0.7.0
 
 If you're upgrading from version 0.7.0:
 
 1. Remove any `pathType` and `pathSuffix` configurations from your values
 2. The system will automatically use the appropriate settings for your chosen controller
-3. For NGINX users, regex path matching is now enabled by default
-4. For Traefik users, strip-prefix middleware is automatically configured
+3. NGINX annotations work with both NGINX and Traefik (via NGINX provider)
+4. Regex path matching is enabled by default for both controllers
 
 ## Path Structure
 
diff --git a/scripts/deployment.sh b/scripts/deployment.sh
index d9e769a2..1310bd00 100755
--- a/scripts/deployment.sh
+++ b/scripts/deployment.sh
@@ -115,6 +115,13 @@ EOF
         testing_mode=true
     fi
 
+    # Allow overriding ingress className via environment variable (optional, for special cases)
+    # Default is traefik, which works with Traefik's NGINX provider
+    if [[ -n "${INGRESS_CLASS_NAME:-}" ]]; then
+        log_info "Overriding ingress className to: ${INGRESS_CLASS_NAME}"
+        helm_cmd="$helm_cmd --set ingress.className=${INGRESS_CLASS_NAME}"
+    fi
+
     helm_cmd="$helm_cmd --timeout $TIMEOUT"
 
     log_info "Deploying eoAPI..."