diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index 5630ffc2a..ad7b64876 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -254,19 +254,8 @@ func (server *Server) defaultConfigurationValues(configuration *types.Configurat
 	if configuration == nil || configuration.Frontends == nil {
 		return
 	}
-	for _, frontend := range configuration.Frontends {
-		// default endpoints if not defined in frontends
-		if len(frontend.EntryPoints) == 0 {
-			frontend.EntryPoints = server.globalConfiguration.DefaultEntryPoints
-		}
-	}
-	for backendName, backend := range configuration.Backends {
-		_, err := types.NewLoadBalancerMethod(backend.LoadBalancer)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Debugf("Load balancer method '%+v' for backend %s: %v. Using default wrr.", backend.LoadBalancer, backendName, err)
-			backend.LoadBalancer = &types.LoadBalancer{Method: "wrr"}
-		}
-	}
+	server.configureFrontends(configuration.Frontends)
+	server.configureBackends(configuration.Backends)
 }
 
 func (server *Server) listenConfigurations(stop chan bool) {
@@ -890,3 +879,29 @@ func sortedFrontendNamesForConfig(configuration *types.Configuration) []string {
 	sort.Strings(keys)
 	return keys
 }
+
+func (server *Server) configureFrontends(frontends map[string]*types.Frontend) {
+	for _, frontend := range frontends {
+		// default endpoints if not defined in frontends
+		if len(frontend.EntryPoints) == 0 {
+			frontend.EntryPoints = server.globalConfiguration.DefaultEntryPoints
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (*Server) configureBackends(backends map[string]*types.Backend) {
+	for backendName, backend := range backends {
+		_, err := types.NewLoadBalancerMethod(backend.LoadBalancer)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Debugf("Validation of load balancer method for backend %s failed: %s. Using default method wrr.", backendName, err)
+			var sticky bool
+			if backend.LoadBalancer != nil {
+				sticky = backend.LoadBalancer.Sticky
+			}
+			backend.LoadBalancer = &types.LoadBalancer{
+				Method: "wrr",
+				Sticky: sticky,
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/server/server_test.go b/server/server_test.go
index 96c4daae6..cb4c2d6d9 100644
--- a/server/server_test.go
+++ b/server/server_test.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containous/traefik/healthcheck"
 	"github.com/containous/traefik/testhelpers"
 	"github.com/containous/traefik/types"
+	"github.com/davecgh/go-spew/spew"
 	"github.com/vulcand/oxy/roundrobin"
 )
 
@@ -277,3 +278,81 @@ func TestServerLoadConfigEmptyBasicAuth(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("got error: %s", err)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestConfigureBackends(t *testing.T) {
+	validMethod := "Drr"
+	defaultMethod := "wrr"
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		desc       string
+		lb         *types.LoadBalancer
+		wantMethod string
+		wantSticky bool
+	}{
+		{
+			desc: "valid load balancer method with sticky enabled",
+			lb: &types.LoadBalancer{
+				Method: validMethod,
+				Sticky: true,
+			},
+			wantMethod: validMethod,
+			wantSticky: true,
+		},
+		{
+			desc: "valid load balancer method with sticky disabled",
+			lb: &types.LoadBalancer{
+				Method: validMethod,
+				Sticky: false,
+			},
+			wantMethod: validMethod,
+			wantSticky: false,
+		},
+		{
+			desc: "invalid load balancer method with sticky enabled",
+			lb: &types.LoadBalancer{
+				Method: "Invalid",
+				Sticky: true,
+			},
+			wantMethod: defaultMethod,
+			wantSticky: true,
+		},
+		{
+			desc: "invalid load balancer method with sticky disabled",
+			lb: &types.LoadBalancer{
+				Method: "Invalid",
+				Sticky: false,
+			},
+			wantMethod: defaultMethod,
+			wantSticky: false,
+		},
+		{
+			desc:       "missing load balancer",
+			lb:         nil,
+			wantMethod: defaultMethod,
+			wantSticky: false,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		test := test
+		t.Run(test.desc, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			backend := &types.Backend{
+				LoadBalancer: test.lb,
+			}
+
+			srv := Server{}
+			srv.configureBackends(map[string]*types.Backend{
+				"backend": backend,
+			})
+
+			wantLB := types.LoadBalancer{
+				Method: test.wantMethod,
+				Sticky: test.wantSticky,
+			}
+			if !reflect.DeepEqual(*backend.LoadBalancer, wantLB) {
+				t.Errorf("got backend load-balancer\n%v\nwant\n%v\n", spew.Sdump(backend.LoadBalancer), spew.Sdump(wantLB))
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/types/types.go b/types/types.go
index 05e704adc..3831847e0 100644
--- a/types/types.go
+++ b/types/types.go
@@ -81,19 +81,18 @@ var loadBalancerMethodNames = []string{
 
 // NewLoadBalancerMethod create a new LoadBalancerMethod from a given LoadBalancer.
 func NewLoadBalancerMethod(loadBalancer *LoadBalancer) (LoadBalancerMethod, error) {
+	var method string
 	if loadBalancer != nil {
+		method = loadBalancer.Method
 		for i, name := range loadBalancerMethodNames {
-			if strings.EqualFold(name, loadBalancer.Method) {
+			if strings.EqualFold(name, method) {
 				return LoadBalancerMethod(i), nil
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	return Wrr, ErrInvalidLoadBalancerMethod
+	return Wrr, fmt.Errorf("invalid load-balancing method '%s'", method)
 }
 
-// ErrInvalidLoadBalancerMethod is thrown when the specified load balancing method is invalid.
-var ErrInvalidLoadBalancerMethod = errors.New("Invalid method, using default")
-
 // Configuration of a provider.
 type Configuration struct {
 	Backends  map[string]*Backend  `json:"backends,omitempty"`