diff --git a/manifests/backend/bind9.pp b/manifests/backend/bind9.pp
index b41916af..48c12570 100644
--- a/manifests/backend/bind9.pp
+++ b/manifests/backend/bind9.pp
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@
 #
 # [*rndc_config_file*]
 #  (Optional) Location of the rndc configuration file.
-#  Defaults to '/etc/rndc.conf'
+#  Defaults to undef
 #
 # [*rndc_key_file*]
 #  (Optional) Location of the rndc key file.
-#  Defaults to '/etc/rndc.key'
+#  Defaults to undef
 #
 # [*rndc_port*]
 #  (Optional) RNDC Port.
@@ -67,10 +67,10 @@
 #  Defaults to undef
 #
 class designate::backend::bind9 (
-  $rndc_config_file                      = '/etc/rndc.conf',
-  $rndc_key_file                         = '/etc/rndc.key',
+  $rndc_config_file                      = undef,
+  $rndc_key_file                         = undef,
   $rndc_controls                         = undef,
-  $rndc_port                             = 953,
+  $rndc_port                             = undef,
   Hash[Integer, String] $ns_records      = {1 => 'ns1.example.org.'},
   Array[String[1], 1] $nameservers       = ['127.0.0.1'],
   Array[String[1], 1] $bind9_hosts       = ['127.0.0.1'],
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/rndc-optional-303e6561b611d0d1.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/rndc-optional-303e6561b611d0d1.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6b74dbd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/rndc-optional-303e6561b611d0d1.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+---
+upgrade:
+  - |
+    Now the ``rndc_config_file`` option and the ``rndc_key_file`` of BIND9
+    backend are not set by default, to avoid unnecessarily require these
+    files.
+    Set the parameters of the ``desingate::backend::bind9`` class in case
+    the previous default values need to be used.
diff --git a/templates/bind9-pools.yaml.erb b/templates/bind9-pools.yaml.erb
index d38a3008..535b2b5e 100644
--- a/templates/bind9-pools.yaml.erb
+++ b/templates/bind9-pools.yaml.erb
@@ -37,9 +37,15 @@
         host: <%= bind9_host %>
         port: <%= @dns_port.to_s %>
         rndc_host: <%= bind9_host %>
+<% if !@rndc_port.nil? -%>
         rndc_port: <%= @rndc_port %>
+<% end -%>
+<% if !@rndc_config_file.nil? -%>
         rndc_config_file: <%= @rndc_config_file %>
+<% end -%>
+<% if !@rndc_key_file.nil? -%>
         rndc_key_file: <%= @rndc_key_file %>
+<% end -%>
 <% if @clean_zonefile -%>
         clean_zonefile: true
 <% end -%>