diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions/test/integ.pipeline-ecs-deploy.expected.json b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions/test/integ.pipeline-ecs-deploy.expected.json
index 1114a3dc28356..90360e47b3b27 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions/test/integ.pipeline-ecs-deploy.expected.json
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions/test/integ.pipeline-ecs-deploy.expected.json
@@ -256,7 +256,6 @@
           "MaximumPercent": 200,
           "MinimumHealthyPercent": 50
         },
-        "DesiredCount": 1,
         "EnableECSManagedTags": false,
         "LaunchType": "FARGATE",
         "NetworkConfiguration": {
@@ -1044,4 +1043,4 @@
       }
     }
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions/test/integ.pipeline-ecs-separate-source.lit.expected.json b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions/test/integ.pipeline-ecs-separate-source.lit.expected.json
index 4576cb2ca969c..5b487d51f1219 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions/test/integ.pipeline-ecs-separate-source.lit.expected.json
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions/test/integ.pipeline-ecs-separate-source.lit.expected.json
@@ -1854,7 +1854,6 @@
             "MaximumPercent": 200,
             "MinimumHealthyPercent": 50
           },
-          "DesiredCount": 1,
           "EnableECSManagedTags": false,
           "LaunchType": "FARGATE",
           "NetworkConfiguration": {
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/lib/base/base-service.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/lib/base/base-service.ts
index f6f725756167d..56e491f1f98cb 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/lib/base/base-service.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/lib/base/base-service.ts
@@ -105,7 +105,8 @@ export interface BaseServiceOptions {
   /**
    * The desired number of instantiations of the task definition to keep running on the service.
    *
-   * @default 1
+   * @default - When creating the service, default is 1; when updating the service, default uses
+   * the current task number.
    */
   readonly desiredCount?: number;
 
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/lib/ec2/ec2-service.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/lib/ec2/ec2-service.ts
index 33769c3223b08..aa2dd8adbdc43 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/lib/ec2/ec2-service.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/lib/ec2/ec2-service.ts
@@ -186,8 +186,7 @@ export class Ec2Service extends BaseService implements IEc2Service {
 
     super(scope, id, {
       ...props,
-      // If daemon, desiredCount must be undefined and that's what we want. Otherwise, default to 1.
-      desiredCount: props.daemon || props.desiredCount !== undefined ? props.desiredCount : 1,
+      desiredCount: props.desiredCount,
       maxHealthyPercent: props.daemon && props.maxHealthyPercent === undefined ? 100 : props.maxHealthyPercent,
       minHealthyPercent: props.daemon && props.minHealthyPercent === undefined ? 0 : props.minHealthyPercent,
       launchType: LaunchType.EC2,
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/lib/fargate/fargate-service.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/lib/fargate/fargate-service.ts
index fd0c4bbac64b5..f70ca796ed3f6 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/lib/fargate/fargate-service.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/lib/fargate/fargate-service.ts
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ export class FargateService extends BaseService implements IFargateService {
 
     super(scope, id, {
       ...props,
-      desiredCount: props.desiredCount !== undefined ? props.desiredCount : 1,
+      desiredCount: props.desiredCount,
       launchType: LaunchType.FARGATE,
       propagateTags: propagateTagsFromSource,
       enableECSManagedTags: props.enableECSManagedTags,
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.app-mesh-proxy-config.expected.json b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.app-mesh-proxy-config.expected.json
index 0c64ae63155b9..176bf38d788a5 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.app-mesh-proxy-config.expected.json
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.app-mesh-proxy-config.expected.json
@@ -867,7 +867,7 @@
           },
           {
             "Essential": true,
-            "Image": "envoyproxy/envoy",
+            "Image": "envoyproxy/envoy:v1.16.2",
             "Memory": 256,
             "Name": "envoy"
           }
@@ -923,7 +923,6 @@
           "MaximumPercent": 200,
           "MinimumHealthyPercent": 50
         },
-        "DesiredCount": 1,
         "EnableECSManagedTags": false,
         "LaunchType": "EC2",
         "NetworkConfiguration": {
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.app-mesh-proxy-config.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.app-mesh-proxy-config.ts
index 3e91af323831b..1d789d6e6fa2b 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.app-mesh-proxy-config.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.app-mesh-proxy-config.ts
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@ taskDefinition.addContainer('web', {
 });
 
 taskDefinition.addContainer('envoy', {
-  image: ecs.ContainerImage.fromRegistry('envoyproxy/envoy'),
+  // envoyproxy/envoy:latest tag gone from docker hub: https://github.com/envoyproxy/envoy/issues/6344
+  image: ecs.ContainerImage.fromRegistry('envoyproxy/envoy:v1.16.2'),
   memoryLimitMiB: 256,
 });
 
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.clb-host-nw.expected.json b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.clb-host-nw.expected.json
index 62d48e3bced1e..67289e175fa8b 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.clb-host-nw.expected.json
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.clb-host-nw.expected.json
@@ -918,7 +918,6 @@
           "MaximumPercent": 200,
           "MinimumHealthyPercent": 50
         },
-        "DesiredCount": 1,
         "EnableECSManagedTags": false,
         "HealthCheckGracePeriodSeconds": 60,
         "LaunchType": "EC2",
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.environment-file.expected.json b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.environment-file.expected.json
index c2a555e9c9a71..7ba376073123b 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.environment-file.expected.json
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.environment-file.expected.json
@@ -1285,7 +1285,6 @@
           "MaximumPercent": 200,
           "MinimumHealthyPercent": 50
         },
-        "DesiredCount": 1,
         "EnableECSManagedTags": false,
         "LaunchType": "EC2",
         "NetworkConfiguration": {
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.firelens-s3-config.expected.json b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.firelens-s3-config.expected.json
index bd368de2a0f11..d76ccbf580d80 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.firelens-s3-config.expected.json
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.firelens-s3-config.expected.json
@@ -1133,7 +1133,6 @@
           "MaximumPercent": 200,
           "MinimumHealthyPercent": 50
         },
-        "DesiredCount": 1,
         "EnableECSManagedTags": false,
         "LaunchType": "EC2",
         "NetworkConfiguration": {
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.lb-awsvpc-nw.expected.json b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.lb-awsvpc-nw.expected.json
index 0d3144db3f8f1..a8f0ceeeebb15 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.lb-awsvpc-nw.expected.json
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.lb-awsvpc-nw.expected.json
@@ -895,7 +895,6 @@
           "MaximumPercent": 200,
           "MinimumHealthyPercent": 50
         },
-        "DesiredCount": 1,
         "EnableECSManagedTags": false,
         "HealthCheckGracePeriodSeconds": 60,
         "LaunchType": "EC2",
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.lb-bridge-nw.expected.json b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.lb-bridge-nw.expected.json
index a66e3674dd919..2b0faf9e340f1 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.lb-bridge-nw.expected.json
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.lb-bridge-nw.expected.json
@@ -917,7 +917,6 @@
           "MaximumPercent": 200,
           "MinimumHealthyPercent": 50
         },
-        "DesiredCount": 1,
         "EnableECSManagedTags": false,
         "HealthCheckGracePeriodSeconds": 60,
         "LaunchType": "EC2",
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.sd-awsvpc-nw.expected.json b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.sd-awsvpc-nw.expected.json
index e8638efad5f38..3cc8789e3021a 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.sd-awsvpc-nw.expected.json
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.sd-awsvpc-nw.expected.json
@@ -905,7 +905,6 @@
           "MaximumPercent": 200,
           "MinimumHealthyPercent": 50
         },
-        "DesiredCount": 1,
         "EnableECSManagedTags": false,
         "LaunchType": "EC2",
         "NetworkConfiguration": {
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.sd-bridge-nw.expected.json b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.sd-bridge-nw.expected.json
index 7d0f3770d69ce..49e99b166b764 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.sd-bridge-nw.expected.json
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.sd-bridge-nw.expected.json
@@ -905,7 +905,6 @@
           "MaximumPercent": 200,
           "MinimumHealthyPercent": 50
         },
-        "DesiredCount": 1,
         "EnableECSManagedTags": false,
         "LaunchType": "EC2",
         "SchedulingStrategy": "REPLICA",
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.spot-drain.expected.json b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.spot-drain.expected.json
index aaa968ada846f..ae30eab9d2419 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.spot-drain.expected.json
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/integ.spot-drain.expected.json
@@ -1379,7 +1379,6 @@
           "MaximumPercent": 200,
           "MinimumHealthyPercent": 50
         },
-        "DesiredCount": 1,
         "EnableECSManagedTags": false,
         "LaunchType": "EC2",
         "SchedulingStrategy": "REPLICA",
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/test.ec2-service.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/test.ec2-service.ts
index a5a2fcdbf63fb..c4b2816234595 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/test.ec2-service.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/ec2/test.ec2-service.ts
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ export = {
           MaximumPercent: 200,
           MinimumHealthyPercent: 50,
         },
-        DesiredCount: 1,
         LaunchType: LaunchType.EC2,
         SchedulingStrategy: 'REPLICA',
         EnableECSManagedTags: false,
@@ -452,7 +451,6 @@ export = {
           MaximumPercent: 200,
           MinimumHealthyPercent: 50,
         },
-        DesiredCount: 1,
         SchedulingStrategy: 'REPLICA',
         EnableECSManagedTags: false,
       }));
@@ -536,33 +534,6 @@ export = {
       test.done();
     },
 
-    'Output does not contain DesiredCount if daemon mode is set'(test: Test) {
-      // GIVEN
-      const stack = new cdk.Stack();
-      const vpc = new ec2.Vpc(stack, 'MyVpc', {});
-      const cluster = new ecs.Cluster(stack, 'EcsCluster', { vpc });
-      cluster.addCapacity('DefaultAutoScalingGroup', { instanceType: new ec2.InstanceType('t2.micro') });
-      const taskDefinition = new ecs.Ec2TaskDefinition(stack, 'Ec2TaskDef');
-      taskDefinition.addContainer('BaseContainer', {
-        image: ecs.ContainerImage.fromRegistry('test'),
-        memoryReservationMiB: 10,
-      });
-
-      // WHEN
-      new ecs.Ec2Service(stack, 'Ec2Service', {
-        cluster,
-        taskDefinition,
-        daemon: true,
-      });
-
-      // THEN
-      expect(stack).to(haveResource('AWS::ECS::Service', (service: any) => {
-        return service.LaunchType === LaunchType.EC2 && service.DesiredCount === undefined;
-      }));
-
-      test.done();
-    },
-
     'errors if no container definitions'(test: Test) {
       // GIVEN
       const stack = new cdk.Stack();
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/fargate/integ.firelens-cloudwatch.expected.json b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/fargate/integ.firelens-cloudwatch.expected.json
index f45347575127a..c6efbdee23f66 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/fargate/integ.firelens-cloudwatch.expected.json
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/fargate/integ.firelens-cloudwatch.expected.json
@@ -569,7 +569,6 @@
           "MaximumPercent": 200,
           "MinimumHealthyPercent": 50
         },
-        "DesiredCount": 1,
         "EnableECSManagedTags": false,
         "LaunchType": "FARGATE",
         "NetworkConfiguration": {
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/fargate/integ.lb-awsvpc-nw.expected.json b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/fargate/integ.lb-awsvpc-nw.expected.json
index fcc16b80c5545..b0e138464af2a 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/fargate/integ.lb-awsvpc-nw.expected.json
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/fargate/integ.lb-awsvpc-nw.expected.json
@@ -416,7 +416,6 @@
           "MaximumPercent": 200,
           "MinimumHealthyPercent": 50
         },
-        "DesiredCount": 1,
         "EnableECSManagedTags": false,
         "HealthCheckGracePeriodSeconds": 60,
         "LaunchType": "FARGATE",
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/fargate/integ.nlb-awsvpc-nw.expected.json b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/fargate/integ.nlb-awsvpc-nw.expected.json
index b4298eb8c00c5..ac09689318787 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/fargate/integ.nlb-awsvpc-nw.expected.json
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/fargate/integ.nlb-awsvpc-nw.expected.json
@@ -416,7 +416,6 @@
           "MaximumPercent": 200,
           "MinimumHealthyPercent": 50
         },
-        "DesiredCount": 1,
         "EnableECSManagedTags": false,
         "HealthCheckGracePeriodSeconds": 60,
         "LaunchType": "FARGATE",
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/fargate/test.fargate-service.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/fargate/test.fargate-service.ts
index 546844c604eac..85ddcd6a07176 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/fargate/test.fargate-service.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/fargate/test.fargate-service.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ export = {
           MaximumPercent: 200,
           MinimumHealthyPercent: 50,
         },
-        DesiredCount: 1,
         LaunchType: LaunchType.FARGATE,
         EnableECSManagedTags: false,
         NetworkConfiguration: {
@@ -364,7 +363,6 @@ export = {
         DeploymentController: {
           Type: 'EXTERNAL',
         },
-        DesiredCount: 1,
         EnableECSManagedTags: false,
         NetworkConfiguration: {
           AwsvpcConfiguration: {
@@ -543,7 +541,6 @@ export = {
           MaximumPercent: 200,
           MinimumHealthyPercent: 50,
         },
-        DesiredCount: 1,
         LaunchType: LaunchType.FARGATE,
         EnableECSManagedTags: false,
         NetworkConfiguration: {
diff --git a/packages/decdk/test/__snapshots__/synth.test.js.snap b/packages/decdk/test/__snapshots__/synth.test.js.snap
index 80ee75c27a559..0befd96765754 100644
--- a/packages/decdk/test/__snapshots__/synth.test.js.snap
+++ b/packages/decdk/test/__snapshots__/synth.test.js.snap
@@ -645,7 +645,6 @@ Object {
           "MaximumPercent": 200,
           "MinimumHealthyPercent": 50,
         },
-        "DesiredCount": 1,
         "EnableECSManagedTags": false,
         "LaunchType": "FARGATE",
         "NetworkConfiguration": Object {