diff --git a/cmd/util/util.go b/cmd/util/util.go
index ca103bfca12e..26f9c4c186c1 100644
--- a/cmd/util/util.go
+++ b/cmd/util/util.go
@@ -100,5 +100,12 @@ func GetKubeConfigPath() string {
 	if kubeConfigEnv == "" {
 		return constants.KubeconfigPath
 	}
-	return filepath.SplitList(kubeConfigEnv)[0]
+	kubeConfigFiles := filepath.SplitList(kubeConfigEnv)
+	for _, kubeConfigFile := range kubeConfigFiles {
+		if kubeConfigFile != "" {
+			return kubeConfigFile
+		}
+		glog.Infof("Ignoring empty entry in %s env var", constants.KubeconfigEnvVar)
+	}
+	return constants.KubeconfigPath
 }
diff --git a/cmd/util/util_test.go b/cmd/util/util_test.go
index 315762078b02..7e1765cb2b16 100644
--- a/cmd/util/util_test.go
+++ b/cmd/util/util_test.go
@@ -36,11 +36,19 @@ func TestGetKubeConfigPath(t *testing.T) {
 			input: "/home/fake/.kube/.kubeconfig:/home/fake2/.kubeconfig",
 			want:  "/home/fake/.kube/.kubeconfig",
 		},
+		{
+			input: ":/home/fake/.kube/.kubeconfig:/home/fake2/.kubeconfig",
+			want:  "/home/fake/.kube/.kubeconfig",
+		},
+		{
+			input: ":",
+			want:  "$HOME/.kube/config",
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, test := range tests {
 		os.Setenv(clientcmd.RecommendedConfigPathEnvVar, test.input)
-		if result := GetKubeConfigPath(); result != test.want {
+		if result := GetKubeConfigPath(); result != os.ExpandEnv(test.want) {
 			t.Errorf("Expected first splitted chunk, got: %s", result)
 		}
 	}