diff --git a/k8s/forward/examples/http-forward.rs b/k8s/forward/examples/http-forward.rs
index ded2d3664..ae0756929 100644
--- a/k8s/forward/examples/http-forward.rs
+++ b/k8s/forward/examples/http-forward.rs
@@ -11,8 +11,7 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 
     let selector = kube_forward::TargetSelector::svc_label("app", "api-rest");
     let target = kube_forward::Target::new(selector, "http", "mayastor");
-    let uri = kube_forward::HttpForward::new(target, None)
-        .await?
+    let uri = kube_forward::HttpForward::new(target, None, kube::Client::try_default().await?)
         .uri()
         .await?;
 
diff --git a/k8s/forward/examples/port-forward.rs b/k8s/forward/examples/port-forward.rs
index b6be97e68..9edd1fb48 100644
--- a/k8s/forward/examples/port-forward.rs
+++ b/k8s/forward/examples/port-forward.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 
     let selector = kube_forward::TargetSelector::svc_label("app", "api-rest");
     let target = kube_forward::Target::new(selector, "http", "mayastor");
-    let pf = kube_forward::PortForward::new(target, 30011).await?;
+    let pf = kube_forward::PortForward::new(target, 30011, kube::Client::try_default().await?);
 
     let (_, handle) = pf.port_forward().await?;
     handle.await?;
diff --git a/k8s/forward/src/http_forward.rs b/k8s/forward/src/http_forward.rs
index cbb98417b..73093fc4d 100644
--- a/k8s/forward/src/http_forward.rs
+++ b/k8s/forward/src/http_forward.rs
@@ -32,19 +32,19 @@ impl HttpForward {
     /// Return a new `Self`.
     /// # Arguments
     /// * `target` - the target we'll forward to
-    pub async fn new<SO: Into<Option<Scheme>>>(
+    pub fn new<SO: Into<Option<Scheme>>>(
         target: crate::Target,
         scheme: SO,
-    ) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
-        let client = kube::Client::try_default().await?;
+        client: kube::Client,
+    ) -> Self {
         let namespace = target.namespace.name_any();
 
-        Ok(Self {
+        Self {
             target,
             pod_api: Api::namespaced(client.clone(), &namespace),
             svc_api: Api::namespaced(client, &namespace),
             scheme: scheme.into().unwrap_or(Scheme::HTTP),
-        })
+        }
     }
 
     /// Returns the `hyper::Uri` that can be used to proxy with the kubeapi server.
@@ -70,7 +70,8 @@ impl HttpForward {
 /// ```ignore
 /// let selector = kube_forward::TargetSelector::svc_label("app", "api-rest");
 /// let target = kube_forward::Target::new(selector, "http", "mayastor");
-/// let pf = kube_forward::HttpForward::new(target, None).await?;
+/// let client = kube::Client::try_default().await?;
+/// let pf = kube_forward::HttpForward::new(target, None, client).await?;
 ///
 /// let uri = pf.uri().await?;
 /// tracing::info!(%uri, "generated kube-api");
diff --git a/k8s/forward/src/port_forward.rs b/k8s/forward/src/port_forward.rs
index fb692edf5..5859bcb70 100644
--- a/k8s/forward/src/port_forward.rs
+++ b/k8s/forward/src/port_forward.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ use kube::{
 /// ```ignore
 /// let selector = kube_forward::TargetSelector::pod_label("app", "etcd");
 /// let target = kube_forward::Target::new(selector, "client", "mayastor");
-/// let pf = kube_forward::PortForward::new(target, 35003).await?;
+/// let client = kube::Client::try_default().await?;
+/// let pf = kube_forward::PortForward::new(target, 35003, client).await?;
 ///
 /// let (_port, handle) = pf.port_forward().await?;
 /// handle.await?;
@@ -36,19 +37,15 @@ impl PortForward {
     /// # Arguments
     /// * `target` - the target we'll forward to
     /// * `local_port` - specific local port to use, if Some
-    pub async fn new(
-        target: crate::Target,
-        local_port: impl Into<Option<u16>>,
-    ) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
-        let client = Client::try_default().await?;
+    pub fn new(target: crate::Target, local_port: impl Into<Option<u16>>, client: Client) -> Self {
         let namespace = target.namespace.name_any();
 
-        Ok(Self {
+        Self {
             target,
             local_port: local_port.into(),
             pod_api: Api::namespaced(client.clone(), &namespace),
             svc_api: Api::namespaced(client, &namespace),
-        })
+        }
     }
 
     /// The specified local port, or 0.
diff --git a/k8s/proxy/src/proxy.rs b/k8s/proxy/src/proxy.rs
index 3b6976243..45a153574 100644
--- a/k8s/proxy/src/proxy.rs
+++ b/k8s/proxy/src/proxy.rs
@@ -190,12 +190,13 @@ impl ConfigBuilder<ApiRest> {
     }
     /// Tries to build an HTTP `Configuration` from the current self.
     async fn build_http(self) -> anyhow::Result<Configuration> {
-        let uri = kube_forward::HttpForward::new(self.target, Some(self.scheme.into()))
-            .await?
-            .uri()
-            .await?;
         let config = super::config_from_kubeconfig(self.kube_config).await?;
         let client = kube::Client::try_from(config)?;
+        let uri =
+            kube_forward::HttpForward::new(self.target, Some(self.scheme.into()), client.clone())
+                .uri()
+                .await?;
+
         let proxy = kube_forward::HttpProxy::new(client);
 
         let config = Configuration::builder()
@@ -208,7 +209,10 @@ impl ConfigBuilder<ApiRest> {
     }
     /// Tries to build a TCP `Configuration` from the current self.
     async fn build_tcp(self) -> anyhow::Result<Configuration> {
-        let pf = kube_forward::PortForward::new(self.target, None).await?;
+        let config = super::config_from_kubeconfig(self.kube_config).await?;
+        let client = kube::Client::try_from(config)?;
+
+        let pf = kube_forward::PortForward::new(self.target, None, client);
 
         let (port, _handle) = pf.port_forward().await?;
 
@@ -235,7 +239,10 @@ impl ConfigBuilder<ApiRest> {
 impl ConfigBuilder<Etcd> {
     /// Tries to build a TCP `Configuration` from the current self.
     pub async fn build(self) -> anyhow::Result<Uri> {
-        let pf = kube_forward::PortForward::new(self.target, None).await?;
+        let config = super::config_from_kubeconfig(self.kube_config).await?;
+        let client = kube::Client::try_from(config)?;
+
+        let pf = kube_forward::PortForward::new(self.target, None, client);
 
         let (port, _handle) = pf.port_forward().await?;
 
@@ -279,12 +286,14 @@ impl ConfigBuilder<Loki> {
     }
     /// Tries to build an HTTP `Configuration` from the current self.
     async fn build_http(self) -> anyhow::Result<(Uri, LokiClient)> {
-        let uri = kube_forward::HttpForward::new(self.target, Some(self.scheme.into()))
-            .await?
-            .uri()
-            .await?;
         let config = super::config_from_kubeconfig(self.kube_config).await?;
         let client = kube::Client::try_from(config)?;
+
+        let uri =
+            kube_forward::HttpForward::new(self.target, Some(self.scheme.into()), client.clone())
+                .uri()
+                .await?;
+
         let proxy = kube_forward::HttpProxy::new(client);
 
         let service = tower::ServiceBuilder::new()
@@ -294,7 +303,10 @@ impl ConfigBuilder<Loki> {
     }
     /// Tries to build a TCP `Configuration` from the current self.
     async fn build_tcp(self) -> anyhow::Result<(Uri, LokiClient)> {
-        let pf = kube_forward::PortForward::new(self.target, None).await?;
+        let config = super::config_from_kubeconfig(self.kube_config).await?;
+        let client = kube::Client::try_from(config)?;
+
+        let pf = kube_forward::PortForward::new(self.target, None, client);
 
         let (port, _handle) = pf.port_forward().await?;