diff --git a/Godeps/Godeps.json b/Godeps/Godeps.json
index f551e171..786f5b74 100644
--- a/Godeps/Godeps.json
+++ b/Godeps/Godeps.json
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@
 		},
 		{
 			"ImportPath": "k8s.io/apimachinery",
-			"Rev": "75ce4d1e60f1"
+			"Rev": "6171873045ff"
 		},
 		{
 			"ImportPath": "k8s.io/klog",
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 948a7c05..cae62d0a 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ require (
 	golang.org/x/time v0.0.0-20161028155119-f51c12702a4d
 	google.golang.org/appengine v1.5.0 // indirect
 	k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20190712022805-31fe033ae6f9
-	k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20190712095106-75ce4d1e60f1
+	k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20190715170309-6171873045ff
 	k8s.io/klog v0.3.1
 	k8s.io/utils v0.0.0-20190607212802-c55fbcfc754a
 	sigs.k8s.io/yaml v1.1.0
@@ -41,5 +41,5 @@ replace (
 	golang.org/x/text => golang.org/x/text v0.3.1-0.20181227161524-e6919f6577db
 	golang.org/x/tools => golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20190313210603-aa82965741a9
 	k8s.io/api => k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20190712022805-31fe033ae6f9
-	k8s.io/apimachinery => k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20190712095106-75ce4d1e60f1
+	k8s.io/apimachinery => k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20190715170309-6171873045ff
 )
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index c243f9d2..6c7ecbdb 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.2.1/go.mod h1:hI93XBmqTisBFMUTm0b8Fm+jr3Dg1NNxqwp+5A1VGuI=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.2.2 h1:ZCJp+EgiOT7lHqUV2J862kp8Qj64Jo6az82+3Td9dZw=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.2.2/go.mod h1:hI93XBmqTisBFMUTm0b8Fm+jr3Dg1NNxqwp+5A1VGuI=
 k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20190712022805-31fe033ae6f9/go.mod h1:quCKyJONbDKoYS6YlndaZ0BUdM1jU4J8fCiC0S2ctLI=
-k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20190712095106-75ce4d1e60f1/go.mod h1:M2fZgZL9DbLfeJaPBCDqSqNsdsmLN+V29knYJnIXlMA=
+k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20190715170309-6171873045ff/go.mod h1:M2fZgZL9DbLfeJaPBCDqSqNsdsmLN+V29knYJnIXlMA=
 k8s.io/klog v0.3.0/go.mod h1:Gq+BEi5rUBO/HRz0bTSXDUcqjScdoY3a9IHpCEIOOfk=
 k8s.io/klog v0.3.1 h1:RVgyDHY/kFKtLqh67NvEWIgkMneNoIrdkN0CxDSQc68=
 k8s.io/klog v0.3.1/go.mod h1:Gq+BEi5rUBO/HRz0bTSXDUcqjScdoY3a9IHpCEIOOfk=
diff --git a/util/homedir/homedir.go b/util/homedir/homedir.go
index 816db57f..3fdbeb8c 100644
--- a/util/homedir/homedir.go
+++ b/util/homedir/homedir.go
@@ -18,30 +18,75 @@ package homedir
 
 import (
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
 )
 
-// HomeDir returns the home directory for the current user
+// HomeDir returns the home directory for the current user.
+// On Windows:
+// 1. the first of %HOME%, %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%, %USERPROFILE% containing a `.kube\config` file is returned.
+// 2. if none of those locations contain a `.kube\config` file, the first of %HOME%, %USERPROFILE%, %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH% that exists and is writeable is returned.
+// 3. if none of those locations are writeable, the first of %HOME%, %USERPROFILE%, %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH% that exists is returned.
+// 4. if none of those locations exists, the first of %HOME%, %USERPROFILE%, %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH% that is set is returned.
 func HomeDir() string {
 	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
-
-		// First prefer the HOME environmental variable
-		if home := os.Getenv("HOME"); len(home) > 0 {
-			if _, err := os.Stat(home); err == nil {
-				return home
-			}
-		}
+		home := os.Getenv("HOME")
+		homeDriveHomePath := ""
 		if homeDrive, homePath := os.Getenv("HOMEDRIVE"), os.Getenv("HOMEPATH"); len(homeDrive) > 0 && len(homePath) > 0 {
-			homeDir := homeDrive + homePath
-			if _, err := os.Stat(homeDir); err == nil {
-				return homeDir
+			homeDriveHomePath = homeDrive + homePath
+		}
+		userProfile := os.Getenv("USERPROFILE")
+
+		// Return first of %HOME%, %HOMEDRIVE%/%HOMEPATH%, %USERPROFILE% that contains a `.kube\config` file.
+		// %HOMEDRIVE%/%HOMEPATH% is preferred over %USERPROFILE% for backwards-compatibility.
+		for _, p := range []string{home, homeDriveHomePath, userProfile} {
+			if len(p) == 0 {
+				continue
+			}
+			if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(p, ".kube", "config")); err != nil {
+				continue
+			}
+			return p
+		}
+
+		firstSetPath := ""
+		firstExistingPath := ""
+
+		// Prefer %USERPROFILE% over %HOMEDRIVE%/%HOMEPATH% for compatibility with other auth-writing tools
+		for _, p := range []string{home, userProfile, homeDriveHomePath} {
+			if len(p) == 0 {
+				continue
+			}
+			if len(firstSetPath) == 0 {
+				// remember the first path that is set
+				firstSetPath = p
+			}
+			info, err := os.Stat(p)
+			if err != nil {
+				continue
+			}
+			if len(firstExistingPath) == 0 {
+				// remember the first path that exists
+				firstExistingPath = p
+			}
+			if info.IsDir() && info.Mode().Perm()&(1<<(uint(7))) != 0 {
+				// return first path that is writeable
+				return p
 			}
 		}
-		if userProfile := os.Getenv("USERPROFILE"); len(userProfile) > 0 {
-			if _, err := os.Stat(userProfile); err == nil {
-				return userProfile
-			}
+
+		// If none are writeable, return first location that exists
+		if len(firstExistingPath) > 0 {
+			return firstExistingPath
 		}
+
+		// If none exist, return first location that is set
+		if len(firstSetPath) > 0 {
+			return firstSetPath
+		}
+
+		// We've got nothing
+		return ""
 	}
 	return os.Getenv("HOME")
 }