diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/create_authinfo.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/create_authinfo.go
index 3e33c30a99d..c17c0247019 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/create_authinfo.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/create_authinfo.go
@@ -105,11 +105,11 @@ func newCmdConfigSetAuthInfo(out io.Writer, options *createAuthInfoOptions) *cob
 		Long:    create_authinfo_long,
 		Example: create_authinfo_example,
 		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-			if !options.complete(cmd, out) {
+			err := options.complete(cmd, out)
+			if err != nil {
 				cmd.Help()
-				return
+				cmdutil.CheckErr(err)
 			}
-
 			cmdutil.CheckErr(options.run())
 			fmt.Fprintf(out, "User %q set.\n", options.name)
 		},
@@ -238,30 +238,28 @@ func (o *createAuthInfoOptions) modifyAuthInfo(existingAuthInfo clientcmdapi.Aut
 	return modifiedAuthInfo
 }
 
-func (o *createAuthInfoOptions) complete(cmd *cobra.Command, out io.Writer) bool {
+func (o *createAuthInfoOptions) complete(cmd *cobra.Command, out io.Writer) error {
 	args := cmd.Flags().Args()
 	if len(args) != 1 {
-		return false
+		return fmt.Errorf("Unexpected args: %v", args)
 	}
 
 	authProviderArgs, err := cmd.Flags().GetStringSlice(flagAuthProviderArg)
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Fprintf(out, "Error: %s\n", err)
-		return false
+		return fmt.Errorf("Error: %s\n", err)
 	}
 
 	if len(authProviderArgs) > 0 {
 		newPairs, removePairs, err := cmdutil.ParsePairs(authProviderArgs, flagAuthProviderArg, true)
 		if err != nil {
-			fmt.Fprintf(out, "Error: %s\n", err)
-			return false
+			return fmt.Errorf("Error: %s\n", err)
 		}
 		o.authProviderArgs = newPairs
 		o.authProviderArgsToRemove = removePairs
 	}
 
 	o.name = args[0]
-	return true
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (o createAuthInfoOptions) validate() error {
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/create_authinfo_test.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/create_authinfo_test.go
index 1c8fa847647..c851ec36512 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/create_authinfo_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/create_authinfo_test.go
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ func TestCreateAuthInfoOptions(t *testing.T) {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		if !opts.complete(cmd, buff) {
+		if err := opts.complete(cmd, buff); err != nil {
 			if !test.wantCompleteErr {
 				t.Errorf("case %d: complete() error for flags %q: %s", i, test.flags, buff)
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/create_cluster.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/create_cluster.go
index e86e203a1e8..703496f16bb 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/create_cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/create_cluster.go
@@ -69,10 +69,7 @@ func NewCmdConfigSetCluster(out io.Writer, configAccess clientcmd.ConfigAccess)
 		Long:    create_cluster_long,
 		Example: create_cluster_example,
 		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-			if !options.complete(cmd) {
-				return
-			}
-
+			cmdutil.CheckErr(options.complete(cmd))
 			cmdutil.CheckErr(options.run())
 			fmt.Fprintf(out, "Cluster %q set.\n", options.name)
 		},
@@ -155,15 +152,15 @@ func (o *createClusterOptions) modifyCluster(existingCluster clientcmdapi.Cluste
 	return modifiedCluster
 }
 
-func (o *createClusterOptions) complete(cmd *cobra.Command) bool {
+func (o *createClusterOptions) complete(cmd *cobra.Command) error {
 	args := cmd.Flags().Args()
 	if len(args) != 1 {
 		cmd.Help()
-		return false
+		return fmt.Errorf("Unexpected args: %v", args)
 	}
 
 	o.name = args[0]
-	return true
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (o createClusterOptions) validate() error {
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/create_context.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/create_context.go
index abc481023b8..a8fab9d687a 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/create_context.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/create_context.go
@@ -59,10 +59,7 @@ func NewCmdConfigSetContext(out io.Writer, configAccess clientcmd.ConfigAccess)
 		Long:    create_context_long,
 		Example: create_context_example,
 		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-			if !options.complete(cmd) {
-				return
-			}
-
+			cmdutil.CheckErr(options.complete(cmd))
 			cmdutil.CheckErr(options.run())
 			fmt.Fprintf(out, "Context %q set.\n", options.name)
 		},
@@ -116,15 +113,15 @@ func (o *createContextOptions) modifyContext(existingContext clientcmdapi.Contex
 	return modifiedContext
 }
 
-func (o *createContextOptions) complete(cmd *cobra.Command) bool {
+func (o *createContextOptions) complete(cmd *cobra.Command) error {
 	args := cmd.Flags().Args()
 	if len(args) != 1 {
 		cmd.Help()
-		return false
+		return fmt.Errorf("Unexpected args: %v", args)
 	}
 
 	o.name = args[0]
-	return true
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (o createContextOptions) validate() error {
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/set.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/set.go
index 7a6d416e025..d99cbc59b4d 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/set.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/set.go
@@ -60,10 +60,7 @@ func NewCmdConfigSet(out io.Writer, configAccess clientcmd.ConfigAccess) *cobra.
 		Short: i18n.T("Sets an individual value in a kubeconfig file"),
 		Long:  set_long,
 		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-			if !options.complete(cmd) {
-				return
-			}
-
+			cmdutil.CheckErr(options.complete(cmd))
 			cmdutil.CheckErr(options.run())
 			fmt.Fprintf(out, "Property %q set.\n", options.propertyName)
 		},
@@ -106,16 +103,16 @@ func (o setOptions) run() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (o *setOptions) complete(cmd *cobra.Command) bool {
+func (o *setOptions) complete(cmd *cobra.Command) error {
 	endingArgs := cmd.Flags().Args()
 	if len(endingArgs) != 2 {
 		cmd.Help()
-		return false
+		return fmt.Errorf("Unexpected args: %v", endingArgs)
 	}
 
 	o.propertyValue = endingArgs[1]
 	o.propertyName = endingArgs[0]
-	return true
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (o setOptions) validate() error {
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/unset.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/unset.go
index f0ca283bae1..c1ccced2321 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/unset.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/unset.go
@@ -48,10 +48,7 @@ func NewCmdConfigUnset(out io.Writer, configAccess clientcmd.ConfigAccess) *cobr
 		Short: i18n.T("Unsets an individual value in a kubeconfig file"),
 		Long:  unset_long,
 		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-			if !options.complete(cmd) {
-				return
-			}
-
+			cmdutil.CheckErr(options.complete(cmd))
 			cmdutil.CheckErr(options.run())
 			fmt.Fprintf(out, "Property %q unset.\n", options.propertyName)
 		},
@@ -87,15 +84,15 @@ func (o unsetOptions) run() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (o *unsetOptions) complete(cmd *cobra.Command) bool {
+func (o *unsetOptions) complete(cmd *cobra.Command) error {
 	endingArgs := cmd.Flags().Args()
 	if len(endingArgs) != 1 {
 		cmd.Help()
-		return false
+		return fmt.Errorf("Unexpected args: %v", endingArgs)
 	}
 
 	o.propertyName = endingArgs[0]
-	return true
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (o unsetOptions) validate() error {
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/use_context.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/use_context.go
index 62c08ee76a7..b46fefb91f8 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/use_context.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/config/use_context.go
@@ -50,10 +50,7 @@ func NewCmdConfigUseContext(out io.Writer, configAccess clientcmd.ConfigAccess)
 		Long:    `Sets the current-context in a kubeconfig file`,
 		Example: use_context_example,
 		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-			if !options.complete(cmd) {
-				return
-			}
-
+			cmdutil.CheckErr(options.complete(cmd))
 			cmdutil.CheckErr(options.run())
 			fmt.Fprintf(out, "Switched to context %q.\n", options.contextName)
 		},
@@ -82,15 +79,15 @@ func (o useContextOptions) run() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (o *useContextOptions) complete(cmd *cobra.Command) bool {
+func (o *useContextOptions) complete(cmd *cobra.Command) error {
 	endingArgs := cmd.Flags().Args()
 	if len(endingArgs) != 1 {
 		cmd.Help()
-		return false
+		return fmt.Errorf("Unexpected args: %v", endingArgs)
 	}
 
 	o.contextName = endingArgs[0]
-	return true
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (o useContextOptions) validate(config *clientcmdapi.Config) error {