diff --git a/pkg/volume/azure_file/azure_file.go b/pkg/volume/azure_file/azure_file.go
index 5723a44a48b..95e88c14a95 100644
--- a/pkg/volume/azure_file/azure_file.go
+++ b/pkg/volume/azure_file/azure_file.go
@@ -55,7 +55,8 @@ var _ volume.PersistentVolumePlugin = &azureFilePlugin{}
 var _ volume.ExpandableVolumePlugin = &azureFilePlugin{}
 
 const (
-	azureFilePluginName = "kubernetes.io/azure-file"
+	azureFilePluginName    = "kubernetes.io/azure-file"
+	defaultSecretNamespace = "default"
 )
 
 func getPath(uid types.UID, volName string, host volume.VolumeHost) string {
@@ -115,7 +116,7 @@ func (plugin *azureFilePlugin) newMounterInternal(spec *volume.Spec, pod *v1.Pod
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	secretName, secretNamespace, err := getSecretNameAndNamespace(spec, pod.Namespace)
+	secretName, secretNamespace, err := getSecretNameAndNamespace(spec, defaultSecretNamespace)
 	if err != nil {
 		// Log-and-continue instead of returning an error for now
 		// due to unspecified backwards compatibility concerns (a subject to revise)
@@ -173,7 +174,7 @@ func (plugin *azureFilePlugin) ExpandVolumeDevice(
 		resourceGroup = spec.PersistentVolume.ObjectMeta.Annotations[resourceGroupAnnotation]
 	}
 
-	secretName, secretNamespace, err := getSecretNameAndNamespace(spec, spec.PersistentVolume.Spec.ClaimRef.Namespace)
+	secretName, secretNamespace, err := getSecretNameAndNamespace(spec, defaultSecretNamespace)
 	if err != nil {
 		return oldSize, err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/volume/azure_file/azure_provision.go b/pkg/volume/azure_file/azure_provision.go
index d547fc6e9b0..6b4c8f834a2 100644
--- a/pkg/volume/azure_file/azure_provision.go
+++ b/pkg/volume/azure_file/azure_provision.go
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ func (plugin *azureFilePlugin) newDeleterInternal(spec *volume.Spec, util azureU
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid PV spec")
 	}
 
-	secretName, secretNamespace, err := getSecretNameAndNamespace(spec, spec.PersistentVolume.Spec.ClaimRef.Namespace)
+	secretName, secretNamespace, err := getSecretNameAndNamespace(spec, defaultSecretNamespace)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}