diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/auth/reconcile.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/auth/reconcile.go
index 1e31d77338c..3ead45bf644 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/auth/reconcile.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/auth/reconcile.go
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ type ReconcileOptions struct {
 
 var (
 	reconcileLong = templates.LongDesc(`
-		Reconciles rules for RBAC Role, RoleBinding, ClusterRole, and ClusterRole binding objects.
+		Reconciles rules for RBAC Role, RoleBinding, ClusterRole, and ClusterRoleBinding objects.
 
 		Missing objects are created, and the containing namespace is created for namespaced objects, if required.
 
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ func NewCmdReconcile(f cmdutil.Factory, streams genericclioptions.IOStreams) *co
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:                   "reconcile -f FILENAME",
 		DisableFlagsInUseLine: true,
-		Short:                 "Reconciles rules for RBAC Role, RoleBinding, ClusterRole, and ClusterRole binding objects",
+		Short:                 "Reconciles rules for RBAC Role, RoleBinding, ClusterRole, and ClusterRoleBinding objects",
 		Long:                  reconcileLong,
 		Example:               reconcileExample,
 		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
@@ -121,7 +121,11 @@ func (o *ReconcileOptions) Complete(cmd *cobra.Command, f cmdutil.Factory, args
 		return errors.New("no arguments are allowed")
 	}
 
-	o.DryRun = getClientSideDryRun(cmd)
+	dryRun, err := getClientSideDryRun(cmd)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	o.DryRun = dryRun
 
 	namespace, enforceNamespace, err := f.ToRawKubeConfigLoader().Namespace()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -331,13 +335,13 @@ func (o *ReconcileOptions) printResults(object runtime.Object,
 	}
 }
 
-func getClientSideDryRun(cmd *cobra.Command) bool {
+func getClientSideDryRun(cmd *cobra.Command) (bool, error) {
 	dryRunStrategy, err := cmdutil.GetDryRunStrategy(cmd)
 	if err != nil {
-		klog.Fatalf("error accessing --dry-run flag for command %s: %v", cmd.Name(), err)
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("error accessing --dry-run flag for command %s: %v", cmd.Name(), err)
 	}
 	if dryRunStrategy == cmdutil.DryRunServer {
-		klog.Fatalf("--dry-run=server for command %s is not supported yet", cmd.Name())
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("--dry-run=server for command %s is not supported yet", cmd.Name())
 	}
-	return dryRunStrategy == cmdutil.DryRunClient
+	return dryRunStrategy == cmdutil.DryRunClient, nil
 }