diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions/config_flags.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions/config_flags.go
index fe63cbb9a9d..402caa86bf0 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions/config_flags.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions/config_flags.go
@@ -57,10 +57,6 @@ const (
 	flagCacheDir         = "cache-dir"
 )
 
-var (
-	defaultCacheDir = filepath.Join(homedir.HomeDir(), ".kube", "cache")
-)
-
 // RESTClientGetter is an interface that the ConfigFlags describe to provide an easier way to mock for commands
 // and eliminate the direct coupling to a struct type.  Users may wish to duplicate this type in their own packages
 // as per the golang type overlapping.
@@ -275,16 +271,13 @@ func (f *ConfigFlags) toDiscoveryClient() (discovery.CachedDiscoveryInterface, e
 	config.Burst = f.discoveryBurst
 	config.QPS = f.discoveryQPS
 
-	cacheDir := defaultCacheDir
-	if kcd := os.Getenv("KUBECACHEDIR"); kcd != "" {
-		cacheDir = kcd
-	}
+	cacheDir := getDefaultCacheDir()
 
 	// retrieve a user-provided value for the "cache-dir"
 	// override httpCacheDir and discoveryCacheDir if user-value is given.
 	// user-provided value has higher precedence than default
 	// and KUBECACHEDIR environment variable.
-	if f.CacheDir != nil && *f.CacheDir != "" && *f.CacheDir != defaultCacheDir {
+	if f.CacheDir != nil && *f.CacheDir != "" && *f.CacheDir != getDefaultCacheDir() {
 		cacheDir = *f.CacheDir
 	}
 
@@ -294,6 +287,17 @@ func (f *ConfigFlags) toDiscoveryClient() (discovery.CachedDiscoveryInterface, e
 	return diskcached.NewCachedDiscoveryClientForConfig(config, discoveryCacheDir, httpCacheDir, time.Duration(6*time.Hour))
 }
 
+// getDefaultCacheDir returns default caching directory path.
+// it first looks at KUBECACHEDIR env var if it is set, otherwise
+// it returns standard kube cache dir.
+func getDefaultCacheDir() string {
+	if kcd := os.Getenv("KUBECACHEDIR"); kcd != "" {
+		return kcd
+	}
+
+	return filepath.Join(homedir.HomeDir(), ".kube", "cache")
+}
+
 // ToRESTMapper returns a mapper.
 func (f *ConfigFlags) ToRESTMapper() (meta.RESTMapper, error) {
 	if f.usePersistentConfig {
@@ -426,7 +430,7 @@ func NewConfigFlags(usePersistentConfig bool) *ConfigFlags {
 		Timeout:    utilpointer.String("0"),
 		KubeConfig: utilpointer.String(""),
 
-		CacheDir:         utilpointer.String(defaultCacheDir),
+		CacheDir:         utilpointer.String(getDefaultCacheDir()),
 		ClusterName:      utilpointer.String(""),
 		AuthInfoName:     utilpointer.String(""),
 		Context:          utilpointer.String(""),