diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/cmd.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/cmd.go
index 4f843ea1b25..8c1b316d1c9 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/cmd.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/cmd.go
@@ -84,10 +84,6 @@ import (
 
 const kubectlCmdHeaders = "KUBECTL_COMMAND_HEADERS"
 
-var (
-	allowedCmdsSubcommandPlugin = map[string]struct{}{"create": {}}
-)
-
 type KubectlOptions struct {
 	PluginHandler PluginHandler
 	Arguments     []string
@@ -146,7 +142,7 @@ func NewDefaultKubectlCommandWithArgs(o KubectlOptions) *cobra.Command {
 			if cmdutil.CmdPluginAsSubcommand.IsEnabled() {
 				// Command exists(e.g. kubectl create), but it is not certain that
 				// subcommand also exists (e.g. kubectl create networkpolicy)
-				if _, ok := allowedCmdsSubcommandPlugin[foundCmd.Name()]; ok {
+				if _, ok := GetAllowedCmdsAsSubcommandPlugins()[foundCmd.Name()]; ok {
 					var subcommand string
 					for _, arg := range foundArgs { // first "non-flag" argument as subcommand
 						if !strings.HasPrefix(arg, "-") {
@@ -176,6 +172,13 @@ func NewDefaultKubectlCommandWithArgs(o KubectlOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	return cmd
 }
 
+// GetAllowedCmdsAsSubcommandPlugins returns the list of builtin commands
+// that plugins are allowed to be used as subcommands only if the passed subcommand
+// does not exist as builtin.
+func GetAllowedCmdsAsSubcommandPlugins() map[string]struct{} {
+	return map[string]struct{}{"create": {}}
+}
+
 // PluginHandler is capable of parsing command line arguments
 // and performing executable filename lookups to search
 // for valid plugin files, and execute found plugins.