diff --git a/cmd/gendocs/gen_kubectl_docs.go b/cmd/gendocs/gen_kubectl_docs.go
index d6490b48ac6..f661c769750 100644
--- a/cmd/gendocs/gen_kubectl_docs.go
+++ b/cmd/gendocs/gen_kubectl_docs.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ func main() {
 	// Set environment variables used by kubectl so the output is consistent,
 	// regardless of where we run.
 	os.Setenv("HOME", "/home/username")
-	kubectl := cmd.NewFactory().NewKubectlCommand(out)
+	kubectl := cmd.NewFactory(nil).NewKubectlCommand(out)
 	fmt.Fprintf(out, "## %s\n\n", kubectl.Name())
 	fmt.Fprintf(out, "%s\n\n", kubectl.Short)
 	fmt.Fprintln(out, "### Commands\n")
diff --git a/cmd/kubectl/kubectl.go b/cmd/kubectl/kubectl.go
index 001d707e578..ac81ff3b1ea 100644
--- a/cmd/kubectl/kubectl.go
+++ b/cmd/kubectl/kubectl.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func main() {
-	cmd := cmd.NewFactory().NewKubectlCommand(os.Stdout)
+	cmd := cmd.NewFactory(nil).NewKubectlCommand(os.Stdout)
 	if err := cmd.Execute(); err != nil {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/cmd.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/cmd.go
index 30a5c8b404e..71ecea1ef4d 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/cmd.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/cmd.go
@@ -69,11 +69,18 @@ type Factory struct {
 }
 
 // NewFactory creates a factory with the default Kubernetes resources defined
-func NewFactory() *Factory {
+// if optionalClientConfig is nil, then flags will be bound to a new clientcmd.ClientConfig.
+// if optionalClientConfig is not nil, then this factory will make use of it.
+func NewFactory(optionalClientConfig clientcmd.ClientConfig) *Factory {
 	mapper := kubectl.ShortcutExpander{latest.RESTMapper}
 
 	flags := pflag.NewFlagSet("", pflag.ContinueOnError)
-	clientConfig := DefaultClientConfig(flags)
+
+	clientConfig := optionalClientConfig
+	if optionalClientConfig == nil {
+		clientConfig = DefaultClientConfig(flags)
+	}
+
 	clients := &clientCache{
 		clients: make(map[string]*client.Client),
 		loader:  clientConfig,
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/factory_test.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/factory_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d3a9efc4176
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/factory_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2014 Google Inc. All rights reserved.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/client/clientcmd"
+	clientcmdapi "github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/client/clientcmd/api"
+)
+
+func TestNewFactoryDefaultFlagBindings(t *testing.T) {
+	factory := NewFactory(nil)
+
+	if !factory.flags.HasFlags() {
+		t.Errorf("Expected flags, but didn't get any")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNewFactoryNoFlagBindings(t *testing.T) {
+	clientConfig := clientcmd.NewDefaultClientConfig(*clientcmdapi.NewConfig(), &clientcmd.ConfigOverrides{})
+	factory := NewFactory(clientConfig)
+
+	if factory.flags.HasFlags() {
+		t.Errorf("Expected zero flags, but got %v", factory.flags)
+	}
+}