diff --git a/pkg/client/unversioned/clientcmd/loader.go b/pkg/client/unversioned/clientcmd/loader.go
index 065559a9c01..7650dd24f42 100644
--- a/pkg/client/unversioned/clientcmd/loader.go
+++ b/pkg/client/unversioned/clientcmd/loader.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
+	goruntime "runtime"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/golang/glog"
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ import (
 	clientcmdlatest "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/client/unversioned/clientcmd/api/latest"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/runtime"
 	utilerrors "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/errors"
+	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/homedir"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -43,9 +45,23 @@ const (
 	RecommendedSchemaName       = "schema"
 )
 
-var OldRecommendedHomeFile = path.Join(os.Getenv("HOME"), "/.kube/.kubeconfig")
-var RecommendedHomeFile = path.Join(os.Getenv("HOME"), RecommendedHomeDir, RecommendedFileName)
-var RecommendedSchemaFile = path.Join(os.Getenv("HOME"), RecommendedHomeDir, RecommendedSchemaName)
+var RecommendedHomeFile = path.Join(homedir.HomeDir(), RecommendedHomeDir, RecommendedFileName)
+var RecommendedSchemaFile = path.Join(homedir.HomeDir(), RecommendedHomeDir, RecommendedSchemaName)
+
+// currentMigrationRules returns a map that holds the history of recommended home directories used in previous versions.
+// Any future changes to RecommendedHomeFile and related are expected to add a migration rule here, in order to make
+// sure existing config files are migrated to their new locations properly.
+func currentMigrationRules() map[string]string {
+	oldRecommendedHomeFile := path.Join(os.Getenv("HOME"), "/.kube/.kubeconfig")
+	oldRecommendedWindowsHomeFile := path.Join(os.Getenv("HOME"), RecommendedHomeDir, RecommendedFileName)
+
+	migrationRules := map[string]string{}
+	migrationRules[RecommendedHomeFile] = oldRecommendedHomeFile
+	if goruntime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		migrationRules[RecommendedHomeFile] = oldRecommendedWindowsHomeFile
+	}
+	return migrationRules
+}
 
 // ClientConfigLoadingRules is an ExplicitPath and string slice of specific locations that are used for merging together a Config
 // Callers can put the chain together however they want, but we'd recommend:
@@ -68,7 +84,6 @@ type ClientConfigLoadingRules struct {
 // use this constructor
 func NewDefaultClientConfigLoadingRules() *ClientConfigLoadingRules {
 	chain := []string{}
-	migrationRules := map[string]string{}
 
 	envVarFiles := os.Getenv(RecommendedConfigPathEnvVar)
 	if len(envVarFiles) != 0 {
@@ -76,13 +91,11 @@ func NewDefaultClientConfigLoadingRules() *ClientConfigLoadingRules {
 
 	} else {
 		chain = append(chain, RecommendedHomeFile)
-		migrationRules[RecommendedHomeFile] = OldRecommendedHomeFile
-
 	}
 
 	return &ClientConfigLoadingRules{
 		Precedence:     chain,
-		MigrationRules: migrationRules,
+		MigrationRules: currentMigrationRules(),
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/util/homedir/homedir.go b/pkg/util/homedir/homedir.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..57171e109bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/util/homedir/homedir.go
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2016 The Kubernetes Authors 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 homedir
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"runtime"
+)
+
+// HomeDir returns the home directory for the current user
+func HomeDir() string {
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		if homeDrive, homePath := os.Getenv("HOMEDRIVE"), os.Getenv("HOMEPATH"); len(homeDrive) > 0 && len(homePath) > 0 {
+			homeDir := homeDrive + homePath
+			if _, err := os.Stat(homeDir); err == nil {
+				return homeDir
+			}
+		}
+		if userProfile := os.Getenv("USERPROFILE"); len(userProfile) > 0 {
+			if _, err := os.Stat(userProfile); err == nil {
+				return userProfile
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return os.Getenv("HOME")
+}