diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/run.go b/pkg/kubectl/run.go
index eadf3c08cbb..43359a6792d 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/run.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/run.go
@@ -593,11 +593,16 @@ func (BasicPod) Generate(genericParams map[string]interface{}) (runtime.Object,
 func parseEnvs(envArray []string) ([]api.EnvVar, error) {
 	envs := []api.EnvVar{}
 	for _, env := range envArray {
-		parts := strings.Split(env, "=")
-		if len(parts) != 2 || !validation.IsCIdentifier(parts[0]) || len(parts[1]) == 0 {
+		pos := strings.Index(env, "=")
+		if pos == -1 {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid env: %v", env)
 		}
-		envVar := api.EnvVar{Name: parts[0], Value: parts[1]}
+		name := env[:pos]
+		value := env[pos+1:]
+		if len(name) == 0 || !validation.IsCIdentifier(name) || len(value) == 0 {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid env: %v", env)
+		}
+		envVar := api.EnvVar{Name: name, Value: value}
 		envs = append(envs, envVar)
 	}
 	return envs, nil
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/run_test.go b/pkg/kubectl/run_test.go
index fc7c95c935f..449fdd0d634 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/run_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/run_test.go
@@ -811,3 +811,73 @@ func TestGenerateJob(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestParseEnv(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		envArray  []string
+		expected  []api.EnvVar
+		expectErr bool
+		test      string
+	}{
+		{
+			envArray: []string{
+				"THIS_ENV=isOK",
+				"HAS_COMMAS=foo,bar",
+				"HAS_EQUALS=jJnro54iUu75xNy==",
+			},
+			expected: []api.EnvVar{
+				{
+					Name:  "THIS_ENV",
+					Value: "isOK",
+				},
+				{
+					Name:  "HAS_COMMAS",
+					Value: "foo,bar",
+				},
+				{
+					Name:  "HAS_EQUALS",
+					Value: "jJnro54iUu75xNy==",
+				},
+			},
+			expectErr: false,
+			test:      "test case 1",
+		},
+		{
+			envArray: []string{
+				"WITH_OUT_EQUALS",
+			},
+			expected:  []api.EnvVar{},
+			expectErr: true,
+			test:      "test case 2",
+		},
+		{
+			envArray: []string{
+				"WITH_OUT_VALUES=",
+			},
+			expected:  []api.EnvVar{},
+			expectErr: true,
+			test:      "test case 3",
+		},
+		{
+			envArray: []string{
+				"=WITH_OUT_NAME",
+			},
+			expected:  []api.EnvVar{},
+			expectErr: true,
+			test:      "test case 4",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		envs, err := parseEnvs(test.envArray)
+		if !test.expectErr && err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("unexpected error: %v (%s)", err, test.test)
+		}
+		if test.expectErr && err != nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		if !reflect.DeepEqual(envs, test.expected) {
+			t.Errorf("\nexpected:\n%#v\nsaw:\n%#v (%s)", test.expected, envs, test.test)
+		}
+	}
+}