diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/annotate/annotate.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/annotate/annotate.go
index bc5322b5a86..aeeb5cea372 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/annotate/annotate.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/annotate/annotate.go
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/json"
 
+	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/clientcmd"
+
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions"
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericiooptions"
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/printers"
@@ -227,7 +229,7 @@ func (flags *AnnotateFlags) ToOptions(f cmdutil.Factory, cmd *cobra.Command, arg
 	}
 
 	options.namespace, options.enforceNamespace, err = f.ToRawKubeConfigLoader().Namespace()
-	if err != nil {
+	if err != nil && !(options.local && clientcmd.IsEmptyConfig(err)) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	options.builder = f.NewBuilder()
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/label/label.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/label/label.go
index e431dd9c8d2..39ef03f0f41 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/label/label.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/label/label.go
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericiooptions"
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/printers"
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/resource"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/clientcmd"
 	cmdutil "k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/util"
 	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/scheme"
 	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/util/completion"
@@ -204,7 +205,7 @@ func (o *LabelOptions) Complete(f cmdutil.Factory, cmd *cobra.Command, args []st
 	}
 
 	o.namespace, o.enforceNamespace, err = f.ToRawKubeConfigLoader().Namespace()
-	if err != nil {
+	if err != nil && !(o.local && clientcmd.IsEmptyConfig(err)) {
 		return err
 	}
 	o.builder = f.NewBuilder()
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/patch/patch.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/patch/patch.go
index 4e89710549a..be303a53b53 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/patch/patch.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/patch/patch.go
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericiooptions"
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/printers"
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/resource"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/clientcmd"
 	cmdutil "k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/util"
 	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/scheme"
 	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/util/completion"
@@ -171,7 +172,7 @@ func (o *PatchOptions) Complete(f cmdutil.Factory, cmd *cobra.Command, args []st
 	}
 
 	o.namespace, o.enforceNamespace, err = f.ToRawKubeConfigLoader().Namespace()
-	if err != nil {
+	if err != nil && !(o.Local && clientcmd.IsEmptyConfig(err)) {
 		return err
 	}
 	o.args = args
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/set/set_image.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/set/set_image.go
index db43952edad..84f8911cddc 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/set/set_image.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/set/set_image.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericiooptions"
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/printers"
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/resource"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/clientcmd"
 	cmdutil "k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/util"
 	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/polymorphichelpers"
 	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/scheme"
@@ -167,7 +168,7 @@ func (o *SetImageOptions) Complete(f cmdutil.Factory, cmd *cobra.Command, args [
 	o.PrintObj = printer.PrintObj
 
 	cmdNamespace, enforceNamespace, err := f.ToRawKubeConfigLoader().Namespace()
-	if err != nil {
+	if err != nil && !(o.Local && clientcmd.IsEmptyConfig(err)) {
 		return err
 	}
 
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/set/set_resources.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/set/set_resources.go
index 16b7a352756..4bcb3390c1e 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/set/set_resources.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/set/set_resources.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericiooptions"
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/printers"
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/resource"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/clientcmd"
 	cmdutil "k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/util"
 	generateversioned "k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/generate/versioned"
 	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/polymorphichelpers"
@@ -166,7 +167,7 @@ func (o *SetResourcesOptions) Complete(f cmdutil.Factory, cmd *cobra.Command, ar
 	o.PrintObj = printer.PrintObj
 
 	cmdNamespace, enforceNamespace, err := f.ToRawKubeConfigLoader().Namespace()
-	if err != nil {
+	if err != nil && !(o.Local && clientcmd.IsEmptyConfig(err)) {
 		return err
 	}
 
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/set/set_serviceaccount.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/set/set_serviceaccount.go
index b121234f2ad..d047a235c32 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/set/set_serviceaccount.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/set/set_serviceaccount.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericiooptions"
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/printers"
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/resource"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/clientcmd"
 	cmdutil "k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/util"
 	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/polymorphichelpers"
 	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/scheme"
@@ -149,7 +150,7 @@ func (o *SetServiceAccountOptions) Complete(f cmdutil.Factory, cmd *cobra.Comman
 	o.PrintObj = printer.PrintObj
 
 	cmdNamespace, enforceNamespace, err := f.ToRawKubeConfigLoader().Namespace()
-	if err != nil {
+	if err != nil && !(o.local && clientcmd.IsEmptyConfig(err)) {
 		return err
 	}
 	if len(args) == 0 {
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/set/set_subject.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/set/set_subject.go
index 25747ba638b..aa76764352a 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/set/set_subject.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/set/set_subject.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericiooptions"
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/printers"
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/resource"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/clientcmd"
 	cmdutil "k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/util"
 	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/scheme"
 	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/util/i18n"
@@ -138,7 +139,7 @@ func (o *SubjectOptions) Complete(f cmdutil.Factory, cmd *cobra.Command, args []
 
 	var enforceNamespace bool
 	o.namespace, enforceNamespace, err = f.ToRawKubeConfigLoader().Namespace()
-	if err != nil {
+	if err != nil && !(o.Local && clientcmd.IsEmptyConfig(err)) {
 		return err
 	}