diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/exec.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/exec.go
index 5febff45ef8..787b6ed0fff 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/exec.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/exec.go
@@ -80,27 +80,29 @@ type execParams struct {
 	tty           bool
 }
 
-func extractPodAndContainer(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string, p *execParams) (podName string, containerName string, err error) {
-	if len(p.podName) == 0 && len(args) == 0 {
-		return "", "", cmdutil.UsageError(cmd, "POD is required for exec")
+func extractPodAndContainer(cmd *cobra.Command, argsIn []string, p *execParams) (podName string, containerName string, args []string, err error) {
+	if len(p.podName) == 0 && len(argsIn) == 0 {
+		return "", "", nil, cmdutil.UsageError(cmd, "POD is required for exec")
 	}
 	if len(p.podName) != 0 {
 		printDeprecationWarning("exec POD", "-p POD")
 		podName = p.podName
-		if len(args) < 1 {
-			return "", "", cmdutil.UsageError(cmd, "COMMAND is required for exec")
+		if len(argsIn) < 1 {
+			return "", "", nil, cmdutil.UsageError(cmd, "COMMAND is required for exec")
 		}
+		args = argsIn
 	} else {
-		podName = args[0]
-		if len(args) < 2 {
-			return "", "", cmdutil.UsageError(cmd, "COMMAND is required for exec")
+		podName = argsIn[0]
+		args = argsIn[1:]
+		if len(args) < 1 {
+			return "", "", nil, cmdutil.UsageError(cmd, "COMMAND is required for exec")
 		}
 	}
-	return podName, p.containerName, nil
+	return podName, p.containerName, args, nil
 }
 
-func RunExec(f *cmdutil.Factory, cmd *cobra.Command, cmdIn io.Reader, cmdOut, cmdErr io.Writer, p *execParams, args []string, re remoteExecutor) error {
-	podName, containerName, err := extractPodAndContainer(cmd, args, p)
+func RunExec(f *cmdutil.Factory, cmd *cobra.Command, cmdIn io.Reader, cmdOut, cmdErr io.Writer, p *execParams, argsIn []string, re remoteExecutor) error {
+	podName, containerName, args, err := extractPodAndContainer(cmd, argsIn, p)
 	namespace, err := f.DefaultNamespace()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/exec_test.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/exec_test.go
index 05e5f9ecb78..31a5e448463 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/exec_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/exec_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
+	"reflect"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -43,58 +44,73 @@ func TestPodAndContainer(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		args              []string
 		p                 *execParams
+		name              string
 		expectError       bool
 		expectedPod       string
 		expectedContainer string
+		expectedArgs      []string
 	}{
 		{
 			p:           &execParams{},
 			expectError: true,
+			name:        "empty",
 		},
 		{
 			p:           &execParams{podName: "foo"},
 			expectError: true,
+			name:        "no cmd",
 		},
 		{
 			p:           &execParams{podName: "foo", containerName: "bar"},
 			expectError: true,
+			name:        "no cmd, w/ container",
 		},
 		{
-			p:           &execParams{podName: "foo"},
-			args:        []string{"cmd"},
-			expectedPod: "foo",
+			p:            &execParams{podName: "foo"},
+			args:         []string{"cmd"},
+			expectedPod:  "foo",
+			expectedArgs: []string{"cmd"},
+			name:         "pod in flags",
 		},
 		{
 			p:           &execParams{},
 			args:        []string{"foo"},
 			expectError: true,
+			name:        "no cmd, w/o flags",
 		},
 		{
-			p:           &execParams{},
-			args:        []string{"foo", "cmd"},
-			expectedPod: "foo",
+			p:            &execParams{},
+			args:         []string{"foo", "cmd"},
+			expectedPod:  "foo",
+			expectedArgs: []string{"cmd"},
+			name:         "cmd, w/o flags",
 		},
 		{
 			p:                 &execParams{containerName: "bar"},
 			args:              []string{"foo", "cmd"},
 			expectedPod:       "foo",
 			expectedContainer: "bar",
+			expectedArgs:      []string{"cmd"},
+			name:              "cmd, container in flag",
 		},
 	}
 	for _, test := range tests {
 		cmd := &cobra.Command{}
-		podName, containerName, err := extractPodAndContainer(cmd, test.args, test.p)
+		podName, containerName, args, err := extractPodAndContainer(cmd, test.args, test.p)
 		if podName != test.expectedPod {
-			t.Errorf("expected: %s, got: %s", test.expectedPod, podName)
+			t.Errorf("expected: %s, got: %s (%s)", test.expectedPod, podName, test.name)
 		}
 		if containerName != test.expectedContainer {
-			t.Errorf("expected: %s, got: %s", test.expectedContainer, containerName)
+			t.Errorf("expected: %s, got: %s (%s)", test.expectedContainer, containerName, test.name)
 		}
 		if test.expectError && err == nil {
-			t.Error("unexpected non-error")
+			t.Errorf("unexpected non-error (%s)", test.name)
 		}
 		if !test.expectError && err != nil {
-			t.Errorf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+			t.Errorf("unexpected error: %v (%s)", err, test.name)
+		}
+		if !reflect.DeepEqual(test.expectedArgs, args) {
+			t.Errorf("expected: %v, got %v (%s)", test.expectedArgs, args, test.name)
 		}
 	}
 }