diff --git a/cli/kubernetes/portForward.go b/cli/kubernetes/portForward.go
index 6129671ea..4c5ef480f 100644
--- a/cli/kubernetes/portForward.go
+++ b/cli/kubernetes/portForward.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package kubernetes
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/httpstream"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/portforward"
@@ -15,7 +16,7 @@ type PortForward struct {
 	stopChan chan struct{}
 }
 
-func NewPortForward(kubernetesProvider *Provider, namespace string, podName string, localPort uint16, podPort uint16) (*PortForward, error) {
+func NewPortForward(kubernetesProvider *Provider, namespace string, podName string, localPort uint16, podPort uint16, cancel context.CancelFunc) (*PortForward, error) {
 	dialer := getHttpDialer(kubernetesProvider, namespace, podName)
 	stopChan, readyChan := make(chan struct{}, 1), make(chan struct{}, 1)
 	out, errOut := new(bytes.Buffer), new(bytes.Buffer)
@@ -24,10 +25,13 @@ func NewPortForward(kubernetesProvider *Provider, namespace string, podName stri
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	go forwarder.ForwardPorts()
-	//if err != nil {
-	//	return nil, err
-	//}
+    go func () {
+    	err = forwarder.ForwardPorts() // this is blocking
+    	if err != nil {
+    		fmt.Printf("kubernetes port-forwarding error: %s", err)
+    		cancel()
+		}
+	}()
 	return &PortForward{stopChan: stopChan}, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/cli/kubernetes/watch.go b/cli/kubernetes/watch.go
index b70107804..b37289063 100644
--- a/cli/kubernetes/watch.go
+++ b/cli/kubernetes/watch.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ func FilteredWatch(ctx context.Context, watcher watch.Interface, podFilter *rege
 
 				if e.Object == nil {
 					errorChan <- errors.New("kubernetes pod watch failed")
+					return
 				}
 
 				pod := e.Object.(*corev1.Pod)
diff --git a/cli/mizu/mizu.go b/cli/mizu/mizu.go
index 40c0061a1..fe959bbe6 100644
--- a/cli/mizu/mizu.go
+++ b/cli/mizu/mizu.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func createPodAndPortForward(ctx context.Context, kubernetesProvider *kubernetes
 			if modifiedPod.Status.Phase == "Running" && !isPodReady {
 				isPodReady = true
 				var err error
-				portForward, err = kubernetes.NewPortForward(kubernetesProvider, kubernetesProvider.Namespace, podName, config.Configuration.DashboardPort, 80)
+				portForward, err = kubernetes.NewPortForward(kubernetesProvider, kubernetesProvider.Namespace, podName, config.Configuration.DashboardPort, 80, cancel)
 				if !config.Configuration.NoDashboard {
 					fmt.Printf("Dashboard is now available at http://localhost:%d\n", config.Configuration.DashboardPort)
 				}