diff --git a/pkg/types/conf.go b/pkg/types/conf.go
index f6d66c51f..36637875c 100644
--- a/pkg/types/conf.go
+++ b/pkg/types/conf.go
@@ -219,29 +219,33 @@ func CreateCNIRuntimeConf(args *skel.CmdArgs, k8sArgs *K8sArgs, ifName string, r
 		},
 	}
 
-	// get CNI_ARGS and set it if it does not exist in rt.Args
+	// Populate rt.Args with CNI_ARGS if the rt.Args value is not set
 	cniArgs := os.Getenv("CNI_ARGS")
 	if cniArgs != "" {
 		for _, arg := range strings.Split(cniArgs, ";") {
-			for _, keyval := range strings.Split(arg, "=") {
-				if len(keyval) != 2 {
-					logging.Errorf("CreateCNIRuntimeConf: CNI_ARGS %s %s %d is not recognized as CNI arg, skipped", arg, keyval, len(keyval))
-					continue
-				}
+			// SplitN to handle = within values, like BLAH=foo=bar
+			keyval := strings.SplitN(arg, "=", 2)
+			if len(keyval) != 2 {
+				logging.Errorf("CreateCNIRuntimeConf: CNI_ARGS %s %s %d is not recognized as CNI arg, skipped", arg, keyval, len(keyval))
+				continue
+			}
 
-				envKey := string(keyval[0])
-				envVal := string(keyval[1])
-				isExists := false
-				for _, rtArg := range rt.Args {
-					if rtArg[0] == envKey {
-						isExists = true
-					}
-				}
-				if isExists != false {
+			envKey := string(keyval[0])
+			envVal := string(keyval[1])
+			found := false
+			for i := range rt.Args {
+				// Update existing key if its value is empty
+				if rt.Args[i][0] == envKey && rt.Args[i][1] == "" && envVal != "" {
 					logging.Debugf("CreateCNIRuntimeConf: add new val: %s", arg)
-					rt.Args = append(rt.Args, [2]string{envKey, envVal})
+					rt.Args[i][1] = envVal
+					found = true
+					break
 				}
 			}
+			if !found {
+				// Add the new key if it didn't exist yet
+				rt.Args = append(rt.Args, [2]string{envKey, envVal})
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/types/conf_test.go b/pkg/types/conf_test.go
index b155ef7eb..960e65adf 100644
--- a/pkg/types/conf_test.go
+++ b/pkg/types/conf_test.go
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ var _ = Describe("config operations", func() {
 	AfterEach(func() {
 		Expect(testNS.Close()).To(Succeed())
 		os.Unsetenv("CNI_PATH")
+		os.Unsetenv("CNI_ARGS")
 		err := os.RemoveAll(tmpDir)
 		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 	})
@@ -639,6 +640,44 @@ var _ = Describe("config operations", func() {
 		Expect(rt.CapabilityArgs["portMappings"]).To(Equal(rc.PortMaps))
 	})
 
+	It("creates a valid CNI runtime config with K8s args passed via CNI_ARGS environment variable", func() {
+		args := &skel.CmdArgs{
+			ContainerID: "123456789",
+			Netns:       testNS.Path(),
+			IfName:      "eth0",
+			StdinData: []byte(`{
+    "name": "node-cni-network",
+    "type": "multus",
+    "defaultnetworkfile": "/tmp/foo.multus.conf",
+    "defaultnetworkwaitseconds": 3,
+    "delegates": [{
+        "name": "weave1",
+        "cniVersion": "0.2.0",
+        "type": "weave-net"
+    },{
+        "name": "other1",
+        "cniVersion": "0.2.0",
+        "type": "other-plugin"
+    }]
+}`),
+		}
+
+		os.Setenv("CNI_ARGS", "K8S_POD_NAME=dummy;K8S_POD_NAMESPACE=namespacedummy;K8S_POD_INFRA_CONTAINER_ID=123456789;K8S_POD_UID=aaaaa;BLAHBLAH=foo=bar")
+		k8sArgs := &K8sArgs{}
+		rt, _ := CreateCNIRuntimeConf(args, k8sArgs, "", &RuntimeConfig{}, nil)
+		fmt.Println("rt.ContainerID: ", rt.ContainerID)
+		Expect(rt.ContainerID).To(Equal("123456789"))
+		Expect(rt.NetNS).To(Equal(args.Netns))
+		Expect(rt.IfName).To(Equal(""))
+		fmt.Println("rt.ContainerID: ", rt.ContainerID)
+		Expect(rt.Args[0]).To(Equal([2]string{"IgnoreUnknown", "true"}))
+		Expect(rt.Args[1]).To(Equal([2]string{"K8S_POD_NAMESPACE", "namespacedummy"}))
+		Expect(rt.Args[2]).To(Equal([2]string{"K8S_POD_NAME", "dummy"}))
+		Expect(rt.Args[3]).To(Equal([2]string{"K8S_POD_INFRA_CONTAINER_ID", "123456789"}))
+		Expect(rt.Args[4]).To(Equal([2]string{"K8S_POD_UID", "aaaaa"}))
+		Expect(rt.Args[5]).To(Equal([2]string{"BLAHBLAH", "foo=bar"}))
+	})
+
 	It("can loadnetworkstatus", func() {
 		result := &types020.Result{
 			CNIVersion: "0.2.0",