diff --git a/kubeshell/client.py b/kubeshell/client.py
index 360f337..a6304bb 100644
--- a/kubeshell/client.py
+++ b/kubeshell/client.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 from kubernetes import client, config
 from kubernetes.client.api_client import ApiException
 
+import os
 import logging
 import urllib3
 
@@ -10,6 +11,7 @@
 ulogger = logging.getLogger("urllib3")
 ulogger.setLevel("ERROR")
 urllib3.disable_warnings(urllib3.exceptions.InsecureRequestWarning)
+kubeconfig_filepath = os.getenv("KUBECONFIG") or "~/.kube/config"
 
 
 class KubernetesClient(object):
@@ -17,7 +19,8 @@ class KubernetesClient(object):
     def __init__(self):
         self.logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
         try:
-            config.load_kube_config()
+            config_file = os.path.expanduser(kubeconfig_filepath)
+            config.load_kube_config(config_file=config_file)
         except:
             self.logger.warning("unable to load kube-config")
 
@@ -29,7 +32,6 @@ def __init__(self):
         self.batchV1Api = client.BatchV1Api()
         self.batchV2Api = client.BatchV2alpha1Api()
 
-
     def get_resource(self, resource, namespace="all"):
         ret, resources = None, list()
         try:
diff --git a/kubeshell/completer.py b/kubeshell/completer.py
index 066cb0c..d710ce9 100644
--- a/kubeshell/completer.py
+++ b/kubeshell/completer.py
@@ -38,8 +38,11 @@ def set_namespace(self, namespace):
     def get_completions(self, document, complete_event, smart_completion=None):
         word_before_cursor = document.get_word_before_cursor(WORD=True)
         cmdline = document.text_before_cursor.strip()
-        tokens = shlex.split(cmdline)
-        _, _, suggestions = self.parser.parse_tokens(tokens)
-        valid_keys = fuzzyfinder(word_before_cursor, suggestions.keys())
-        for key in valid_keys:
-            yield Completion(key, -len(word_before_cursor), display=key, display_meta=suggestions[key])
+        try:
+            tokens = shlex.split(cmdline)
+            _, _, suggestions = self.parser.parse_tokens(tokens)
+            valid_keys = fuzzyfinder(word_before_cursor, suggestions.keys())
+            for key in valid_keys:
+                yield Completion(key, -len(word_before_cursor), display=key, display_meta=suggestions[key])
+        except ValueError:
+            pass
diff --git a/kubeshell/kubeshell.py b/kubeshell/kubeshell.py
index d63800e..7bbc8f2 100644
--- a/kubeshell/kubeshell.py
+++ b/kubeshell/kubeshell.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 from kubeshell.completer import KubectlCompleter
 from kubeshell.lexer import KubectlLexer
 from kubeshell.toolbar import Toolbar
-from kubeshell.client import KubernetesClient
+from kubeshell.client import KubernetesClient, kubeconfig_filepath
 
 import os
 import click
@@ -35,10 +35,10 @@ class KubeConfig(object):
 
     @staticmethod
     def parse_kubeconfig():
-        if not os.path.exists(os.path.expanduser("~/.kube/config")):
+        if not os.path.exists(os.path.expanduser(kubeconfig_filepath)):
             return ("", "", "")
 
-        with open(os.path.expanduser("~/.kube/config"), "r") as fd:
+        with open(os.path.expanduser(kubeconfig_filepath), "r") as fd:
             docs = yaml.load_all(fd)
             for doc in docs:
                 current_context = doc.get("current-context", "")
@@ -59,10 +59,10 @@ def parse_kubeconfig():
 
     @staticmethod
     def switch_to_next_cluster():
-        if not os.path.exists(os.path.expanduser("~/.kube/config")):
+        if not os.path.exists(os.path.expanduser(kubeconfig_filepath)):
             return
 
-        with open(os.path.expanduser("~/.kube/config"), "r") as fd:
+        with open(os.path.expanduser(kubeconfig_filepath), "r") as fd:
             docs = yaml.load_all(fd)
             for doc in docs:
                 contexts = doc.get("contexts")
@@ -142,15 +142,16 @@ def get_title():
             return "kube-shell"
 
         logger.info("running kube-shell event loop")
-        if not os.path.exists(os.path.expanduser("~/.kube/config")):
-            click.secho('Kube-shell uses ~/.kube/config for server side completion. Could not find ~/.kube/config. '
-                    'Server side completion functionality may not work.', fg='red', blink=True, bold=True)
+        if not os.path.exists(os.path.expanduser(kubeconfig_filepath)):
+            click.secho('Kube-shell uses {0} for server side completion. Could not find {0}. '
+                    'Server side completion functionality may not work.'.format(kubeconfig_filepath),
+                        fg='red', blink=True, bold=True)
         while True:
             global inline_help
             try:
                 Kubeshell.clustername, Kubeshell.user, Kubeshell.namespace = KubeConfig.parse_kubeconfig()
             except:
-                logger.error("unable to parse ~/.kube/config %s", exc_info=1)
+                logger.error("unable to parse {} %s".format(kubeconfig_filepath), exc_info=1)
             completer.set_namespace(self.namespace)
 
             try: