diff --git a/internal/backup/cmd/flags.go b/internal/backup/cmd/flags.go
index f16d42fd..3271ab55 100644
--- a/internal/backup/cmd/flags.go
+++ b/internal/backup/cmd/flags.go
@@ -1,21 +1,18 @@
 package backup
 
 import (
-	"os"
-
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
+
+	"github.com/deckhouse/deckhouse-cli/internal/utilk8s"
 )
 
 func addPersistentFlags(flagSet *pflag.FlagSet) {
-	defaultKubeconfigPath := os.ExpandEnv("$HOME/.kube/config")
-	if p := os.Getenv("KUBECONFIG"); p != "" {
-		defaultKubeconfigPath = p
-	}
+	defaultKubeconfigPath := utilk8s.DefaultKubeconfigPath()
 
 	flagSet.StringP(
 		"kubeconfig", "k",
 		defaultKubeconfigPath,
-		"KubeConfig of the cluster. (default is $KUBECONFIG when it is set, $HOME/.kube/config otherwise)",
+		"Path to kubeconfig file. (default is $KUBECONFIG when it is set, otherwise the default kubeconfig path for the current OS user)",
 	)
 
 	flagSet.String("context", "", "The name of the kubeconfig context to use")
diff --git a/internal/plugins/flags/flags.go b/internal/plugins/flags/flags.go
index e9183825..6c26718e 100644
--- a/internal/plugins/flags/flags.go
+++ b/internal/plugins/flags/flags.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 
 	rppflags "github.com/deckhouse/deckhouse-cli/internal/rpp/flags"
+	"github.com/deckhouse/deckhouse-cli/internal/utilk8s"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -61,11 +62,7 @@ func skipClusterChecksDefault() bool {
 }
 
 func defaultKubeconfigPath() string {
-	if v := os.Getenv("KUBECONFIG"); v != "" {
-		return v
-	}
-
-	return os.ExpandEnv("$HOME/.kube/config")
+	return utilk8s.DefaultKubeconfigPath()
 }
 
 func AddFlags(flagSet *pflag.FlagSet) {
diff --git a/internal/status/cmd/flags.go b/internal/status/cmd/flags.go
index 9c16861d..5c9f3b09 100644
--- a/internal/status/cmd/flags.go
+++ b/internal/status/cmd/flags.go
@@ -17,21 +17,18 @@ limitations under the License.
 package status
 
 import (
-	"os"
-
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
+
+	"github.com/deckhouse/deckhouse-cli/internal/utilk8s"
 )
 
 func addPersistentFlags(flagSet *pflag.FlagSet) {
-	defaultKubeconfigPath := os.ExpandEnv("$HOME/.kube/config")
-	if p := os.Getenv("KUBECONFIG"); p != "" {
-		defaultKubeconfigPath = p
-	}
+	defaultKubeconfigPath := utilk8s.DefaultKubeconfigPath()
 
 	flagSet.StringP(
 		"kubeconfig", "k",
 		defaultKubeconfigPath,
-		"KubeConfig of the cluster. (default is $KUBECONFIG when it is set, $HOME/.kube/config otherwise)",
+		"Path to kubeconfig file. (default is $KUBECONFIG when it is set, otherwise the default kubeconfig path for the current OS user)",
 	)
 
 	flagSet.String("context", "", "The name of the kubeconfig context to use")
diff --git a/internal/system/flags/flags.go b/internal/system/flags/flags.go
index fbf7e9d0..f507ab2a 100644
--- a/internal/system/flags/flags.go
+++ b/internal/system/flags/flags.go
@@ -17,22 +17,19 @@ limitations under the License.
 package flags
 
 import (
-	"os"
-
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+
+	"github.com/deckhouse/deckhouse-cli/internal/utilk8s"
 )
 
 func AddPersistentFlags(cmd *cobra.Command) {
-	defaultKubeconfigPath := os.ExpandEnv("$HOME/.kube/config")
-	if p := os.Getenv("KUBECONFIG"); p != "" {
-		defaultKubeconfigPath = p
-	}
+	defaultKubeconfigPath := utilk8s.DefaultKubeconfigPath()
 
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().StringP(
 		"kubeconfig",
 		"k",
 		defaultKubeconfigPath,
-		"KubeConfig of the cluster. (default is $KUBECONFIG when it is set, $HOME/.kube/config otherwise)",
+		"Path to kubeconfig file. (default is $KUBECONFIG when it is set, otherwise the default kubeconfig path for the current OS user)",
 	)
 
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().String("context", "", "The name of the kubeconfig context to use")
diff --git a/internal/tools/sigmigrate/cmd/flags.go b/internal/tools/sigmigrate/cmd/flags.go
index 80acd177..e607dc1e 100644
--- a/internal/tools/sigmigrate/cmd/flags.go
+++ b/internal/tools/sigmigrate/cmd/flags.go
@@ -17,11 +17,10 @@ limitations under the License.
 package cmd
 
 import (
-	"os"
-
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 
 	"github.com/deckhouse/deckhouse-cli/internal/tools/sigmigrate"
+	"github.com/deckhouse/deckhouse-cli/internal/utilk8s"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -47,15 +46,12 @@ func addFlags(flags *pflag.FlagSet) {
 		"Set the log level (INFO, DEBUG, TRACE). Defaults to DEBUG.",
 	)
 
-	defaultKubeconfigPath := os.ExpandEnv("$HOME/.kube/config")
-	if p := os.Getenv("KUBECONFIG"); p != "" {
-		defaultKubeconfigPath = p
-	}
+	defaultKubeconfigPath := utilk8s.DefaultKubeconfigPath()
 
 	flags.String(
 		"kubeconfig",
 		defaultKubeconfigPath,
-		"Path to the kubeconfig file to use for CLI requests. (default is $KUBECONFIG when it is set, $HOME/.kube/config otherwise)",
+		"Path to the kubeconfig file to use for CLI requests. (default is $KUBECONFIG when it is set, otherwise the default kubeconfig path for the current OS user)",
 	)
 
 	flags.String(
diff --git a/internal/utilk8s/clientset.go b/internal/utilk8s/clientset.go
index 2c9024f1..420333e0 100644
--- a/internal/utilk8s/clientset.go
+++ b/internal/utilk8s/clientset.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package utilk8s
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 
 	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes"
@@ -11,6 +12,18 @@ import (
 
 const DefaultKubeContext = ""
 
+// DefaultKubeconfigPath returns the default path to the kubeconfig file.
+// It respects the "KUBECONFIG" environment variable (clientcmd.RecommendedConfigPathEnvVar)
+// when set, and falls back to the platform-appropriate default path (clientcmd.RecommendedHomeFile).
+// This correctly resolves the home directory on all platforms, including "Windows" where $HOME is not set but %USERPROFILE% is.
+func DefaultKubeconfigPath() string {
+	if p := os.Getenv(clientcmd.RecommendedConfigPathEnvVar); p != "" {
+		return p
+	}
+
+	return clientcmd.RecommendedHomeFile
+}
+
 // SetupK8sClientSet reads kubeconfig file at kubeconfigPath and constructs a kubernetes clientset from it.
 // If contextName is not empty, context under that name is used instead of default.
 func SetupK8sClientSet(kubeconfigPath, contextName string) (*rest.Config, *kubernetes.Clientset, error) {