diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/plugin/BUILD b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/plugin/BUILD
index fb6091de39..5d9b2cd2b1 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/plugin/BUILD
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/plugin/BUILD
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go:def.bzl", "go_library")
+load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go:def.bzl", "go_library", "go_test")
 
 go_library(
     name = "go_default_library",
@@ -33,3 +33,11 @@ filegroup(
     data = glob(["testdata/**"]),
     visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
 )
+
+go_test(
+    name = "go_default_test",
+    srcs = ["plugin_test.go"],
+    data = glob(["testdata/**"]),
+    embed = [":go_default_library"],
+    deps = ["//staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions:go_default_library"],
+)
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/plugin/plugin.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/plugin/plugin.go
index 7196804caf..d7df928098 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/plugin/plugin.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/plugin/plugin.go
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ type PluginListOptions struct {
 	Verifier PathVerifier
 	NameOnly bool
 
+	PluginPaths []string
+
 	genericclioptions.IOStreams
 }
 
@@ -97,20 +99,22 @@ func (o *PluginListOptions) Complete(cmd *cobra.Command) error {
 		root:        cmd.Root(),
 		seenPlugins: make(map[string]string, 0),
 	}
-	return nil
-}
 
-func (o *PluginListOptions) Run() error {
 	path := "PATH"
 	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
 		path = "path"
 	}
+	o.PluginPaths = filepath.SplitList(os.Getenv(path))
+	return nil
+}
 
+func (o *PluginListOptions) Run() error {
 	pluginsFound := false
 	isFirstFile := true
 	pluginErrors := []error{}
 	pluginWarnings := 0
-	for _, dir := range filepath.SplitList(os.Getenv(path)) {
+
+	for _, dir := range uniquePathsList(o.PluginPaths) {
 		files, err := ioutil.ReadDir(dir)
 		if err != nil {
 			pluginErrors = append(pluginErrors, fmt.Errorf("error: unable to read directory %q in your PATH: %v", dir, err))
@@ -238,3 +242,18 @@ func isExecutable(fullPath string) (bool, error) {
 
 	return false, nil
 }
+
+// uniquePathsList deduplicates a given slice of strings without
+// sorting or otherwise altering its order in any way.
+func uniquePathsList(paths []string) []string {
+	seen := map[string]bool{}
+	newPaths := []string{}
+	for _, p := range paths {
+		if seen[p] {
+			continue
+		}
+		seen[p] = true
+		newPaths = append(newPaths, p)
+	}
+	return newPaths
+}
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/plugin/plugin_test.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/plugin/plugin_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5f6c0d5b72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/plugin/plugin_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,197 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2017 The Kubernetes Authors.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package plugin
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions"
+)
+
+func TestPluginPathsAreUnaltered(t *testing.T) {
+	tempDir, err := ioutil.TempDir(os.TempDir(), "test-cmd-plugins")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	tempDir2, err := ioutil.TempDir(os.TempDir(), "test-cmd-plugins2")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	// cleanup
+	defer func() {
+		if err := os.RemoveAll(tempDir); err != nil {
+			panic(fmt.Errorf("unexpected cleanup error: %v", err))
+		}
+		if err := os.RemoveAll(tempDir2); err != nil {
+			panic(fmt.Errorf("unexpected cleanup error: %v", err))
+		}
+	}()
+
+	ioStreams, _, _, errOut := genericclioptions.NewTestIOStreams()
+	verifier := newFakePluginPathVerifier()
+	pluginPaths := []string{tempDir, tempDir2}
+	o := &PluginListOptions{
+		Verifier:  verifier,
+		IOStreams: ioStreams,
+
+		PluginPaths: pluginPaths,
+	}
+
+	// write at least one valid plugin file
+	if _, err := ioutil.TempFile(tempDir, "kubectl-"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, err := ioutil.TempFile(tempDir2, "kubectl-"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if err := o.Run(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error %v - %v", err, errOut.String())
+	}
+
+	// ensure original paths remain unaltered
+	if len(verifier.seenUnsorted) != len(pluginPaths) {
+		t.Fatalf("saw unexpected plugin paths. Expecting %v, got %v", pluginPaths, verifier.seenUnsorted)
+	}
+	for actual := range verifier.seenUnsorted {
+		if !strings.HasPrefix(verifier.seenUnsorted[actual], pluginPaths[actual]) {
+			t.Fatalf("expected PATH slice to be unaltered. Expecting %v, but got %v", pluginPaths[actual], verifier.seenUnsorted[actual])
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPluginPathsAreValid(t *testing.T) {
+	tempDir, err := ioutil.TempDir(os.TempDir(), "test-cmd-plugins")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	// cleanup
+	defer func() {
+		if err := os.RemoveAll(tempDir); err != nil {
+			panic(fmt.Errorf("unexpected cleanup error: %v", err))
+		}
+	}()
+
+	tc := []struct {
+		name               string
+		pluginPaths        []string
+		pluginFile         func() (*os.File, error)
+		verifier           *fakePluginPathVerifier
+		expectVerifyErrors []error
+		expectErr          string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:        "ensure no plugins found if no files begin with kubectl- prefix",
+			pluginPaths: []string{tempDir},
+			verifier:    newFakePluginPathVerifier(),
+			pluginFile: func() (*os.File, error) {
+				return ioutil.TempFile(tempDir, "notkubectl-")
+			},
+			expectErr: "unable to find any kubectl plugins in your PATH",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "ensure de-duplicated plugin-paths slice",
+			pluginPaths: []string{tempDir, tempDir},
+			verifier:    newFakePluginPathVerifier(),
+			pluginFile: func() (*os.File, error) {
+				return ioutil.TempFile(tempDir, "kubectl-")
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tc {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			ioStreams, _, _, errOut := genericclioptions.NewTestIOStreams()
+			o := &PluginListOptions{
+				Verifier:  test.verifier,
+				IOStreams: ioStreams,
+
+				PluginPaths: test.pluginPaths,
+			}
+
+			// create files
+			if test.pluginFile != nil {
+				if _, err := test.pluginFile(); err != nil {
+					t.Fatalf("unexpected error creating plugin file: %v", err)
+				}
+			}
+
+			for _, expected := range test.expectVerifyErrors {
+				for _, actual := range test.verifier.errors {
+					if expected != actual {
+						t.Fatalf("unexpected error: expected %v, but got %v", expected, actual)
+					}
+				}
+			}
+
+			err := o.Run()
+			if err == nil && len(test.expectErr) > 0 {
+				t.Fatalf("unexpected non-error: expecting %v", test.expectErr)
+			}
+			if err != nil && len(test.expectErr) == 0 {
+				t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v - %v", err, errOut.String())
+			}
+			if err == nil {
+				return
+			}
+
+			allErrs := bytes.NewBuffer(errOut.Bytes())
+			if _, err := allErrs.WriteString(err.Error()); err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+			}
+			if len(test.expectErr) > 0 {
+				if !strings.Contains(allErrs.String(), test.expectErr) {
+					t.Fatalf("unexpected error: expected %v, but got %v", test.expectErr, allErrs.String())
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+type duplicatePathError struct {
+	path string
+}
+
+func (d *duplicatePathError) Error() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("path %q already visited", d.path)
+}
+
+type fakePluginPathVerifier struct {
+	errors       []error
+	seen         map[string]bool
+	seenUnsorted []string
+}
+
+func (f *fakePluginPathVerifier) Verify(path string) []error {
+	if f.seen[path] {
+		err := &duplicatePathError{path}
+		f.errors = append(f.errors, err)
+		return []error{err}
+	}
+	f.seen[path] = true
+	f.seenUnsorted = append(f.seenUnsorted, path)
+	return nil
+}
+
+func newFakePluginPathVerifier() *fakePluginPathVerifier {
+	return &fakePluginPathVerifier{seen: make(map[string]bool)}
+}