This error occurs when kubectl cannot properly parse or validate your kubeconfig file due to YAML syntax errors, missing required fields, or corrupted data.
The 'error: invalid configuration' message appears when kubectl cannot properly parse or validate your kubeconfig file. This typically happens when the YAML structure is malformed, contains missing required fields, or points to a non-existent or corrupted file. Kubeconfig files are YAML documents that define cluster information, authentication credentials, and context mappings. Kubectl expects strict adherence to the kubeconfig schema, which includes required top-level fields like apiVersion, kind, clusters, contexts, current-context, and users. Any deviation—whether indentation errors, missing colons, tabs instead of spaces, or missing required fields—triggers this error. The error can also occur when merging multiple kubeconfig files using the KUBECONFIG environment variable, especially if the files have conflicting or duplicate entries that create validation inconsistencies.
Determine which kubeconfig file kubectl is trying to use:
ls -la ~/.kube/config
echo $KUBECONFIG
kubectl config view -v=6If the file doesn't exist at ~/.kube/config, you'll need to obtain a valid kubeconfig from your cluster administrator or cloud provider.
Check the YAML structure for syntax errors:
# Use yamllint if installed
yamllint ~/.kube/config
# Or use Python's YAML parser
python3 -c "import yaml; yaml.safe_load(open('$HOME/.kube/config'))"Common issues: incorrect indentation (must use spaces, not tabs), missing colons after field names, misaligned nested structures.
Kubeconfig is strict about YAML indentation. Fix common issues:
# Check for tabs (should output nothing if file is clean)
grep -P '\t' ~/.kube/config
# Fix if tabs are present - convert to spaces
cat ~/.kube/config | sed 's/\t/ /g' > ~/.kube/config.fixed
mv ~/.kube/config.fixed ~/.kube/config
# Verify structure after editing
kubectl config viewKubeconfig files should only be readable by your user:
ls -l ~/.kube/config
# Should show: -rw------- (mode 600)
# If not, fix permissions
chmod 600 ~/.kube/config
# Verify ownership (should be your user, not root)
sudo chown $(id -u):$(id -g) ~/.kube/configEnsure your kubeconfig has all required top-level fields:
apiVersion: v1
kind: Config
clusters:
- cluster:
server: https://...
name: cluster-name
contexts:
- context:
cluster: cluster-name
user: user-name
name: context-name
current-context: context-name
users:
- name: user-name
user:
token: ...Verify all sections exist:
kubectl config get-clusters
kubectl config get-contexts
kubectl config get-users
kubectl config current-contextIf using multiple kubeconfig files, ensure the KUBECONFIG variable is set correctly:
echo $KUBECONFIG
# Temporary merge - use colon separators on Linux/Mac
export KUBECONFIG=$HOME/.kube/config:$HOME/.kube/other-config
# Verify merged config loads without errors
kubectl config view
# Flatten multiple configs into one (permanent merge)
KUBECONFIG=$HOME/.kube/config:$HOME/.kube/other-config kubectl config view --flatten > $HOME/.kube/merged-config
mv $HOME/.kube/merged-config $HOME/.kube/configWhen merging, if both files contain the same context name, the leftmost file wins. Remove duplicates before merging.
The kubeconfig file format strictly follows the Kubernetes API schema. The current-context field must match one of the defined context names exactly, cluster entries must have a server URL, and user entries must contain valid authentication data (token, certificate, or exec plugin).
When managing multiple clusters, use separate kubeconfig files and merge them intentionally rather than manually editing—this reduces human error.
For in-cluster authentication (pods running inside Kubernetes), use the Kubernetes client library's in-cluster config loader rather than relying on kubeconfig files.
If regenerating kubeconfig from cloud providers, always use the latest generation commands (Azure: az aks get-credentials --overwrite-existing, GCP: gcloud container clusters get-credentials, AWS: aws eks update-kubeconfig). These tools generate correctly formatted, validated configs.
For debugging complex validation issues, use kubectl config view --raw to see unredacted credentials and structure, and enable verbose logging with -v=8 to see exactly where kubeconfig loading fails.
Failed to connect to server: connection refused (HTTP/2)
How to fix "HTTP/2 connection refused" error in Kubernetes
missing request for cpu in container
How to fix "missing request for cpu in container" in Kubernetes HPA
etcdserver: cluster ID mismatch
How to fix "etcdserver: cluster ID mismatch" in Kubernetes
running with swap on is not supported
How to fix "running with swap on is not supported" in kubeadm
ReplicaSet has timed out progressing
How to fix "ReplicaSet has timed out progressing" in Kubernetes