diff --git a/src/main/kubectl.ts b/src/main/kubectl.ts
index 1842d46307..91b024e292 100644
--- a/src/main/kubectl.ts
+++ b/src/main/kubectl.ts
@@ -106,15 +106,15 @@ export class Kubectl {
   }
 
   public getPathFromPreferences() {
-    return userStore.preferences.kubectlBinariesPath || this.getBundledPath()
+    return userStore.preferences?.kubectlBinariesPath || this.getBundledPath()
   }
 
   protected getDownloadDir() {
-    return userStore.preferences.downloadBinariesPath || Kubectl.kubectlDir
+    return userStore.preferences?.downloadBinariesPath || Kubectl.kubectlDir
   }
 
   public async getPath(bundled = false): Promise<string> {
-    if (!userStore.preferences.downloadKubectlBinaries) {
+    if (userStore.preferences?.downloadKubectlBinaries === false) {
       return this.getPathFromPreferences()
     }
 
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ export class Kubectl {
   }
 
   public async ensureKubectl(): Promise<boolean> {
-    if (!userStore.preferences.downloadKubectlBinaries) {
+    if (userStore.preferences?.downloadKubectlBinaries === false) {
       return true
     }
     if (Kubectl.invalidBundle) {
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ export class Kubectl {
   }
 
   protected async writeInitScripts() {
-    const kubectlPath = userStore.preferences.downloadKubectlBinaries ? this.dirname : path.dirname(this.getPathFromPreferences())
+    const kubectlPath = userStore.preferences?.downloadKubectlBinaries ? this.dirname : path.dirname(this.getPathFromPreferences())
     const helmPath = helmCli.getBinaryDir()
     const fsPromises = fs.promises;
     const bashScriptPath = path.join(this.dirname, '.bash_set_path')
diff --git a/src/main/shell-session.ts b/src/main/shell-session.ts
index 77f767cfea..80a55f46db 100644
--- a/src/main/shell-session.ts
+++ b/src/main/shell-session.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ export class ShellSession extends EventEmitter {
   protected nodeShellPod: string;
   protected kubectl: Kubectl;
   protected kubectlBinDir: string;
+  protected kubectlPathDir: string;
   protected helmBinDir: string;
   protected preferences: ClusterPreferences;
   protected running = false;
@@ -36,8 +37,9 @@ export class ShellSession extends EventEmitter {
   }
 
   public async open() {
+    this.kubectlBinDir = await this.kubectl.binDir()
     const pathFromPreferences = userStore.preferences.kubectlBinariesPath || Kubectl.bundledKubectlPath
-    this.kubectlBinDir = userStore.preferences.downloadKubectlBinaries ? await this.kubectl.binDir() : path.dirname(pathFromPreferences)
+    this.kubectlPathDir = userStore.preferences.downloadKubectlBinaries ? await this.kubectl.binDir() : path.dirname(pathFromPreferences)
     this.helmBinDir = helmCli.getBinaryDir()
     const env = await this.getCachedShellEnv()
     const shell = env.PTYSHELL
@@ -69,11 +71,11 @@ export class ShellSession extends EventEmitter {
   protected async getShellArgs(shell: string): Promise<Array<string>> {
     switch(path.basename(shell)) {
     case "powershell.exe":
-      return ["-NoExit", "-command", `& {Set-Location $Env:USERPROFILE; $Env:PATH="${this.helmBinDir};${this.kubectlBinDir};$Env:PATH"}`]
+      return ["-NoExit", "-command", `& {Set-Location $Env:USERPROFILE; $Env:PATH="${this.helmBinDir};${this.kubectlPathDir};$Env:PATH"}`]
     case "bash":
       return ["--init-file", path.join(this.kubectlBinDir, '.bash_set_path')]
     case "fish":
-      return ["--login", "--init-command", `export PATH="${this.helmBinDir}:${this.kubectlBinDir}:$PATH"; export KUBECONFIG="${this.kubeconfigPath}"`]
+      return ["--login", "--init-command", `export PATH="${this.helmBinDir}:${this.kubectlPathDir}:$PATH"; export KUBECONFIG="${this.kubeconfigPath}"`]
     case "zsh":
       return ["--login"]
     default: