diff --git a/src/main/kubectl.ts b/src/main/kubectl.ts
index 8973d6e3b8..1842d46307 100644
--- a/src/main/kubectl.ts
+++ b/src/main/kubectl.ts
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ export class Kubectl {
 
     this.url = `${this.getDownloadMirror()}/v${this.kubectlVersion}/bin/${platformName}/${arch}/${binaryName}`
 
-    this.dirname = path.normalize(path.join(Kubectl.kubectlDir, this.kubectlVersion))
+    this.dirname = path.normalize(path.join(this.getDownloadDir(), this.kubectlVersion))
     this.path = path.join(this.dirname, binaryName)
   }
 
@@ -105,7 +105,19 @@ export class Kubectl {
     return Kubectl.bundledKubectlPath
   }
 
+  public getPathFromPreferences() {
+    return userStore.preferences.kubectlBinariesPath || this.getBundledPath()
+  }
+
+  protected getDownloadDir() {
+    return userStore.preferences.downloadBinariesPath || Kubectl.kubectlDir
+  }
+
   public async getPath(bundled = false): Promise<string> {
+    if (!userStore.preferences.downloadKubectlBinaries) {
+      return this.getPathFromPreferences()
+    }
+
     // return binary name if bundled path is not functional
     if (!await this.checkBinary(this.getBundledPath(), false)) {
       Kubectl.invalidBundle = true
@@ -128,6 +140,7 @@ export class Kubectl {
   public async binDir() {
     try {
       await this.ensureKubectl()
+      await this.writeInitScripts()
       return this.dirname
     } catch (err) {
       logger.error(err)
@@ -180,6 +193,9 @@ export class Kubectl {
   }
 
   public async ensureKubectl(): Promise<boolean> {
+    if (!userStore.preferences.downloadKubectlBinaries) {
+      return true
+    }
     if (Kubectl.invalidBundle) {
       logger.error(`Detected invalid bundle binary, returning ...`)
       return false
@@ -203,10 +219,6 @@ export class Kubectl {
         release()
         return false
       }
-      await this.writeInitScripts().catch((error) => {
-        logger.error("Failed to write init scripts");
-        logger.error(error)
-      })
       logger.debug(`Releasing lock for ${this.kubectlVersion}`)
       release()
       return true
@@ -266,54 +278,51 @@ export class Kubectl {
   }
 
   protected async writeInitScripts() {
+    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')
-    const bashScriptIsLatest = await this.scriptIsLatest(bashScriptPath)
-    if (!bashScriptIsLatest) {
-      let bashScript = "" + initScriptVersionString
-      bashScript += "tempkubeconfig=\"$KUBECONFIG\"\n"
-      bashScript += "test -f \"/etc/profile\" && . \"/etc/profile\"\n"
-      bashScript += "if test -f \"$HOME/.bash_profile\"; then\n"
-      bashScript += "  . \"$HOME/.bash_profile\"\n"
-      bashScript += "elif test -f \"$HOME/.bash_login\"; then\n"
-      bashScript += "  . \"$HOME/.bash_login\"\n"
-      bashScript += "elif test -f \"$HOME/.profile\"; then\n"
-      bashScript += "  . \"$HOME/.profile\"\n"
-      bashScript += "fi\n"
-      bashScript += `export PATH="${this.dirname}:${helmPath}:$PATH"\n`
-      bashScript += "export KUBECONFIG=\"$tempkubeconfig\"\n"
-      bashScript += "unset tempkubeconfig\n"
-      await fsPromises.writeFile(bashScriptPath, bashScript.toString(), { mode: 0o644 })
-    }
+
+    let bashScript = "" + initScriptVersionString
+    bashScript += "tempkubeconfig=\"$KUBECONFIG\"\n"
+    bashScript += "test -f \"/etc/profile\" && . \"/etc/profile\"\n"
+    bashScript += "if test -f \"$HOME/.bash_profile\"; then\n"
+    bashScript += "  . \"$HOME/.bash_profile\"\n"
+    bashScript += "elif test -f \"$HOME/.bash_login\"; then\n"
+    bashScript += "  . \"$HOME/.bash_login\"\n"
+    bashScript += "elif test -f \"$HOME/.profile\"; then\n"
+    bashScript += "  . \"$HOME/.profile\"\n"
+    bashScript += "fi\n"
+    bashScript += `export PATH="${helmPath}:${kubectlPath}:$PATH"\n`
+    bashScript += "export KUBECONFIG=\"$tempkubeconfig\"\n"
+    bashScript += "unset tempkubeconfig\n"
+    await fsPromises.writeFile(bashScriptPath, bashScript.toString(), { mode: 0o644 })
 
     const zshScriptPath = path.join(this.dirname, '.zlogin')
-    const zshScriptIsLatest = await this.scriptIsLatest(zshScriptPath)
-    if (!zshScriptIsLatest) {
-      let zshScript = "" + initScriptVersionString
 
-      zshScript += "tempkubeconfig=\"$KUBECONFIG\"\n"
-      // restore previous ZDOTDIR
-      zshScript += "export ZDOTDIR=\"$OLD_ZDOTDIR\"\n"
-      // source all the files
-      zshScript += "test -f \"$OLD_ZDOTDIR/.zshenv\" && . \"$OLD_ZDOTDIR/.zshenv\"\n"
-      zshScript += "test -f \"$OLD_ZDOTDIR/.zprofile\" && . \"$OLD_ZDOTDIR/.zprofile\"\n"
-      zshScript += "test -f \"$OLD_ZDOTDIR/.zlogin\" && . \"$OLD_ZDOTDIR/.zlogin\"\n"
-      zshScript += "test -f \"$OLD_ZDOTDIR/.zshrc\" && . \"$OLD_ZDOTDIR/.zshrc\"\n"
+    let zshScript = "" + initScriptVersionString
 
-      // voodoo to replace any previous occurrences of kubectl path in the PATH
-      zshScript += `kubectlpath=\"${this.dirname}"\n`
-      zshScript += `helmpath=\"${helmPath}"\n`
-      zshScript += "p=\":$kubectlpath:\"\n"
-      zshScript += "d=\":$PATH:\"\n"
-      zshScript += "d=${d//$p/:}\n"
-      zshScript += "d=${d/#:/}\n"
-      zshScript += "export PATH=\"$kubectlpath:$helmpath:${d/%:/}\"\n"
-      zshScript += "export KUBECONFIG=\"$tempkubeconfig\"\n"
-      zshScript += "unset tempkubeconfig\n"
-      zshScript += "unset OLD_ZDOTDIR\n"
-      await fsPromises.writeFile(zshScriptPath, zshScript.toString(), { mode: 0o644 })
-    }
+    zshScript += "tempkubeconfig=\"$KUBECONFIG\"\n"
+    // restore previous ZDOTDIR
+    zshScript += "export ZDOTDIR=\"$OLD_ZDOTDIR\"\n"
+    // source all the files
+    zshScript += "test -f \"$OLD_ZDOTDIR/.zshenv\" && . \"$OLD_ZDOTDIR/.zshenv\"\n"
+    zshScript += "test -f \"$OLD_ZDOTDIR/.zprofile\" && . \"$OLD_ZDOTDIR/.zprofile\"\n"
+    zshScript += "test -f \"$OLD_ZDOTDIR/.zlogin\" && . \"$OLD_ZDOTDIR/.zlogin\"\n"
+    zshScript += "test -f \"$OLD_ZDOTDIR/.zshrc\" && . \"$OLD_ZDOTDIR/.zshrc\"\n"
+
+    // voodoo to replace any previous occurrences of kubectl path in the PATH
+    zshScript += `kubectlpath=\"${kubectlPath}"\n`
+    zshScript += `helmpath=\"${helmPath}"\n`
+    zshScript += "p=\":$kubectlpath:\"\n"
+    zshScript += "d=\":$PATH:\"\n"
+    zshScript += "d=${d//$p/:}\n"
+    zshScript += "d=${d/#:/}\n"
+    zshScript += "export PATH=\"$helmpath:$kubectlpath:${d/%:/}\"\n"
+    zshScript += "export KUBECONFIG=\"$tempkubeconfig\"\n"
+    zshScript += "unset tempkubeconfig\n"
+    zshScript += "unset OLD_ZDOTDIR\n"
+    await fsPromises.writeFile(zshScriptPath, zshScript.toString(), { mode: 0o644 })
   }
 
   protected getDownloadMirror() {
diff --git a/src/main/shell-session.ts b/src/main/shell-session.ts
index b02b038aab..77f767cfea 100644
--- a/src/main/shell-session.ts
+++ b/src/main/shell-session.ts
@@ -4,12 +4,13 @@ import { EventEmitter } from "events";
 import path from "path"
 import shellEnv from "shell-env"
 import { app } from "electron"
-import { Kubectl } from "./kubectl"
+import { Kubectl, bundledKubectl } from "./kubectl"
 import { Cluster } from "./cluster"
 import { ClusterPreferences } from "../common/cluster-store";
 import { helmCli } from "./helm/helm-cli"
 import { isWindows } from "../common/vars";
 import { tracker } from "../common/tracker";
+import { userStore } from "../common/user-store";
 
 export class ShellSession extends EventEmitter {
   static shellEnvs: Map<string, any> = new Map()
@@ -35,7 +36,8 @@ 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.helmBinDir = helmCli.getBinaryDir()
     const env = await this.getCachedShellEnv()
     const shell = env.PTYSHELL
@@ -67,11 +69,11 @@ 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.kubectlBinDir};${this.helmBinDir};$Env:PATH"}`]
+      return ["-NoExit", "-command", `& {Set-Location $Env:USERPROFILE; $Env:PATH="${this.helmBinDir};${this.kubectlBinDir};$Env:PATH"}`]
     case "bash":
       return ["--init-file", path.join(this.kubectlBinDir, '.bash_set_path')]
     case "fish":
-      return ["--login", "--init-command", `export PATH="${this.kubectlBinDir}:${this.helmBinDir}:$PATH"; export KUBECONFIG="${this.kubeconfigPath}"`]
+      return ["--login", "--init-command", `export PATH="${this.helmBinDir}:${this.kubectlBinDir}:$PATH"; export KUBECONFIG="${this.kubeconfigPath}"`]
     case "zsh":
       return ["--login"]
     default: