diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers.go
index 92195a75013..a38e04de758 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers.go
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ type debugError interface {
 // This method is generic to the command in use and may be used by non-Kubectl
 // commands.
 func CheckErr(err error) {
+	checkErr(err, fatal)
+}
+
+func checkErr(err error, handleErr func(string)) {
 	if err == nil {
 		return
 	}
@@ -61,22 +65,22 @@ func CheckErr(err error) {
 		details := err.(*errors.StatusError).Status().Details
 		prefix := fmt.Sprintf("The %s %q is invalid:", details.Kind, details.Name)
 		errs := statusCausesToAggrError(details.Causes)
-		fatal(MultilineError(prefix, errs))
+		handleErr(MultilineError(prefix, errs))
 	}
 
 	// handle multiline errors
 	if clientcmd.IsConfigurationInvalid(err) {
-		fatal(MultilineError("Error in configuration: ", err))
+		handleErr(MultilineError("Error in configuration: ", err))
 	}
 	if agg, ok := err.(utilerrors.Aggregate); ok && len(agg.Errors()) > 0 {
-		fatal(MultipleErrors("", agg.Errors()))
+		handleErr(MultipleErrors("", agg.Errors()))
 	}
 
 	msg, ok := StandardErrorMessage(err)
 	if !ok {
 		msg = fmt.Sprintf("error: %s\n", err.Error())
 	}
-	fatal(msg)
+	handleErr(msg)
 }
 
 func statusCausesToAggrError(scs []api.StatusCause) utilerrors.Aggregate {
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers_test.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers_test.go
index cae9b98fd49..cf1e36988da 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers_test.go
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/api"
+	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/api/errors"
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/runtime"
+	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/util/fielderrors"
 )
 
 func TestMerge(t *testing.T) {
@@ -399,3 +401,36 @@ func TestReadConfigData(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestCheckInvalidErr(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		err      error
+		expected string
+	}{
+		{
+			errors.NewInvalid("Invalid1", "invalidation", fielderrors.ValidationErrorList{fielderrors.NewFieldInvalid("Cause", "single", "details")}),
+			`Error from server: Invalid1 "invalidation" is invalid: Cause: invalid value 'single': details`,
+		},
+		{
+			errors.NewInvalid("Invalid2", "invalidation", fielderrors.ValidationErrorList{fielderrors.NewFieldInvalid("Cause", "multi1", "details"), fielderrors.NewFieldInvalid("Cause", "multi2", "details")}),
+			`Error from server: Invalid2 "invalidation" is invalid: [Cause: invalid value 'multi1': details, Cause: invalid value 'multi2': details]`,
+		},
+		{
+			errors.NewInvalid("Invalid3", "invalidation", fielderrors.ValidationErrorList{}),
+			`Error from server: Invalid3 "invalidation" is invalid: <nil>`,
+		},
+	}
+
+	var errReturned string
+	errHandle := func(err string) {
+		errReturned = err
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		checkErr(test.err, errHandle)
+
+		if errReturned != test.expected {
+			t.Fatalf("Got: %s, expected: %s", errReturned, test.expected)
+		}
+	}
+}