diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index b875727c4..5a3badf1d 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -41,8 +41,9 @@ func NewRootCmd(out io.Writer, client *kube.Client, args []string) (*cobra.Comma
 
 // Execute runs the base airshipctl command
 func Execute(out io.Writer) {
-	client, err := kube.NewForConfig(settings.KubeConfigFilePath)
-	osExitIfError(out, err)
+	// TODO(howell): Fix this unused error
+	client, _ := kube.NewForConfig(settings.KubeConfigFilePath)
+
 	rootCmd, err := NewRootCmd(out, client, os.Args[1:])
 	osExitIfError(out, err)
 	osExitIfError(out, rootCmd.Execute())
diff --git a/cmd/version.go b/cmd/version.go
index 242977095..307c3a97a 100644
--- a/cmd/version.go
+++ b/cmd/version.go
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ func clientVersion() string {
 }
 
 func kubeVersion(client *kube.Client) (string, error) {
+	if client == nil {
+		return "could not connect to a kubernetes cluster", nil
+	}
 	version, err := client.Discovery().ServerVersion()
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err