diff --git a/cli/command/cli.go b/cli/command/cli.go
index 8c0e690fab..186854f866 100644
--- a/cli/command/cli.go
+++ b/cli/command/cli.go
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/config/configfile"
 	dcontext "github.com/docker/cli/cli/context"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/context/docker"
-	kubecontext "github.com/docker/cli/cli/context/kubernetes"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/context/store"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/debug"
 	cliflags "github.com/docker/cli/cli/flags"
@@ -529,7 +528,6 @@ func resolveContextName(opts *cliflags.CommonOptions, config *configfile.ConfigF
 
 var defaultStoreEndpoints = []store.NamedTypeGetter{
 	store.EndpointTypeGetter(docker.DockerEndpoint, func() interface{} { return &docker.EndpointMeta{} }),
-	store.EndpointTypeGetter(kubecontext.KubernetesEndpoint, func() interface{} { return &kubecontext.EndpointMeta{} }),
 }
 
 // RegisterDefaultStoreEndpoints registers a new named endpoint
diff --git a/cli/command/cli_options.go b/cli/command/cli_options.go
index 4f48ca4ef2..607cd220a3 100644
--- a/cli/command/cli_options.go
+++ b/cli/command/cli_options.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/context/docker"
-	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/context/kubernetes"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/context/store"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/streams"
 	clitypes "github.com/docker/cli/types"
@@ -97,7 +96,7 @@ func WithContainerizedClient(containerizedFn func(string) (clitypes.Containerize
 func WithContextEndpointType(endpointName string, endpointType store.TypeGetter) DockerCliOption {
 	return func(cli *DockerCli) error {
 		switch endpointName {
-		case docker.DockerEndpoint, kubernetes.KubernetesEndpoint:
+		case docker.DockerEndpoint:
 			return fmt.Errorf("cannot change %q endpoint type", endpointName)
 		}
 		cli.contextStoreConfig.SetEndpoint(endpointName, endpointType)
diff --git a/cli/command/defaultcontextstore.go b/cli/command/defaultcontextstore.go
index f270b06c2f..6187cdd89e 100644
--- a/cli/command/defaultcontextstore.go
+++ b/cli/command/defaultcontextstore.go
@@ -3,15 +3,11 @@ package command
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
-	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/config/configfile"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/context/docker"
-	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/context/kubernetes"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/context/store"
 	cliflags "github.com/docker/cli/cli/flags"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/homedir"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
@@ -70,30 +66,22 @@ func ResolveDefaultContext(opts *cliflags.CommonOptions, config *configfile.Conf
 		contextTLSData.Endpoints[docker.DockerEndpoint] = *dockerEP.TLSData.ToStoreTLSData()
 	}
 
-	// Default context uses env-based kubeconfig for Kubernetes endpoint configuration
-	kubeconfig := os.Getenv("KUBECONFIG")
-	if kubeconfig == "" {
-		kubeconfig = filepath.Join(homedir.Get(), ".kube/config")
-	}
-	kubeEP, err := kubernetes.FromKubeConfig(kubeconfig, "", "")
-	if (stackOrchestrator == OrchestratorKubernetes || stackOrchestrator == OrchestratorAll) && err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "default orchestrator is %s but kubernetes endpoint could not be found", stackOrchestrator)
-	}
-	if err == nil {
-		contextMetadata.Endpoints[kubernetes.KubernetesEndpoint] = kubeEP.EndpointMeta
-		if kubeEP.TLSData != nil {
-			contextTLSData.Endpoints[kubernetes.KubernetesEndpoint] = *kubeEP.TLSData.ToStoreTLSData()
-		}
-	}
+	// We open code the string "kubernetes" below because we
+	// cannot import KubernetesEndpoint from the corresponding
+	// package due to import loops.
+	wantKubernetesEP := stackOrchestrator == OrchestratorKubernetes || stackOrchestrator == OrchestratorAll
 
 	if err := storeconfig.ForeachEndpointType(func(n string, get store.TypeGetter) error {
-		if n == docker.DockerEndpoint || n == kubernetes.KubernetesEndpoint { // handled above
+		if n == docker.DockerEndpoint { // handled above
 			return nil
 		}
 		ep := get()
 		if i, ok := ep.(EndpointDefaultResolver); ok {
 			meta, tls := i.ResolveDefault()
 			if meta == nil {
+				if wantKubernetesEP && n == "kubernetes" {
+					return errors.Errorf("default orchestrator is %s but unable to resolve kubernetes endpoint", stackOrchestrator)
+				}
 				return nil
 			}
 			contextMetadata.Endpoints[n] = meta
@@ -107,6 +95,10 @@ func ResolveDefaultContext(opts *cliflags.CommonOptions, config *configfile.Conf
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	if _, ok := contextMetadata.Endpoints["kubernetes"]; wantKubernetesEP && !ok {
+		return nil, errors.Errorf("default orchestrator is %s but kubernetes endpoint could not be found", stackOrchestrator)
+	}
+
 	return &DefaultContext{Meta: contextMetadata, TLS: contextTLSData}, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/cli/command/defaultcontextstore_test.go b/cli/command/defaultcontextstore_test.go
index d50c9a1d07..e1c7c1df9b 100644
--- a/cli/command/defaultcontextstore_test.go
+++ b/cli/command/defaultcontextstore_test.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/config/configfile"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/context/docker"
-	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/context/kubernetes"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/context/store"
 	cliflags "github.com/docker/cli/cli/flags"
 	"github.com/docker/go-connections/tlsconfig"
@@ -63,9 +62,8 @@ func TestDefaultContextInitializer(t *testing.T) {
 	cli, err := NewDockerCli()
 	assert.NilError(t, err)
 	defer env.Patch(t, "DOCKER_HOST", "ssh://someswarmserver")()
-	defer env.Patch(t, "KUBECONFIG", "./testdata/test-kubeconfig")()
 	cli.configFile = &configfile.ConfigFile{
-		StackOrchestrator: "all",
+		StackOrchestrator: "swarm",
 	}
 	ctx, err := ResolveDefaultContext(&cliflags.CommonOptions{
 		TLS: true,
@@ -75,10 +73,9 @@ func TestDefaultContextInitializer(t *testing.T) {
 	}, cli.ConfigFile(), DefaultContextStoreConfig(), cli.Err())
 	assert.NilError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, "default", ctx.Meta.Name)
-	assert.Equal(t, OrchestratorAll, ctx.Meta.Metadata.(DockerContext).StackOrchestrator)
+	assert.Equal(t, OrchestratorSwarm, ctx.Meta.Metadata.(DockerContext).StackOrchestrator)
 	assert.DeepEqual(t, "ssh://someswarmserver", ctx.Meta.Endpoints[docker.DockerEndpoint].(docker.EndpointMeta).Host)
 	golden.Assert(t, string(ctx.TLS.Endpoints[docker.DockerEndpoint].Files["ca.pem"]), "ca.pem")
-	assert.DeepEqual(t, "zoinx", ctx.Meta.Endpoints[kubernetes.KubernetesEndpoint].(kubernetes.EndpointMeta).DefaultNamespace)
 }
 
 func TestExportDefaultImport(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/cli/context/kubernetes/load.go b/cli/context/kubernetes/load.go
index c218d94dee..94044d8138 100644
--- a/cli/context/kubernetes/load.go
+++ b/cli/context/kubernetes/load.go
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
 package kubernetes
 
 import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+
+	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/command"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/context"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/context/store"
 	api "github.com/docker/compose-on-kubernetes/api"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/homedir"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/clientcmd"
 	clientcmdapi "k8s.io/client-go/tools/clientcmd/api"
 )
@@ -17,6 +22,8 @@ type EndpointMeta struct {
 	Exec             *clientcmdapi.ExecConfig         `json:",omitempty"`
 }
 
+var _ command.EndpointDefaultResolver = &EndpointMeta{}
+
 // Endpoint is a typed wrapper around a context-store generic endpoint describing
 // a Kubernetes endpoint, with TLS data
 type Endpoint struct {
@@ -24,6 +31,12 @@ type Endpoint struct {
 	TLSData *context.TLSData
 }
 
+func init() {
+	command.RegisterDefaultStoreEndpoints(
+		store.EndpointTypeGetter(KubernetesEndpoint, func() interface{} { return &EndpointMeta{} }),
+	)
+}
+
 // WithTLSData loads TLS materials for the endpoint
 func (c *EndpointMeta) WithTLSData(s store.Reader, contextName string) (Endpoint, error) {
 	tlsData, err := context.LoadTLSData(s, contextName, KubernetesEndpoint)
@@ -61,6 +74,25 @@ func (c *Endpoint) KubernetesConfig() clientcmd.ClientConfig {
 	return clientcmd.NewDefaultClientConfig(*cfg, &clientcmd.ConfigOverrides{})
 }
 
+// ResolveDefault returns endpoint metadata for the default Kubernetes
+// endpoint, which is derived from the env-based kubeconfig.
+func (c *EndpointMeta) ResolveDefault() (interface{}, *store.EndpointTLSData) {
+	kubeconfig := os.Getenv("KUBECONFIG")
+	if kubeconfig == "" {
+		kubeconfig = filepath.Join(homedir.Get(), ".kube/config")
+	}
+	kubeEP, err := FromKubeConfig(kubeconfig, "", "")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
+	var tls *store.EndpointTLSData
+	if kubeEP.TLSData != nil {
+		tls = kubeEP.TLSData.ToStoreTLSData()
+	}
+	return kubeEP.EndpointMeta, tls
+}
+
 // EndpointFromContext extracts kubernetes endpoint info from current context
 func EndpointFromContext(metadata store.Metadata) *EndpointMeta {
 	ep, ok := metadata.Endpoints[KubernetesEndpoint]
diff --git a/cli/context/kubernetes/load_test.go b/cli/context/kubernetes/load_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..203f5dbb9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/context/kubernetes/load_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+package kubernetes
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/command"
+	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/config/configfile"
+	cliflags "github.com/docker/cli/cli/flags"
+	"gotest.tools/assert"
+	"gotest.tools/env"
+)
+
+func TestDefaultContextInitializer(t *testing.T) {
+	cli, err := command.NewDockerCli()
+	assert.NilError(t, err)
+	defer env.Patch(t, "KUBECONFIG", "./testdata/test-kubeconfig")()
+	configFile := &configfile.ConfigFile{
+		StackOrchestrator: "all",
+	}
+	ctx, err := command.ResolveDefaultContext(&cliflags.CommonOptions{}, configFile, command.DefaultContextStoreConfig(), cli.Err())
+	assert.NilError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "default", ctx.Meta.Name)
+	assert.Equal(t, command.OrchestratorAll, ctx.Meta.Metadata.(command.DockerContext).StackOrchestrator)
+	assert.DeepEqual(t, "zoinx", ctx.Meta.Endpoints[KubernetesEndpoint].(EndpointMeta).DefaultNamespace)
+}
diff --git a/cli/command/testdata/test-kubeconfig b/cli/context/kubernetes/testdata/test-kubeconfig
similarity index 100%
rename from cli/command/testdata/test-kubeconfig
rename to cli/context/kubernetes/testdata/test-kubeconfig