diff --git a/pkg/cmd/cmd.go b/pkg/cmd/cmd.go
index 7907ffe6..53359d58 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/cmd.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/cmd.go
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ func NewDefaultKubectlCommandWithArgs(o KubectlOptions) *cobra.Command {
 			case "help", cobra.ShellCompRequestCmd, cobra.ShellCompNoDescRequestCmd:
 				// Don't search for a plugin
 			default:
-				if err := HandlePluginCommand(o.PluginHandler, cmdPathPieces, false); err != nil {
+				if err := HandlePluginCommand(o.PluginHandler, cmdPathPieces, 1); err != nil {
 					fmt.Fprintf(o.IOStreams.ErrOut, "Error: %v\n", err)
 					os.Exit(1)
 				}
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ func NewDefaultKubectlCommandWithArgs(o KubectlOptions) *cobra.Command {
 					}
 
 					if !builtinSubcmdExist {
-						if err := HandlePluginCommand(o.PluginHandler, cmdPathPieces, true); err != nil {
+						if err := HandlePluginCommand(o.PluginHandler, cmdPathPieces, len(cmdPathPieces)-len(foundArgs)+1); err != nil {
 							fmt.Fprintf(o.IOStreams.ErrOut, "Error: %v\n", err)
 							os.Exit(1)
 						}
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ func (h *DefaultPluginHandler) Execute(executablePath string, cmdArgs, environme
 
 // HandlePluginCommand receives a pluginHandler and command-line arguments and attempts to find
 // a plugin executable on the PATH that satisfies the given arguments.
-func HandlePluginCommand(pluginHandler PluginHandler, cmdArgs []string, exactMatch bool) error {
+func HandlePluginCommand(pluginHandler PluginHandler, cmdArgs []string, minArgs int) error {
 	var remainingArgs []string // all "non-flag" arguments
 	for _, arg := range cmdArgs {
 		if strings.HasPrefix(arg, "-") {
@@ -279,13 +279,14 @@ func HandlePluginCommand(pluginHandler PluginHandler, cmdArgs []string, exactMat
 	for len(remainingArgs) > 0 {
 		path, found := pluginHandler.Lookup(strings.Join(remainingArgs, "-"))
 		if !found {
-			if exactMatch {
-				// if exactMatch is true, we shouldn't continue searching with shorter names.
+			remainingArgs = remainingArgs[:len(remainingArgs)-1]
+			if len(remainingArgs) < minArgs {
+				// we shouldn't continue searching with shorter names.
 				// this is especially for not searching kubectl-create plugin
 				// when kubectl-create-foo plugin is not found.
 				break
 			}
-			remainingArgs = remainingArgs[:len(remainingArgs)-1]
+
 			continue
 		}
 
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/cmd_test.go b/pkg/cmd/cmd_test.go
index 84653461..633bc242 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/cmd_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/cmd_test.go
@@ -196,6 +196,18 @@ func TestKubectlCommandHandlesPlugins(t *testing.T) {
 			expectPlugin:     "plugin/testdata/kubectl-foo",
 			expectPluginArgs: []string{"--bar"},
 		},
+		{
+			name:             "test that a plugin executable is found based on command args with positional argument",
+			args:             []string{"kubectl", "foo", "positional", "--bar"},
+			expectPlugin:     "plugin/testdata/kubectl-foo",
+			expectPluginArgs: []string{"positional", "--bar"},
+		},
+		{
+			name:             "test that an allowed subcommand plugin executable is found based on command args with positional argument",
+			args:             []string{"kubectl", "create", "foo", "positional", "--bar"},
+			expectPlugin:     "plugin/testdata/kubectl-create-foo",
+			expectPluginArgs: []string{"positional", "--bar"},
+		},
 		{
 			name: "test that a plugin does not execute over an existing command by the same name",
 			args: []string{"kubectl", "version", "--client=true"},
@@ -330,6 +342,7 @@ func (h *testPluginHandler) Lookup(filename string) (string, bool) {
 		for _, p := range plugins {
 			filenameWithSuportedPrefix = fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s", prefix, filename)
 			if p.Name() == filenameWithSuportedPrefix {
+				h.lookupErr = nil
 				return fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", h.pluginsDirectory, p.Name()), true
 			}
 		}