diff --git a/docs/man/man1/kubectl-expose.1 b/docs/man/man1/kubectl-expose.1
index b93b58c4855..840fe4eaaee 100644
--- a/docs/man/man1/kubectl-expose.1
+++ b/docs/man/man1/kubectl-expose.1
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ re\-use the labels from the resource it exposes.
     An inline JSON override for the generated object. If this is non\-empty, it is used to override the generated object. Requires that the object supply a valid apiVersion field.
 
 .PP
-\fB\-\-port\fP=\-1
+\fB\-\-port\fP=""
     The port that the service should serve on. Copied from the resource being exposed, if unspecified
 
 .PP
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/kubectl/kubectl_expose.md b/docs/user-guide/kubectl/kubectl_expose.md
index 5351215ac3f..b3a6e5c399d 100644
--- a/docs/user-guide/kubectl/kubectl_expose.md
+++ b/docs/user-guide/kubectl/kubectl_expose.md
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ $ kubectl expose rc streamer --port=4100 --protocol=udp --name=video-stream
   -o, --output="": Output format. One of: json|yaml|wide|name|go-template=...|go-template-file=...|jsonpath=...|jsonpath-file=... See golang template [http://golang.org/pkg/text/template/#pkg-overview] and jsonpath template [http://releases.k8s.io/HEAD/docs/user-guide/jsonpath.md].
       --output-version="": Output the formatted object with the given version (default api-version).
       --overrides="": An inline JSON override for the generated object. If this is non-empty, it is used to override the generated object. Requires that the object supply a valid apiVersion field.
-      --port=-1: The port that the service should serve on. Copied from the resource being exposed, if unspecified
+      --port="": The port that the service should serve on. Copied from the resource being exposed, if unspecified
       --protocol="TCP": The network protocol for the service to be created. Default is 'tcp'.
       --selector="": A label selector to use for this service. If empty (the default) infer the selector from the replication controller.
       --session-affinity="": If non-empty, set the session affinity for the service to this; legal values: 'None', 'ClientIP'
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ $ kubectl expose rc streamer --port=4100 --protocol=udp --name=video-stream
 
 * [kubectl](kubectl.md)	 - kubectl controls the Kubernetes cluster manager
 
-###### Auto generated by spf13/cobra at 2015-09-22 12:53:42.292344962 +0000 UTC
+###### Auto generated by spf13/cobra at 2015-10-10 14:16:24.22183637 +0000 UTC
 
 <!-- BEGIN MUNGE: GENERATED_ANALYTICS -->
 [![Analytics](https://kubernetes-site.appspot.com/UA-36037335-10/GitHub/docs/user-guide/kubectl/kubectl_expose.md?pixel)]()
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/expose.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/expose.go
index d7aa96c579f..3cc960fdc58 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/expose.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/expose.go
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ func NewCmdExposeService(f *cmdutil.Factory, out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 	cmdutil.AddPrinterFlags(cmd)
 	cmd.Flags().String("generator", "service/v2", "The name of the API generator to use. There are 2 generators: 'service/v1' and 'service/v2'. The only difference between them is that service port in v1 is named 'default', while it is left unnamed in v2. Default is 'service/v2'.")
 	cmd.Flags().String("protocol", "TCP", "The network protocol for the service to be created. Default is 'tcp'.")
-	cmd.Flags().Int("port", -1, "The port that the service should serve on. Copied from the resource being exposed, if unspecified")
+	cmd.Flags().String("port", "", "The port that the service should serve on. Copied from the resource being exposed, if unspecified")
 	cmd.Flags().String("type", "", "Type for this service: ClusterIP, NodePort, or LoadBalancer. Default is 'ClusterIP'.")
 	// TODO: remove create-external-load-balancer in code on or after Aug 25, 2016.
 	cmd.Flags().Bool("create-external-load-balancer", false, "If true, create an external load balancer for this service (trumped by --type). Implementation is cloud provider dependent. Default is 'false'.")
@@ -150,32 +150,22 @@ func RunExpose(f *cmdutil.Factory, out io.Writer, cmd *cobra.Command, args []str
 		params["selector"] = s
 	}
 
-	if cmdutil.GetFlagInt(cmd, "port") < 1 {
-		noPorts := true
-		for _, param := range names {
-			if param.Name == "port" {
-				noPorts = false
-				break
-			}
+	// For objects that need a port, derive it from the exposed object in case a user
+	// didn't explicitly specify one via --port
+	if port, found := params["port"]; found && kubectl.IsZero(port) {
+		ports, err := f.PortsForObject(inputObject)
+		if err != nil {
+			return cmdutil.UsageError(cmd, fmt.Sprintf("couldn't find port via --port flag or introspection: %s", err))
 		}
-		if cmdutil.GetFlagInt(cmd, "port") < 0 && !noPorts {
-			ports, err := f.PortsForObject(inputObject)
-			if err != nil {
-				return cmdutil.UsageError(cmd, fmt.Sprintf("couldn't find port via --port flag or introspection: %s", err))
-			}
-			switch len(ports) {
-			case 0:
-				return cmdutil.UsageError(cmd, "couldn't find port via --port flag or introspection")
-			case 1:
-				params["port"] = ports[0]
-			default:
-				return cmdutil.UsageError(cmd, fmt.Sprintf("multiple ports to choose from: %v, please explicitly specify a port using the --port flag.", ports))
-			}
+		switch len(ports) {
+		case 0:
+			return cmdutil.UsageError(cmd, "couldn't find port via --port flag or introspection")
+		case 1:
+			params["port"] = ports[0]
+		default:
+			return cmdutil.UsageError(cmd, fmt.Sprintf("multiple ports to choose from: %v, please explicitly specify a port using the --port flag.", ports))
 		}
 	}
-	if cmdutil.GetFlagBool(cmd, "create-external-load-balancer") {
-		params["create-external-load-balancer"] = "true"
-	}
 	if kubectl.IsZero(params["labels"]) {
 		labels, err := f.LabelsForObject(inputObject)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -183,22 +173,17 @@ func RunExpose(f *cmdutil.Factory, out io.Writer, cmd *cobra.Command, args []str
 		}
 		params["labels"] = kubectl.MakeLabels(labels)
 	}
-	if v := cmdutil.GetFlagString(cmd, "type"); v != "" {
-		params["type"] = v
-	}
-	err = kubectl.ValidateParams(names, params)
-	if err != nil {
+	if err = kubectl.ValidateParams(names, params); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	// Expose new object
+	// Generate new object
 	object, err := generator.Generate(params)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	inline := cmdutil.GetFlagString(cmd, "overrides")
-	if len(inline) > 0 {
+	if inline := cmdutil.GetFlagString(cmd, "overrides"); len(inline) > 0 {
 		object, err = cmdutil.Merge(object, inline, mapping.Kind)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err