diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/cp/cp.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/cp/cp.go
index afcf649c35a..0511b4fe69c 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/cp/cp.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/cp/cp.go
@@ -244,9 +244,9 @@ func (o *CopyOptions) copyToPod(src, dest fileSpec, options *exec.ExecOptions) e
 
 	// TODO: Improve error messages by first testing if 'tar' is present in the container?
 	if o.NoPreserve {
-		cmdArr = []string{"tar", "--no-same-permissions", "--no-same-owner", "-xf", "-"}
+		cmdArr = []string{"tar", "--no-same-permissions", "--no-same-owner", "-xmf", "-"}
 	} else {
-		cmdArr = []string{"tar", "-xf", "-"}
+		cmdArr = []string{"tar", "-xmf", "-"}
 	}
 	destDir := path.Dir(dest.File)
 	if len(destDir) > 0 {
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/cp/cp_test.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/cp/cp_test.go
index 766320d10c3..348b8dd554f 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/cp/cp_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/cp/cp_test.go
@@ -641,11 +641,11 @@ func TestCopyToPodNoPreserve(t *testing.T) {
 		nopreserve  bool
 	}{
 		"copy to pod no preserve user and permissions": {
-			expectedCmd: []string{"tar", "--no-same-permissions", "--no-same-owner", "-xf", "-", "-C", "."},
+			expectedCmd: []string{"tar", "--no-same-permissions", "--no-same-owner", "-xmf", "-", "-C", "."},
 			nopreserve:  true,
 		},
 		"copy to pod preserve user and permissions": {
-			expectedCmd: []string{"tar", "-xf", "-", "-C", "."},
+			expectedCmd: []string{"tar", "-xmf", "-", "-C", "."},
 			nopreserve:  false,
 		},
 	}