diff --git a/roles/kubernetes/client/tasks/main.yml b/roles/kubernetes/client/tasks/main.yml
index 8c7fba34f..0fa2de233 100644
--- a/roles/kubernetes/client/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/kubernetes/client/tasks/main.yml
@@ -47,10 +47,16 @@
     port: "{{ kube_apiserver_port }}"
     timeout: 180
 
+- name: Create external_kubeconfig dir
+  file:
+    path: "{{ kube_config_dir }}/external_kubeconfig"
+    mode: "0750"
+    state: directory
+  when: kubeconfig_localhost
+
 # NOTE(mattymo): Please forgive this workaround
 - name: Generate admin kubeconfig with external api endpoint  # noqa 302
   shell: >-
-    mkdir -p {{ kube_config_dir }}/external_kubeconfig &&
     {{ bin_dir }}/kubeadm
     init phase
     kubeconfig admin