diff --git a/roles/kubernetes-apps/ansible/templates/coredns-config.yml.j2 b/roles/kubernetes-apps/ansible/templates/coredns-config.yml.j2
index 8a4811937..841dc6501 100644
--- a/roles/kubernetes-apps/ansible/templates/coredns-config.yml.j2
+++ b/roles/kubernetes-apps/ansible/templates/coredns-config.yml.j2
@@ -73,7 +73,9 @@ data:
           max_concurrent 1000
 {% if dns_upstream_forward_extra_opts is defined %}
 {% for optname, optvalue in dns_upstream_forward_extra_opts.items() %}
-          {{ optname }} {{ optvalue }}
+          {{ (optname ~ ' ' ~ optvalue) | trim }}
+          {# do not add a trailing space when optvalue == ''
+             workaround for: https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/issues/36222 #}
 {% endfor %}
 {% endif %}
         }
diff --git a/roles/kubernetes-apps/ansible/templates/nodelocaldns-config.yml.j2 b/roles/kubernetes-apps/ansible/templates/nodelocaldns-config.yml.j2
index 802915b3a..1a91f1179 100644
--- a/roles/kubernetes-apps/ansible/templates/nodelocaldns-config.yml.j2
+++ b/roles/kubernetes-apps/ansible/templates/nodelocaldns-config.yml.j2
@@ -85,7 +85,9 @@ data:
         bind {{ nodelocaldns_ip }}
         forward . {{ upstreamForwardTarget }}{% if dns_upstream_forward_extra_opts is defined %} {
 {% for optname, optvalue in dns_upstream_forward_extra_opts.items() %}
-          {{ optname }} {{ optvalue }}
+          {{ (optname ~ ' ' ~ optvalue) | trim }}
+          {# do not add a trailing space when optvalue == ''
+             workaround for: https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/issues/36222 #}
 {% endfor %}
         }{% endif %}
 
@@ -170,7 +172,9 @@ data:
         bind {{ nodelocaldns_ip }}
         forward . {{ upstreamForwardTarget }}{% if dns_upstream_forward_extra_opts is defined %} {
 {% for optname, optvalue in dns_upstream_forward_extra_opts.items() %}
-          {{ optname }} {{ optvalue }}
+          {{ (optname ~ ' ' ~ optvalue) | trim }}
+          {# do not add a trailing space when optvalue == ''
+             workaround for: https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/issues/36222 #}
 {% endfor %}
         }{% endif %}