diff --git a/functions/_tide_item_kubectl.fish b/functions/_tide_item_kubectl.fish
index 4532371..52a7f1f 100644
--- a/functions/_tide_item_kubectl.fish
+++ b/functions/_tide_item_kubectl.fish
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ function _tide_item_kubectl
         # exist, or the file didn't parse as expected -- let kubectl itself
         # figure it out.
         kubectl config view --minify --output 'jsonpath={.current-context}/{..namespace}' 2>/dev/null | read -l context &&
-            _tide_print_item kubectl $tide_kubectl_icon' ' (string replace -r '/(|default)$' '' $context)
+            _tide_print_item kubectl $tide_kubectl_icon' ' (string replace -r '/(|default)$' '' -- $context)
         return
     end
 
diff --git a/tests/_tide_item_kubectl.test.fish b/tests/_tide_item_kubectl.test.fish
index f45c372..f36f845 100644
--- a/tests/_tide_item_kubectl.test.fish
+++ b/tests/_tide_item_kubectl.test.fish
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@ _kubectl # CHECK: ⎈ curr-context
 mock kubectl "config view --minify --output" "echo curr-context/"
 _kubectl # CHECK: ⎈ curr-context
 
+# regression: a context name starting with "-" must not be read as an
+# option by the `string replace` that strips the trailing "/default"
+mock kubectl "config view --minify --output" "echo -curr-context/default"
+_kubectl # CHECK: ⎈ -curr-context
+
 mock kubectl "config view --minify --output" "echo curr-context/curr-namespace"
 _kubectl # CHECK: ⎈ curr-context/curr-namespace