diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/component-base/cli/flag/string_slice_flag.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/component-base/cli/flag/string_slice_flag.go
index 37a1d778a39d8..ad0d07d758ece 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/component-base/cli/flag/string_slice_flag.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/component-base/cli/flag/string_slice_flag.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package flag
 
 import (
 	goflag "flag"
+	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
@@ -45,9 +46,11 @@ func (s *StringSlice) String() string {
 }
 
 func (s *StringSlice) Set(val string) error {
-	if s.value == nil || !s.changed {
-		v := make([]string, 0)
-		s.value = &v
+	if s.value == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("no target (nil pointer to []string)")
+	}
+	if !s.changed {
+		*s.value = make([]string, 0)
 	}
 	*s.value = append(*s.value, val)
 	s.changed = true
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/component-base/cli/flag/string_slice_flag_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/component-base/cli/flag/string_slice_flag_test.go
index 745ff05232854..6e5ef240679f6 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/component-base/cli/flag/string_slice_flag_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/component-base/cli/flag/string_slice_flag_test.go
@@ -83,8 +83,8 @@ func TestStringSlice(t *testing.T) {
 		} else if err != nil {
 			t.Errorf("%d: expected nil error, got %v", i, err)
 		}
-		if !reflect.DeepEqual(*v.value, test.expected) {
-			t.Errorf("%d: expected %+v, got %+v", i, test.expected, *v.value)
+		if !reflect.DeepEqual(s, test.expected) {
+			t.Errorf("%d: expected %+v, got %+v", i, test.expected, s)
 		}
 		if v.changed != test.changed {
 			t.Errorf("%d: expected %t got %t", i, test.changed, v.changed)