diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/com/redhat/devtools/intellij/kubernetes/model/AllContexts.kt b/src/main/kotlin/com/redhat/devtools/intellij/kubernetes/model/AllContexts.kt
index d3440bf58..edf978616 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/com/redhat/devtools/intellij/kubernetes/model/AllContexts.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/com/redhat/devtools/intellij/kubernetes/model/AllContexts.kt
@@ -126,7 +126,6 @@ open class AllContexts(
 	override fun setCurrentNamespace(namespace: String): IActiveContext<out HasMetadata, out KubernetesClient>? {
 		val old = this.current ?: return null
 		val newClient = clientFactory.invoke(namespace, old.context.name)
-		throwIfNotAccessible(namespace, newClient.get())
 		val new = setCurrentContext(newClient, old.getWatched())
 		if (new != null) {
 			modelChange.fireCurrentNamespaceChanged(new, old)
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/com/redhat/devtools/intellij/kubernetes/model/context/ActiveContext.kt b/src/main/kotlin/com/redhat/devtools/intellij/kubernetes/model/context/ActiveContext.kt
index 2a2351819..2208a1d0f 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/com/redhat/devtools/intellij/kubernetes/model/context/ActiveContext.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/com/redhat/devtools/intellij/kubernetes/model/context/ActiveContext.kt
@@ -119,9 +119,16 @@ abstract class ActiveContext<N : HasMetadata, C : KubernetesClient>(
         return if (!current.isNullOrEmpty()) {
             current
         } else {
-            val allNamespaces = getAllResources(namespaceKind, NO_NAMESPACE)
-            val namespace = allNamespaces.find { namespace:HasMetadata -> DEFAULT_NAMESPACE == namespace.metadata.name } ?: allNamespaces.firstOrNull()
-            return namespace?.metadata?.name
+            return try {
+                val allNamespaces = getAllResources(namespaceKind, NO_NAMESPACE)
+                val namespace =
+                    allNamespaces.find { namespace: HasMetadata -> DEFAULT_NAMESPACE == namespace.metadata.name }
+                        ?: allNamespaces.firstOrNull()
+                namespace?.metadata?.name
+            } catch (e: ResourceException) {
+                logger<ActiveContext<*,*>>().warn("Could not list all namespaces to use 1st as current namespace.", e)
+                null
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/test/kotlin/com/redhat/devtools/intellij/kubernetes/model/AllContextsTest.kt b/src/test/kotlin/com/redhat/devtools/intellij/kubernetes/model/AllContextsTest.kt
index e3ede0a1a..df5cbc036 100644
--- a/src/test/kotlin/com/redhat/devtools/intellij/kubernetes/model/AllContextsTest.kt
+++ b/src/test/kotlin/com/redhat/devtools/intellij/kubernetes/model/AllContextsTest.kt
@@ -384,20 +384,6 @@ class AllContextsTest {
 		assertThat(contextName.allValues[1]).isEqualTo(activeContext.context.name)
 	}
 
-	@Test(expected = ResourceException::class)
-	fun `#setCurrentNamespace(namespace) should throw if current namespace is forbidden`() {
-		// given
-		val client = client(KubernetesClientException("a disturbance in the force")) // throws upon client#namespaces
-		val clientConfig = clientConfig(currentContext, contexts, configuration)
-		val clientAdapter = clientAdapter(clientConfig, client) // no config so there are no contexts
-		val clientFactory = clientFactory(clientAdapter)
-		val allContexts = TestableAllContexts(modelChange, contextFactory, clientFactory)
-		// when
-		allContexts.setCurrentNamespace("dark side")
-		// then
-		verify(modelChange, never()).fireCurrentNamespaceChanged(anyOrNull(), anyOrNull())
-	}
-
 	@Test
 	fun `#onKubeConfigChanged() should NOT fire if new config is null`() {
 		// given