diff --git a/cmd/skupper/skupper.go b/cmd/skupper/skupper.go
index c9a2a2e7d..ddea1da7d 100644
--- a/cmd/skupper/skupper.go
+++ b/cmd/skupper/skupper.go
@@ -1039,12 +1039,27 @@ func addCommands(skupperCli SkupperClient, rootCmd *cobra.Command, cmds ...*cobr
 	}
 }
 
+func parsePlatformFlagOnly(args []string) {
+	// This function is called when not every supported command flag is defined yet
+	for i, p := range args {
+		if p == "--platform" && i < len(args)-1 {
+			config.Platform = args[i+1]
+			break
+		} else if strings.HasPrefix(p, "--platform=") {
+			_, v, _ := strings.Cut(p, "=")
+			config.Platform = v
+			break
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func init() {
 	rootCmd = &cobra.Command{Use: "skupper"}
 	routev1.AddToScheme(scheme.Scheme)
 
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&config.Platform, "platform", "", "", "The platform type to use [kubernetes, podman]")
-	rootCmd.ParseFlags(os.Args)
+	// Only the "platform" flag is defined at this point so it is unsafe to call rootCmd.ParseFlags(os.Args) here
+	parsePlatformFlagOnly(os.Args)
 
 	var skupperCli SkupperClient
 	switch config.GetPlatform() {
diff --git a/cmd/skupper/skupper_test.go b/cmd/skupper/skupper_test.go
index b3ac795b0..78e0f943e 100644
--- a/cmd/skupper/skupper_test.go
+++ b/cmd/skupper/skupper_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/skupperproject/skupper/api/types"
+	"github.com/skupperproject/skupper/pkg/config"
 
 	"gotest.tools/assert"
 )
@@ -317,3 +318,31 @@ func TestSkupperInitFlowCollectorParseArgs(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, routerCreateOpts.FlowCollector.MemoryLimit, "3G")
 	assert.Equal(t, routerCreateOpts.FlowCollector.FlowRecordTtl, time.Minute*15)
 }
+
+func TestParsePlatformFlagOnly(t *testing.T) {
+	config.Platform = ""
+	args := []string{"skupper", "expose", "host", "10.0.0.1", "--address", "test-service", "--port", "8080", "--platform", "podman"}
+	parsePlatformFlagOnly(args)
+	assert.Equal(t, config.Platform, types.PlatformPodman)
+
+	config.Platform = ""
+	args = []string{"skupper", "expose", "host", "10.0.0.1", "--address", "test-service", "--port", "8080", "--platform=podman"}
+	parsePlatformFlagOnly(args)
+	assert.Equal(t, config.Platform, types.PlatformPodman)
+
+	config.Platform = ""
+	args = []string{"skupper", "--platform", "podman", "expose", "host", "10.0.0.1", "--address", "test-service", "--port", "8080"}
+	parsePlatformFlagOnly(args)
+	assert.Equal(t, config.Platform, types.PlatformPodman)
+
+	config.Platform = ""
+	args = []string{"skupper", "--platform=podman", "expose", "host", "10.0.0.1", "--address", "test-service", "--port", "8080"}
+	parsePlatformFlagOnly(args)
+	assert.Equal(t, config.Platform, types.PlatformPodman)
+
+	// Bad value
+	config.Platform = ""
+	args = []string{"skupper", "--platform=", "expose", "host", "10.0.0.1", "--address", "test-service", "--port", "8080"}
+	parsePlatformFlagOnly(args)
+	assert.Equal(t, config.Platform, "")
+}