diff --git a/handlers/delete.go b/handlers/delete.go
index a174f2ebe..aa8591f86 100644
--- a/handlers/delete.go
+++ b/handlers/delete.go
@@ -16,10 +16,23 @@ import (
 )
 
 // MakeDeleteHandler delete a function
-func MakeDeleteHandler(functionNamespace string, clientset *kubernetes.Clientset) http.HandlerFunc {
+func MakeDeleteHandler(defaultNamespace string, clientset *kubernetes.Clientset) http.HandlerFunc {
 	return func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		defer r.Body.Close()
 
+		q := r.URL.Query()
+		namespace := q.Get("namespace")
+
+		lookupNamespace := defaultNamespace
+
+		if len(namespace) > 0 {
+			lookupNamespace = namespace
+		}
+
+		if lookupNamespace == "kube-system" {
+			http.Error(w, "unable to list within the kube-system namespace", http.StatusUnauthorized)
+		}
+
 		body, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(r.Body)
 
 		request := requests.DeleteFunctionRequest{}
@@ -37,7 +50,7 @@ func MakeDeleteHandler(functionNamespace string, clientset *kubernetes.Clientset
 
 		// This makes sure we don't delete non-labelled deployments
 		deployment, findDeployErr := clientset.AppsV1().
-			Deployments(functionNamespace).
+			Deployments(lookupNamespace).
 			Get(request.FunctionName, getOpts)
 
 		if findDeployErr != nil {
@@ -52,7 +65,7 @@ func MakeDeleteHandler(functionNamespace string, clientset *kubernetes.Clientset
 		}
 
 		if isFunction(deployment) {
-			deleteFunction(functionNamespace, clientset, request, w)
+			deleteFunction(lookupNamespace, clientset, request, w)
 		} else {
 			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusBadRequest)
 
diff --git a/handlers/reader.go b/handlers/reader.go
index 5bdb04cfa..59b450be9 100644
--- a/handlers/reader.go
+++ b/handlers/reader.go
@@ -17,10 +17,22 @@ import (
 )
 
 // MakeFunctionReader handler for reading functions deployed in the cluster as deployments.
-func MakeFunctionReader(functionNamespace string, clientset *kubernetes.Clientset) http.HandlerFunc {
+func MakeFunctionReader(defaultNamespace string, clientset *kubernetes.Clientset) http.HandlerFunc {
 	return func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		q := r.URL.Query()
+		namespace := q.Get("namespace")
 
-		functions, err := getServiceList(functionNamespace, clientset)
+		lookupNamespace := defaultNamespace
+
+		if len(namespace) > 0 {
+			lookupNamespace = namespace
+		}
+
+		if lookupNamespace == "kube-system" {
+			http.Error(w, "unable to list within the kube-system namespace", http.StatusUnauthorized)
+		}
+
+		functions, err := getServiceList(lookupNamespace, clientset)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Println(err)
 			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusInternalServerError)
diff --git a/handlers/update.go b/handlers/update.go
index cc20f0073..baf1542f5 100644
--- a/handlers/update.go
+++ b/handlers/update.go
@@ -18,11 +18,23 @@ import (
 )
 
 // MakeUpdateHandler update specified function
-func MakeUpdateHandler(functionNamespace string, factory k8s.FunctionFactory) http.HandlerFunc {
+func MakeUpdateHandler(defaultNamespace string, factory k8s.FunctionFactory) http.HandlerFunc {
 	return func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-
 		defer r.Body.Close()
 
+		q := r.URL.Query()
+		namespace := q.Get("namespace")
+
+		lookupNamespace := defaultNamespace
+
+		if len(namespace) > 0 {
+			lookupNamespace = namespace
+		}
+
+		if lookupNamespace == "kube-system" {
+			http.Error(w, "unable to list within the kube-system namespace", http.StatusUnauthorized)
+		}
+
 		body, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(r.Body)
 
 		request := types.FunctionDeployment{}
@@ -33,12 +45,12 @@ func MakeUpdateHandler(functionNamespace string, factory k8s.FunctionFactory) ht
 		}
 
 		annotations := buildAnnotations(request)
-		if err, status := updateDeploymentSpec(functionNamespace, factory, request, annotations); err != nil {
+		if err, status := updateDeploymentSpec(lookupNamespace, factory, request, annotations); err != nil {
 			w.WriteHeader(status)
 			w.Write([]byte(err.Error()))
 		}
 
-		if err, status := updateService(functionNamespace, factory, request, annotations); err != nil {
+		if err, status := updateService(lookupNamespace, factory, request, annotations); err != nil {
 			w.WriteHeader(status)
 			w.Write([]byte(err.Error()))
 		}