diff --git a/pkg/executor/push.go b/pkg/executor/push.go
index ad8369dd6..ff81409e3 100644
--- a/pkg/executor/push.go
+++ b/pkg/executor/push.go
@@ -55,14 +55,16 @@ const (
 	UpstreamClientUaKey = "UPSTREAM_CLIENT_TYPE"
 )
 
-// DockerConfLocation returns the file system location of the Docker configuration
-// from the DOCKER_CONFIG environment variable.  If that variable is not set, it
-// returns "/kaniko/.docker/config.json".
+// DockerConfLocation returns the file system location of the Docker
+// configuration file under the directory set in the DOCKER_CONFIG environment
+// variable.  If that variable is not set, it returns the OS-equivalent of
+// "/kaniko/.docker/config.json".
 func DockerConfLocation() string {
-	if dockerConfLocation := os.Getenv("DOCKER_CONFIG"); dockerConfLocation != "" {
-		return dockerConfLocation
+	configFile := "config.json"
+	if dockerConfDir := os.Getenv("DOCKER_CONFIG"); dockerConfDir != "" {
+		return filepath.Join(dockerConfDir, configFile)
 	}
-	return "/kaniko/.docker/config.json"
+	return string(os.PathSeparator) + filepath.Join("kaniko", ".docker", configFile)
 }
 
 func (w *withUserAgent) RoundTrip(r *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/executor/push_test.go b/pkg/executor/push_test.go
index 7bdb50d46..7d919db7b 100644
--- a/pkg/executor/push_test.go
+++ b/pkg/executor/push_test.go
@@ -46,6 +46,48 @@ func mustTag(t *testing.T, s string) name.Tag {
 	return tag
 }
 
+func TestDockerConfLocation(t *testing.T) {
+	dcfg := "DOCKER_CONFIG"
+	originalDockerConfig := os.Getenv(dcfg)
+
+	if err := os.Unsetenv(dcfg); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to unset DOCKER_CONFIG: %v", err)
+	}
+	unset := DockerConfLocation()
+	unsetExpected := "/kaniko/.docker/config.json" // will fail on Windows
+	if unset != unsetExpected {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected default Docker configuration file location: expected:'%s' got:'%s'", unsetExpected, unset)
+	}
+
+	if err := os.Setenv(dcfg, "/kaniko/.docker"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to set DOCKER_CONFIG: %v", err)
+	}
+	kanikoDefault := DockerConfLocation()
+	kanikoDefaultExpected := "/kaniko/.docker/config.json" // will fail on Windows
+	if kanikoDefault != kanikoDefaultExpected {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected kaniko default Docker conf file location: expected:'%s' got:'%s'", kanikoDefaultExpected, kanikoDefault)
+	}
+
+	if err := os.Setenv(dcfg, "/a/different/path"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to set DOCKER_CONFIG: %v", err)
+	}
+	set := DockerConfLocation()
+	setExpected := "/a/different/path/config.json" // will fail on Windows
+	if set != setExpected {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected DOCKER_CONF-based file location: expected:'%s' got:'%s'", setExpected, set)
+	}
+
+	if originalDockerConfig != "" {
+		if err := os.Setenv(dcfg, originalDockerConfig); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Failed to set DOCKER_CONFIG back to original value '%s': %v", originalDockerConfig, err)
+		}
+	} else {
+		if err := os.Unsetenv(dcfg); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Failed to unset DOCKER_CONFIG after testing: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestWriteImageOutputs(t *testing.T) {
 	img, err := random.Image(1024, 3)
 	if err != nil {