diff --git a/commands/live/apply/cmdapply.go b/commands/live/apply/cmdapply.go
index e9a45cad80..c00fe8dadd 100644
--- a/commands/live/apply/cmdapply.go
+++ b/commands/live/apply/cmdapply.go
@@ -28,9 +28,11 @@ import (
 	alphaprinterstable "github.com/kptdev/kpt/pkg/printer/table"
 	"github.com/kptdev/kpt/pkg/status"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes"
 	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/util"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/cli-utils/cmd/flagutils"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/cli-utils/pkg/apply"
@@ -54,6 +56,13 @@ func NewRunner(
 		applyRunner: runApply,
 		alpha:       alpha,
 	}
+	r.namespaceChecker = func(namespace string) error {
+		clientset, err := factory.KubernetesClientSet()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		return checkNamespaceExists(clientset, namespace)
+	}
 	c := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:     "apply [PKG_PATH | -]",
 		RunE:    r.runE,
@@ -124,6 +133,7 @@ type Runner struct {
 
 	applyRunner func(r *Runner, invInfo inventory.Info, objs []*unstructured.Unstructured,
 		dryRunStrategy common.DryRunStrategy) error
+	namespaceChecker func(namespace string) error
 }
 
 func (r *Runner) preRunE(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
@@ -191,6 +201,12 @@ func (r *Runner) runE(c *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	if !live.NamespaceInObjects(objs, inv.Namespace) {
+		if err := r.namespaceChecker(inv.Namespace); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
 	invInfo, err := live.ToInventoryInfo(inv)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -289,3 +305,14 @@ func runApply(r *Runner, invInfo inventory.Info, objs []*unstructured.Unstructur
 	}
 	return printer.Print(ch, dryRunStrategy, r.printStatusEvents)
 }
+
+func checkNamespaceExists(clientset kubernetes.Interface, namespace string) error {
+	if namespace == "" {
+		namespace = "default"
+	}
+	_, err := clientset.CoreV1().Namespaces().Get(context.Background(), namespace, metav1.GetOptions{})
+	if apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("inventory namespace %q does not exist", namespace)
+	}
+	return err
+}
diff --git a/commands/live/apply/cmdapply_test.go b/commands/live/apply/cmdapply_test.go
index a6eb85d311..74c39a9c87 100644
--- a/commands/live/apply/cmdapply_test.go
+++ b/commands/live/apply/cmdapply_test.go
@@ -23,13 +23,57 @@ import (
 	"github.com/kptdev/kpt/pkg/kptfile/kptfileutil"
 	"github.com/kptdev/kpt/pkg/printer/fake"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
+	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions"
+	k8sfake "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/fake"
 	cmdtesting "k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/testing"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/cli-utils/pkg/common"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/cli-utils/pkg/inventory"
 )
 
+func TestCheckNamespaceExistsWithClient(t *testing.T) {
+	testCases := map[string]struct {
+		namespace      string
+		existingNs     string
+		expectedErrMsg string
+	}{
+		"namespace exists": {
+			namespace:  "my-ns",
+			existingNs: "my-ns",
+		},
+		"namespace does not exist": {
+			namespace:      "missing-ns",
+			existingNs:     "other-ns",
+			expectedErrMsg: `inventory namespace "missing-ns" does not exist`,
+		},
+		"empty namespace defaults to default and exists": {
+			namespace:  "",
+			existingNs: "default",
+		},
+		"empty namespace defaults to default but default missing": {
+			namespace:      "",
+			existingNs:     "other-ns",
+			expectedErrMsg: `inventory namespace "default" does not exist`,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for tn, tc := range testCases {
+		t.Run(tn, func(t *testing.T) {
+			clientset := k8sfake.NewSimpleClientset(&corev1.Namespace{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: tc.existingNs},
+			})
+			err := checkNamespaceExists(clientset, tc.namespace)
+			if tc.expectedErrMsg != "" {
+				assert.EqualError(t, err, tc.expectedErrMsg)
+			} else {
+				assert.NoError(t, err)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestCmd(t *testing.T) {
 	testCases := map[string]struct {
 		args              []string
@@ -148,6 +192,7 @@ func TestCmd(t *testing.T) {
 
 			runner := NewRunner(fake.CtxWithDefaultPrinter(), tf, ioStreams, false)
 			runner.Command.SetArgs(tc.args)
+			runner.namespaceChecker = func(_ string) error { return nil }
 			runner.applyRunner = func(_ *Runner, inv inventory.Info,
 				_ []*unstructured.Unstructured, _ common.DryRunStrategy) error {
 				tc.applyCallbackFunc(t, runner, inv)
diff --git a/pkg/live/load.go b/pkg/live/load.go
index a7bf9c9aa8..7d39bcf7ea 100644
--- a/pkg/live/load.go
+++ b/pkg/live/load.go
@@ -321,6 +321,16 @@ func validateInventory(inventory kptfilev1.Inventory) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// NamespaceInObjects return true if any object in objs is a Namespace with the given name
+func NamespaceInObjects(objs []*unstructured.Unstructured, namespace string) bool {
+	for _, obj := range objs {
+		if obj.GetKind() == "Namespace" && obj.GetName() == namespace {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 func generateInventoryObj(inv kptfilev1.Inventory) *unstructured.Unstructured {
 	// Create and return ResourceGroup custom resource as inventory object.