diff --git a/config/config_test.go b/config/config_test.go
index 695c0188a5..198c672521 100644
--- a/config/config_test.go
+++ b/config/config_test.go
@@ -1181,6 +1181,14 @@ var expectedErrors = []struct {
 		filename: "kubernetes_http_config_without_api_server.bad.yml",
 		errMsg:   "to use custom HTTP client configuration please provide the 'api_server' URL explicitly",
 	},
+	{
+		filename: "kubernetes_kubeconfig_with_own_namespace.bad.yml",
+		errMsg:   "cannot use 'kubeconfig_file' and 'namespaces.own_namespace' simultaneously",
+	},
+	{
+		filename: "kubernetes_api_server_with_own_namespace.bad.yml",
+		errMsg:   "cannot use 'api_server' and 'namespaces.own_namespace' simultaneously",
+	},
 	{
 		filename: "kubernetes_kubeconfig_with_apiserver.bad.yml",
 		errMsg:   "cannot use 'kubeconfig_file' and 'api_server' simultaneously",
diff --git a/config/testdata/kubernetes_api_server_with_own_namespace.bad.yml b/config/testdata/kubernetes_api_server_with_own_namespace.bad.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8a7f49b4bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/testdata/kubernetes_api_server_with_own_namespace.bad.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+scrape_configs:
+  - job_name: prometheus
+    kubernetes_sd_configs:
+      - role: endpoints
+        api_server: 'https://localhost:1234'
+        namespaces:
+          own_namespace: true
diff --git a/config/testdata/kubernetes_kubeconfig_with_own_namespace.bad.yml b/config/testdata/kubernetes_kubeconfig_with_own_namespace.bad.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d6999fcc65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/testdata/kubernetes_kubeconfig_with_own_namespace.bad.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+scrape_configs:
+  - job_name: prometheus
+    kubernetes_sd_configs:
+      - role: endpoints
+        kubeconfig_file: /home/User1/.kubeconfig
+        namespaces:
+          own_namespace: true
diff --git a/discovery/kubernetes/kubernetes.go b/discovery/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
index 7c2ab5ed40..f935e94001 100644
--- a/discovery/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
+++ b/discovery/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
@@ -184,6 +184,12 @@ func (c *SDConfig) UnmarshalYAML(unmarshal func(interface{}) error) error {
 	if c.APIServer.URL == nil && !reflect.DeepEqual(c.HTTPClientConfig, config.DefaultHTTPClientConfig) {
 		return errors.Errorf("to use custom HTTP client configuration please provide the 'api_server' URL explicitly")
 	}
+	if c.APIServer.URL != nil && c.NamespaceDiscovery.IncludeOwnNamespace {
+		return errors.Errorf("cannot use 'api_server' and 'namespaces.own_namespace' simultaneously")
+	}
+	if c.KubeConfig != "" && c.NamespaceDiscovery.IncludeOwnNamespace {
+		return errors.Errorf("cannot use 'kubeconfig_file' and 'namespaces.own_namespace' simultaneously")
+	}
 
 	foundSelectorRoles := make(map[Role]struct{})
 	allowedSelectors := map[Role][]string{
@@ -263,7 +269,7 @@ func (d *Discovery) getNamespaces() []string {
 		return []string{apiv1.NamespaceAll}
 	}
 
-	if includeOwnNamespace && d.ownNamespace != "" {
+	if includeOwnNamespace {
 		return append(namespaces, d.ownNamespace)
 	}
 
@@ -293,11 +299,16 @@ func New(l log.Logger, conf *SDConfig) (*Discovery, error) {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 
-		ownNamespaceContents, err := ioutil.ReadFile("/var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount/namespace")
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not determine the pod's namespace: %w", err)
+		if conf.NamespaceDiscovery.IncludeOwnNamespace {
+			ownNamespaceContents, err := ioutil.ReadFile("/var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount/namespace")
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not determine the pod's namespace: %w", err)
+			}
+			if len(ownNamespaceContents) == 0 {
+				return nil, errors.New("could not read own namespace name (empty file)")
+			}
+			ownNamespace = string(ownNamespaceContents)
 		}
-		ownNamespace = string(ownNamespaceContents)
 
 		level.Info(l).Log("msg", "Using pod service account via in-cluster config")
 	} else {