diff --git a/cmd/argo/commands/common.go b/cmd/argo/commands/common.go
index cc252fc9d039..d54ba101074f 100644
--- a/cmd/argo/commands/common.go
+++ b/cmd/argo/commands/common.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ var (
 	wfClient         v1alpha1.WorkflowInterface
 	jobStatusIconMap map[wfv1.NodePhase]string
 	noColor          bool
+	namespace        string
 )
 
 func init() {
@@ -80,11 +81,10 @@ func initKubeClient() *kubernetes.Clientset {
 
 // InitWorkflowClient creates a new client for the Kubernetes Workflow CRD.
 func InitWorkflowClient(ns ...string) v1alpha1.WorkflowInterface {
-	if wfClient != nil {
+	if wfClient != nil && (len(ns) == 0 || ns[0] == namespace) {
 		return wfClient
 	}
 	initKubeClient()
-	var namespace string
 	var err error
 	if len(ns) > 0 {
 		namespace = ns[0]
diff --git a/cmd/argo/commands/submit.go b/cmd/argo/commands/submit.go
index 0337f588b84d..093ffa1f70fc 100644
--- a/cmd/argo/commands/submit.go
+++ b/cmd/argo/commands/submit.go
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ func SubmitWorkflows(filePaths []string, submitOpts *util.SubmitOpts, cliOpts *c
 	if cliOpts == nil {
 		cliOpts = &cliSubmitOpts{}
 	}
-	InitWorkflowClient()
+	defaultWFClient := InitWorkflowClient()
 	var workflows []wfv1.Workflow
 	if len(filePaths) == 1 && filePaths[0] == "-" {
 		reader := bufio.NewReader(os.Stdin)
@@ -114,6 +114,10 @@ func SubmitWorkflows(filePaths []string, submitOpts *util.SubmitOpts, cliOpts *c
 	var workflowNames []string
 	for _, wf := range workflows {
 		wf.Spec.Priority = cliOpts.priority
+		wfClient := defaultWFClient
+		if wf.Namespace != "" {
+			wfClient = InitWorkflowClient(wf.Namespace)
+		}
 		created, err := util.SubmitWorkflow(wfClient, &wf, submitOpts)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Fatalf("Failed to submit workflow: %v", err)