diff --git a/k8sdeps/configmapandsecret/basefactory_test.go b/k8sdeps/configmapandsecret/basefactory_test.go
index d96092fc1..3f0a545d5 100644
--- a/k8sdeps/configmapandsecret/basefactory_test.go
+++ b/k8sdeps/configmapandsecret/basefactory_test.go
@@ -68,26 +68,22 @@ func TestKeyValuesFromPlugins(t *testing.T) {
 		expected    []kv.Pair
 	}{
 		{
-			description: "Create kv.Pairs from plugin",
+			description: "Create kv.Pairs from builtin literals plugin",
 			sources: []types.KVSource{
 				{
-					PluginType: "testonly",
-					Name:       "testonly",
-					Args:       []string{"FOO", "BAR", "BAZ"},
+					PluginType: "builtin",
+					Name:       "literals",
+					Args:       []string{"FOO=bar", "BAR=baz"},
 				},
 			},
 			expected: []kv.Pair{
 				{
-					Key:   "k_FOO",
-					Value: "v_FOO",
+					Key:   "FOO",
+					Value: "bar",
 				},
 				{
-					Key:   "k_BAR",
-					Value: "v_BAR",
-				},
-				{
-					Key:   "k_BAZ",
-					Value: "v_BAZ",
+					Key:   "BAR",
+					Value: "baz",
 				},
 			},
 		},
diff --git a/k8sdeps/kv/plugin/builtin/literals.go b/k8sdeps/kv/plugin/builtin/literals.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bb79744f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/k8sdeps/kv/plugin/builtin/literals.go
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2019 The Kubernetes Authors.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package builtin
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+
+	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/k8sdeps/kv"
+)
+
+// Literals takes a list of literals.
+// Each literal source should be a key and literal value,
+// e.g. `somekey=somevalue`
+// It will be similar to kubectl create configmap|secret --from-literal
+type Literals struct{}
+
+// Get implements the interface for kv plugins.
+func (p Literals) Get(root string, args []string) ([]kv.Pair, error) {
+	var kvs []kv.Pair
+	for _, s := range args {
+		k, v, err := parseLiteralSource(s)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		kvs = append(kvs, kv.Pair{Key: k, Value: v})
+	}
+	return kvs, nil
+}
+
+// parseLiteralSource parses the source key=val pair into its component pieces.
+// This functionality is distinguished from strings.SplitN(source, "=", 2) since
+// it returns an error in the case of empty keys, values, or a missing equals sign.
+func parseLiteralSource(source string) (keyName, value string, err error) {
+	// leading equal is invalid
+	if strings.Index(source, "=") == 0 {
+		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("invalid literal source %v, expected key=value", source)
+	}
+	// split after the first equal (so values can have the = character)
+	items := strings.SplitN(source, "=", 2)
+	if len(items) != 2 {
+		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("invalid literal source %v, expected key=value", source)
+	}
+	return items[0], strings.Trim(items[1], "\"'"), nil
+}
diff --git a/k8sdeps/kv/plugin/testonly.go b/k8sdeps/kv/plugin/builtinplugin.go
similarity index 53%
rename from k8sdeps/kv/plugin/testonly.go
rename to k8sdeps/kv/plugin/builtinplugin.go
index ecbc36cc8..67aeb39fb 100644
--- a/k8sdeps/kv/plugin/testonly.go
+++ b/k8sdeps/kv/plugin/builtinplugin.go
@@ -14,30 +14,32 @@ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 */
 
-// testonly is temporary until we have builtin plugins to use in the tests.
-
 package plugin
 
 import (
-	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/k8sdeps/kv"
+	"fmt"
+
+	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/k8sdeps/kv/plugin/builtin"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/pkg/ifc"
 )
 
-var _ Factory = &testonlyFactory{}
+var _ Factory = &builtinFactory{}
 
-func newTestonlyFactory() *testonlyFactory {
-	return &testonlyFactory{}
+type builtinFactory struct {
+	plugins map[string]KVSource
 }
 
-type testonlyFactory struct{}
-
-func (p testonlyFactory) Get(_ string, args []string) ([]kv.Pair, error) {
-	var kvs []kv.Pair
-	for _, arg := range args {
-		kvs = append(kvs, kv.Pair{Key: "k_" + arg, Value: "v_" + arg})
+func newBuiltinFactory(ldr ifc.Loader) *builtinFactory {
+	return &builtinFactory{
+		plugins: map[string]KVSource{
+			"literals": builtin.Literals{},
+		},
 	}
-	return kvs, nil
 }
 
-func (p *testonlyFactory) load(_ string) (KVSource, error) {
-	return p, nil
+func (p *builtinFactory) load(name string) (KVSource, error) {
+	if plug, ok := p.plugins[name]; ok {
+		return plug, nil
+	}
+	return nil, fmt.Errorf("plugin %s not found", name)
 }
diff --git a/k8sdeps/kv/plugin/registry.go b/k8sdeps/kv/plugin/registry.go
index bf6c8ae0a..3883922c7 100644
--- a/k8sdeps/kv/plugin/registry.go
+++ b/k8sdeps/kv/plugin/registry.go
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ func NewRegistry(ldr ifc.Loader) Registry {
 	return Registry{
 		ldr: ldr,
 		factories: map[string]Factory{
-			"go":       newGoFactory(),
-			"testonly": newTestonlyFactory(),
+			"go":      newGoFactory(),
+			"builtin": newBuiltinFactory(ldr),
 		},
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/target/configmaps_test.go b/pkg/target/configmaps_test.go
index 3ba0545d8..c482b6a7d 100644
--- a/pkg/target/configmaps_test.go
+++ b/pkg/target/configmaps_test.go
@@ -247,11 +247,11 @@ func TestGeneratorPlugins(t *testing.T) {
 secretGenerator:
 - name: bob
   kvSources:
-  - pluginType: testonly
-    name: testonly
+  - pluginType: builtin
+    name: literals
     args:
-    - FRUIT
-    - VEGETABLE
+    - FRUIT=apple
+    - VEGETABLE=carrot
 `)
 	m, err := th.makeKustTarget().MakeCustomizedResMap()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -260,11 +260,11 @@ secretGenerator:
 	th.assertActualEqualsExpected(m, `
 apiVersion: v1
 data:
-  k_FRUIT: dl9GUlVJVA==
-  k_VEGETABLE: dl9WRUdFVEFCTEU=
+  FRUIT: YXBwbGU=
+  VEGETABLE: Y2Fycm90
 kind: Secret
 metadata:
-  name: bob-cb9mhbh9gg
+  name: bob-bgtct8h699
 type: Opaque
 `)
 }