diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
index 9fc519595016..7357530ff36f 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
@@ -294,6 +294,7 @@ func runStart(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		exit.WithCodeT(exit.Data, "Unable to load config: {{.error}}", out.V{"error": err})
 	}
 
+	validateSpecifiedDriver(existing)
 	ds := selectDriver(existing)
 	driverName := ds.Name
 	glog.Infof("selected driver: %s", driverName)
@@ -482,36 +483,20 @@ func selectDriver(existing *config.ClusterConfig) registry.DriverState {
 	return pick
 }
 
-// validateDriver validates that the selected driver appears sane, exits if not
-func validateDriver(ds registry.DriverState, existing *config.ClusterConfig) {
-	name := ds.Name
-	glog.Infof("validating driver %q against %+v", name, existing)
-	if !driver.Supported(name) {
-		exit.WithCodeT(exit.Unavailable, "The driver {{.experimental}} '{{.driver}}' is not supported on {{.os}}", out.V{"driver": name, "os": runtime.GOOS})
+// validateSpecifiedDriver makes sure that if a user has passed in a driver
+// it matches the existing cluster if there is one
+func validateSpecifiedDriver(existing *config.ClusterConfig) {
+	if existing == nil {
+		return
 	}
-
-	st := ds.State
-	glog.Infof("status for %s: %+v", name, st)
-
-	if st.Error != nil {
-		out.ErrLn("")
-
-		out.WarningT("'{{.driver}}' driver reported an issue: {{.error}}", out.V{"driver": name, "error": st.Error})
-		out.ErrT(out.Tip, "Suggestion: {{.fix}}", out.V{"fix": translate.T(st.Fix)})
-		if st.Doc != "" {
-			out.ErrT(out.Documentation, "Documentation: {{.url}}", out.V{"url": st.Doc})
-		}
-		out.ErrLn("")
-
-		if !st.Installed && !viper.GetBool(force) {
-			if existing != nil && name == existing.Driver {
-				exit.WithCodeT(exit.Unavailable, "{{.driver}} does not appear to be installed, but is specified by an existing profile. Please run 'minikube delete' or install {{.driver}}", out.V{"driver": name})
-			}
-			exit.WithCodeT(exit.Unavailable, "{{.driver}} does not appear to be installed", out.V{"driver": name})
-		}
+	old := existing.Driver
+	var requested string
+	if d := viper.GetString("driver"); d != "" {
+		requested = d
+	} else if d := viper.GetString("vm-driver"); d != "" {
+		requested = d
 	}
-
-	if existing == nil {
+	if old == requested {
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -525,7 +510,6 @@ func validateDriver(ds registry.DriverState, existing *config.ClusterConfig) {
 	if err != nil {
 		exit.WithError("Error getting primary cp", err)
 	}
-
 	machineName := driver.MachineName(*existing, cp)
 	h, err := api.Load(machineName)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -533,25 +517,51 @@ func validateDriver(ds registry.DriverState, existing *config.ClusterConfig) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if h.Driver.DriverName() == name {
-		return
-	}
-
-	out.ErrT(out.Conflict, `The existing "{{.profile_name}}" VM that was created using the "{{.old_driver}}" driver, and is incompatible with the "{{.driver}}" driver.`,
-		out.V{"profile_name": machineName, "driver": name, "old_driver": h.Driver.DriverName()})
+	out.ErrT(out.Conflict, `The existing "{{.profile_name}}" VM was created using the "{{.old_driver}}" driver, and is incompatible with the "{{.driver}}" driver.`,
+		out.V{"profile_name": machineName, "driver": requested, "old_driver": h.Driver.DriverName()})
 
 	out.ErrT(out.Workaround, `To proceed, either:
 
-    1) Delete the existing "{{.profile_name}}" cluster using: '{{.command}} delete'
+1) Delete the existing "{{.profile_name}}" cluster using: '{{.command}} delete'
 
-    * or *
+* or *
 
-    2) Start the existing "{{.profile_name}}" cluster using: '{{.command}} start --driver={{.old_driver}}'
-	`, out.V{"command": minikubeCmd(), "old_driver": h.Driver.DriverName(), "profile_name": machineName})
+2) Start the existing "{{.profile_name}}" cluster using: '{{.command}} start --driver={{.old_driver}}'
+`, out.V{"command": minikubeCmd(), "old_driver": h.Driver.DriverName(), "profile_name": machineName})
 
 	exit.WithCodeT(exit.Config, "Exiting.")
 }
 
+// validateDriver validates that the selected driver appears sane, exits if not
+func validateDriver(ds registry.DriverState, existing *config.ClusterConfig) {
+	name := ds.Name
+	glog.Infof("validating driver %q against %+v", name, existing)
+	if !driver.Supported(name) {
+		exit.WithCodeT(exit.Unavailable, "The driver {{.experimental}} '{{.driver}}' is not supported on {{.os}}", out.V{"driver": name, "os": runtime.GOOS})
+	}
+
+	st := ds.State
+	glog.Infof("status for %s: %+v", name, st)
+
+	if st.Error != nil {
+		out.ErrLn("")
+
+		out.WarningT("'{{.driver}}' driver reported an issue: {{.error}}", out.V{"driver": name, "error": st.Error})
+		out.ErrT(out.Tip, "Suggestion: {{.fix}}", out.V{"fix": translate.T(st.Fix)})
+		if st.Doc != "" {
+			out.ErrT(out.Documentation, "Documentation: {{.url}}", out.V{"url": st.Doc})
+		}
+		out.ErrLn("")
+
+		if !st.Installed && !viper.GetBool(force) {
+			if existing != nil && name == existing.Driver {
+				exit.WithCodeT(exit.Unavailable, "{{.driver}} does not appear to be installed, but is specified by an existing profile. Please run 'minikube delete' or install {{.driver}}", out.V{"driver": name})
+			}
+			exit.WithCodeT(exit.Unavailable, "{{.driver}} does not appear to be installed", out.V{"driver": name})
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func selectImageRepository(mirrorCountry string, v semver.Version) (bool, string, error) {
 	var tryCountries []string
 	var fallback string