diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
index 13df195611fb..e9a2a537544e 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
@@ -178,6 +178,7 @@ func runStart(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		upgradeExistingConfig(existing)
 	}
 
+	validateProfileName(existing)
 	validateSpecifiedDriver(existing)
 	validateKubernetesVersion(existing)
 
@@ -638,6 +639,29 @@ func hostDriver(existing *config.ClusterConfig) string {
 	return h.Driver.DriverName()
 }
 
+// validateProfileName makes sure that new profile name not duplicated with any of machine names in existing multi-node clusters.
+func validateProfileName(existing *config.ClusterConfig) {
+	if existing != nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	profiles, err := config.ListProfilesLight()
+	if err != nil {
+		exit.Message(reason.InternalListConfig, "Unable to list profiles: {{.error}}", out.V{"error": err})
+	}
+	for _, p := range profiles {
+		for _, n := range p.Config.Nodes {
+			machineName := config.MachineName(*p.Config, n)
+			if ClusterFlagValue() == machineName {
+				out.WarningT("Profile name '{{.name}}' is duplicated with machine name '{{.machine}}' in profile '{{.profile}}'", out.V{"name": ClusterFlagValue(),
+					"machine": machineName,
+					"profile": p.Name})
+				exit.Message(reason.Usage, "Profile name should be unique")
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // 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) {
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/config/profile.go b/pkg/minikube/config/profile.go
index a632f0485958..248657aea4d0 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/config/profile.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/config/profile.go
@@ -223,7 +223,27 @@ func ListProfiles(miniHome ...string) (validPs []*Profile, inValidPs []*Profile,
 	return validPs, inValidPs, nil
 }
 
-// removeDupes removes duplicates
+// ListProfilesLight returns profiles in minikube home dir
+// Unlike `ListProfiles` this function doens't try to get profile from container
+func ListProfilesLight(miniHome ...string) (ps []*Profile, err error) {
+	// try to get profiles list based on left over evidences such as directory
+	pDirs, err := profileDirs(miniHome...)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	pDirs = removeDupes(pDirs)
+	for _, n := range pDirs {
+		p, err := LoadProfile(n, miniHome...)
+		if err == nil && p.IsValid() {
+			ps = append(ps, p)
+			continue
+		}
+	}
+	return ps, nil
+}
+
+// removeDupes removes duplipcates
 func removeDupes(profiles []string) []string {
 	// Use map to record duplicates as we find them.
 	seen := map[string]bool{}
@@ -291,7 +311,7 @@ func ProfileFolderPath(profile string, miniHome ...string) string {
 // MachineName returns the name of the machine, as seen by the hypervisor given the cluster and node names
 func MachineName(cc ClusterConfig, n Node) string {
 	// For single node cluster, default to back to old naming
-	if len(cc.Nodes) == 1 || n.ControlPlane {
+	if (len(cc.Nodes) == 1 && cc.Nodes[0].Name == n.Name) || n.ControlPlane {
 		return cc.Name
 	}
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s", cc.Name, n.Name)
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/machine/cluster_test.go b/pkg/minikube/machine/cluster_test.go
index ea32cc36a743..b33f8e65ff3f 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/machine/cluster_test.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/machine/cluster_test.go
@@ -146,10 +146,8 @@ func TestStartHostExists(t *testing.T) {
 	mc := defaultClusterConfig
 	mc.Name = ih.Name
 
-	n := config.Node{Name: ih.Name}
-
 	// This should pass without calling Create because the host exists already.
-	h, _, err := StartHost(api, &mc, &n)
+	h, _, err := StartHost(api, &mc, &(mc.Nodes[0]))
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Error starting host: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/node/node.go b/pkg/minikube/node/node.go
index 672e52276d54..2af987f38f9e 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/node/node.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/node/node.go
@@ -38,6 +38,20 @@ const (
 
 // Add adds a new node config to an existing cluster.
 func Add(cc *config.ClusterConfig, n config.Node, delOnFail bool) error {
+	profiles, err := config.ListProfilesLight()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	machineName := config.MachineName(*cc, n)
+	for _, p := range profiles {
+		for _, existNode := range p.Config.Nodes {
+			if machineName == config.MachineName(*p.Config, existNode) {
+				return errors.Errorf("Node %s already exists in %s profile", machineName, p.Name)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	if err := config.SaveNode(cc, &n); err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "save node")
 	}