diff --git a/pkg/minikube/node/start.go b/pkg/minikube/node/start.go
index 3b3ee6890fbd..eaa1232e119d 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/node/start.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/node/start.go
@@ -108,10 +108,10 @@ func Start(cc config.ClusterConfig, n config.Node, existingAddons map[string]boo
 	showVersionInfo(n.KubernetesVersion, cr)
 
 	var bs bootstrapper.Bootstrapper
-	var kubeconfig *kubeconfig.Settings
+	var kcs *kubeconfig.Settings
 	if apiServer {
 		// Must be written before bootstrap, otherwise health checks may flake due to stale IP
-		kubeconfig, err = setupKubeconfig(host, &cc, &n, cc.Name)
+		kcs = setupKubeconfig(host, &cc, &n, cc.Name)
 		if err != nil {
 			exit.WithError("Failed to setup kubeconfig", err)
 		}
@@ -122,6 +122,11 @@ func Start(cc config.ClusterConfig, n config.Node, existingAddons map[string]boo
 		if err != nil {
 			exit.WithLogEntries("Error starting cluster", err, logs.FindProblems(cr, bs, cc, mRunner))
 		}
+
+		// write the kubeconfig to the file system after everything required (like certs) are created by the bootstrapper
+		if err := kubeconfig.Update(kcs); err != nil {
+			exit.WithError("Failed to update kubeconfig file.", err)
+		}
 	} else {
 		bs, err = cluster.Bootstrapper(machineAPI, viper.GetString(cmdcfg.Bootstrapper), cc, n)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -131,7 +136,6 @@ func Start(cc config.ClusterConfig, n config.Node, existingAddons map[string]boo
 		if err = bs.SetupCerts(cc.KubernetesConfig, n); err != nil {
 			exit.WithError("setting up certs", err)
 		}
-
 	}
 
 	configureMounts()
@@ -182,8 +186,7 @@ func Start(cc config.ClusterConfig, n config.Node, existingAddons map[string]boo
 		}
 	}
 
-	return kubeconfig
-
+	return kcs
 }
 
 // ConfigureRuntimes does what needs to happen to get a runtime going.
@@ -246,7 +249,7 @@ func setupKubeAdm(mAPI libmachine.API, cfg config.ClusterConfig, n config.Node)
 	return bs
 }
 
-func setupKubeconfig(h *host.Host, cc *config.ClusterConfig, n *config.Node, clusterName string) (*kubeconfig.Settings, error) {
+func setupKubeconfig(h *host.Host, cc *config.ClusterConfig, n *config.Node, clusterName string) *kubeconfig.Settings {
 	addr, err := apiServerURL(*h, *cc, *n)
 	if err != nil {
 		exit.WithError("Failed to get API Server URL", err)
@@ -266,10 +269,7 @@ func setupKubeconfig(h *host.Host, cc *config.ClusterConfig, n *config.Node, clu
 	}
 
 	kcs.SetPath(kubeconfig.PathFromEnv())
-	if err := kubeconfig.Update(kcs); err != nil {
-		return kcs, err
-	}
-	return kcs, nil
+	return kcs
 }
 
 func apiServerURL(h host.Host, cc config.ClusterConfig, n config.Node) (string, error) {
diff --git a/test/integration/start_stop_delete_test.go b/test/integration/start_stop_delete_test.go
index dd106484c925..c484a2491bee 100644
--- a/test/integration/start_stop_delete_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/start_stop_delete_test.go
@@ -71,6 +71,9 @@ func TestStartStop(t *testing.T) {
 				"--disable-driver-mounts",
 				"--extra-config=kubeadm.ignore-preflight-errors=SystemVerification",
 			}},
+			{"embed-certs", constants.DefaultKubernetesVersion, []string{
+				"--embed-certs",
+			}},
 		}
 
 		for _, tc := range tests {