diff --git a/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/bsutil/kubelet.go b/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/bsutil/kubelet.go
index 5c21698deba2..5046b67bb142 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/bsutil/kubelet.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/bsutil/kubelet.go
@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@ func NewKubeletConfig(k8s config.KubernetesConfig, r cruntime.Manager) ([]byte,
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "generating extra configuration for kubelet")
 	}
 
+	cgroupDriver, err := r.CGroupDriver()
+	if err == nil {
+		extraOpts["cgroup-driver"] = cgroupDriver
+	}
+
 	for k, v := range r.KubeletOptions() {
 		extraOpts[k] = v
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/bsutil/kubelet_test.go b/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/bsutil/kubelet_test.go
index 3c93aa97c2d3..226f4869964d 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/bsutil/kubelet_test.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/bsutil/kubelet_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/pmezard/go-difflib/difflib"
+	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/command"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/config"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/constants"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/cruntime"
@@ -135,7 +136,8 @@ ExecStart=/var/lib/minikube/binaries/v1.17.0/kubelet --authorization-mode=Webhoo
 
 	for _, tc := range tests {
 		t.Run(tc.description, func(t *testing.T) {
-			runtime, err := cruntime.New(cruntime.Config{Type: tc.cfg.ContainerRuntime})
+			runtime, err := cruntime.New(cruntime.Config{Type: tc.cfg.ContainerRuntime,
+				Runner: command.NewFakeCommandRunner()})
 			if err != nil {
 				t.Fatalf("runtime: %v", err)
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/kubeadm/kubeadm.go b/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/kubeadm/kubeadm.go
index f5cfe92dc367..323e5e7609ab 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/kubeadm/kubeadm.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/kubeadm/kubeadm.go
@@ -368,7 +368,8 @@ func (k *Bootstrapper) UpdateCluster(cfg config.MachineConfig) error {
 			out.FailureT("Unable to load cached images: {{.error}}", out.V{"error": err})
 		}
 	}
-	r, err := cruntime.New(cruntime.Config{Type: cfg.ContainerRuntime, Socket: cfg.KubernetesConfig.CRISocket})
+	r, err := cruntime.New(cruntime.Config{Type: cfg.ContainerRuntime,
+		Runner: k.c, Socket: cfg.KubernetesConfig.CRISocket})
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "runtime")
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/cruntime/containerd.go b/pkg/minikube/cruntime/containerd.go
index 3e91a45edc55..fe10692464e3 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/cruntime/containerd.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/cruntime/containerd.go
@@ -240,6 +240,29 @@ func (r *Containerd) LoadImage(path string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// CGroupDriver returns cgroup driver ("cgroupfs" or "systemd")
+func (r *Containerd) CGroupDriver() (string, error) {
+	info, err := getCRIInfo(r.Runner)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	if info["config"] == nil {
+		return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "missing config")
+	}
+	config, ok := info["config"].(map[string]interface{})
+	if !ok {
+		return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "config not map")
+	}
+	cgroupManager := "cgroupfs" // default
+	switch config["systemdCgroup"] {
+	case false:
+		cgroupManager = "cgroupfs"
+	case true:
+		cgroupManager = "systemd"
+	}
+	return cgroupManager, nil
+}
+
 // KubeletOptions returns kubelet options for a containerd
 func (r *Containerd) KubeletOptions() map[string]string {
 	return map[string]string{
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/cruntime/cri.go b/pkg/minikube/cruntime/cri.go
index 1ac6d3d3b363..881167de99da 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/cruntime/cri.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/cruntime/cri.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package cruntime
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/base64"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"html/template"
 	"os/exec"
@@ -420,6 +421,23 @@ image-endpoint: unix://{{.Socket}}
 	return nil
 }
 
+// getCRIInfo returns current information
+func getCRIInfo(cr CommandRunner) (map[string]interface{}, error) {
+	args := []string{"crictl", "info"}
+	c := exec.Command("sudo", args...)
+	rr, err := cr.RunCmd(c)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "get cri info")
+	}
+	info := rr.Stdout.String()
+	jsonMap := make(map[string]interface{})
+	err = json.Unmarshal([]byte(info), &jsonMap)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return jsonMap, nil
+}
+
 // generateCRIOConfig sets up /etc/crio/crio.conf
 func generateCRIOConfig(cr CommandRunner, imageRepository string) error {
 	cPath := crioConfigFile
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/cruntime/crio.go b/pkg/minikube/cruntime/crio.go
index 2449733e1298..e455c61309c1 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/cruntime/crio.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/cruntime/crio.go
@@ -143,6 +143,26 @@ func (r *CRIO) LoadImage(path string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// CGroupDriver returns cgroup driver ("cgroupfs" or "systemd")
+func (r *CRIO) CGroupDriver() (string, error) {
+	c := exec.Command("crio", "config")
+	rr, err := r.Runner.RunCmd(c)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	cgroupManager := "cgroupfs" // default
+	for _, line := range strings.Split(rr.Stdout.String(), "\n") {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(line, "cgroup_manager") {
+			// cgroup_manager = "cgroupfs"
+			f := strings.Split(strings.TrimSpace(line), " = ")
+			if len(f) == 2 {
+				cgroupManager = strings.Trim(f[1], "\"")
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return cgroupManager, nil
+}
+
 // KubeletOptions returns kubelet options for a runtime.
 func (r *CRIO) KubeletOptions() map[string]string {
 	return map[string]string{
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/cruntime/cruntime.go b/pkg/minikube/cruntime/cruntime.go
index 4c0a01186656..11ce642d4409 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/cruntime/cruntime.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/cruntime/cruntime.go
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ type Manager interface {
 	// Style is an associated StyleEnum for Name()
 	Style() out.StyleEnum
 
+	// CGroupDriver returns cgroup driver ("cgroupfs" or "systemd")
+	CGroupDriver() (string, error)
 	// KubeletOptions returns kubelet options for a runtime.
 	KubeletOptions() map[string]string
 	// SocketPath returns the path to the socket file for a given runtime
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/cruntime/cruntime_test.go b/pkg/minikube/cruntime/cruntime_test.go
index 971ed22d2c9c..cb92244ce37c 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/cruntime/cruntime_test.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/cruntime/cruntime_test.go
@@ -54,6 +54,33 @@ func TestName(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestCGroupDriver(t *testing.T) {
+	var tests = []struct {
+		runtime string
+		want    string
+	}{
+		{"docker", "cgroupfs"},
+		{"crio", "cgroupfs"},
+		{"containerd", "cgroupfs"},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.runtime, func(t *testing.T) {
+			r, err := New(Config{Type: tc.runtime, Runner: NewFakeRunner(t)})
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("New(%s): %v", tc.runtime, err)
+			}
+
+			got, err := r.CGroupDriver()
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("CGroupDriver(): %v", err)
+			}
+			if diff := cmp.Diff(tc.want, got); diff != "" {
+				t.Errorf("CGroupDriver(%s) returned diff (-want +got):\n%s", tc.runtime, diff)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestKubeletOptions(t *testing.T) {
 	var tests = []struct {
 		runtime string
@@ -201,6 +228,12 @@ func (f *FakeRunner) docker(args []string, _ bool) (string, error) {
 		if args[1] == "--format" && args[2] == "'{{.Server.Version}}'" {
 			return "18.06.2-ce", nil
 		}
+
+	case "info":
+
+		if args[1] == "--format" && args[2] == "'{{.CgroupDriver}}'" {
+			return "cgroupfs", nil
+		}
 	}
 	return "", nil
 }
@@ -210,6 +243,9 @@ func (f *FakeRunner) crio(args []string, _ bool) (string, error) { //nolint (res
 	if args[0] == "--version" {
 		return "crio version 1.13.0", nil
 	}
+	if args[0] == "config" {
+		return "# Cgroup management implementation used for the runtime.\ncgroup_manager = \"cgroupfs\"\n", nil
+	}
 	return "", nil
 }
 
@@ -227,6 +263,15 @@ func (f *FakeRunner) containerd(args []string, _ bool) (string, error) {
 // crictl is a fake implementation of crictl
 func (f *FakeRunner) crictl(args []string, _ bool) (string, error) {
 	switch cmd := args[0]; cmd {
+	case "info":
+		return `{
+		  "status": {
+		  },
+		  "config": {
+		    "systemdCgroup": false
+		  },
+		  "golang": "go1.11.13"
+		}`, nil
 	case "ps":
 		// crictl ps -a --name=apiserver --state=Running --quiet
 		if args[1] == "-a" && strings.HasPrefix(args[2], "--name") {
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/cruntime/docker.go b/pkg/minikube/cruntime/docker.go
index 5ef472d73a5c..76ecf397b0ef 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/cruntime/docker.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/cruntime/docker.go
@@ -127,6 +127,17 @@ func (r *Docker) LoadImage(path string) error {
 
 }
 
+// CGroupDriver returns cgroup driver ("cgroupfs" or "systemd")
+func (r *Docker) CGroupDriver() (string, error) {
+	// Note: the server daemon has to be running, for this call to return successfully
+	c := exec.Command("docker", "info", "--format", "'{{.CgroupDriver}}'")
+	rr, err := r.Runner.RunCmd(c)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return strings.Split(rr.Stdout.String(), "\n")[0], nil
+}
+
 // KubeletOptions returns kubelet options for a runtime.
 func (r *Docker) KubeletOptions() map[string]string {
 	return map[string]string{