diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
index 1280bb5a4aa4..bb2e93458b64 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ func runStart(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 	if !exists || config.VMDriver == constants.DriverNone {
 		fmt.Println("Starting cluster components...")
 		if err := k8sBootstrapper.StartCluster(kubernetesConfig); err != nil {
-			glog.Errorln("Error starting cluster: ", err)
+			glog.Errorf("Error starting cluster: %v", err)
 			cmdutil.MaybeReportErrorAndExit(err)
 		}
 	} else {
diff --git a/cmd/util/util.go b/cmd/util/util.go
index 54604ee1aa0d..123d55661cc8 100644
--- a/cmd/util/util.go
+++ b/cmd/util/util.go
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ func MaybeReportErrorAndExit(errToReport error) {
 	MaybeReportErrorAndExitWithCode(errToReport, 1)
 }
 
+// MaybeReportErrorAndExitWithCode prompts the user if they would like to report a stack trace, and exits.
 func MaybeReportErrorAndExitWithCode(errToReport error, returnCode int) {
 	var err error
 	if viper.GetBool(config.WantReportError) {
@@ -139,17 +140,24 @@ func MaybeReportErrorAndExitWithCode(errToReport error, returnCode int) {
 			`================================================================================
 An error has occurred. Would you like to opt in to sending anonymized crash
 information to minikube to help prevent future errors?
-To opt out of these messages, run the command:
-	minikube config set WantReportErrorPrompt false
+
+To disable this prompt, run: 'minikube config set WantReportErrorPrompt false'
 ================================================================================`)
 		if PromptUserForAccept(os.Stdin) {
-			minikubeConfig.Set(config.WantReportError, "true")
-			err = ReportError(errToReport, constants.ReportingURL)
+			err = minikubeConfig.Set(config.WantReportError, "true")
+			if err == nil {
+				err = ReportError(errToReport, constants.ReportingURL)
+			}
+		} else {
+			fmt.Println("Bummer, perhaps next time!")
 		}
 	}
+
+	// This happens when the error was created without errors.Wrap(), and thus has no trace data.
 	if err != nil {
-		glog.Errorf(err.Error())
+		glog.Infof("report error failed: %v", err)
 	}
+	fmt.Printf("\n\nminikube failed :( exiting with error code %d\n", returnCode)
 	os.Exit(returnCode)
 }
 
@@ -181,6 +189,7 @@ func PromptUserForAccept(r io.Reader) bool {
 			return false
 		}
 	case <-time.After(30 * time.Second):
+		fmt.Println("Prompt timed out.")
 		return false
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/kubeadm/kubeadm.go b/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/kubeadm/kubeadm.go
index 0093414c13f8..a62a63da0715 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/kubeadm/kubeadm.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/kubeadm/kubeadm.go
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ func (k *KubeadmBootstrapper) StartCluster(k8s config.KubernetesConfig) error {
 
 	out, err := k.c.CombinedOutput(b.String())
 	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrapf(err, "kubeadm init error %s running command: %s", b.String(), out)
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "kubeadm init: %s\n%s\n", b.String(), out)
 	}
 
 	if version.LT(semver.MustParse("1.10.0-alpha.0")) {
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/ssh_runner.go b/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/ssh_runner.go
index f10cb4dab5c0..255a0f31aea1 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/ssh_runner.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/ssh_runner.go
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ func (s *SSHRunner) CombinedOutput(cmd string) (string, error) {
 	err = teeSSH(sess, cmd, &combined, &combined)
 	out := combined.b.String()
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
+		return out, err
 	}
 	return out, nil
 }