diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start_flags.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start_flags.go
index 5b768a526702..c735e8025d67 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start_flags.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start_flags.go
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ func generateClusterConfig(cmd *cobra.Command, existing *config.ClusterConfig, k
 		if strings.ToLower(repository) == "auto" || mirrorCountry != "" {
 			found, autoSelectedRepository, err := selectImageRepository(mirrorCountry, semver.MustParse(strings.TrimPrefix(k8sVersion, version.VersionPrefix)))
 			if err != nil {
-				exit.WithError("Failed to check main repository and mirrors for images for images", err)
+				exit.WithError("Failed to check main repository and mirrors for images", err)
 			}
 
 			if !found {
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ func generateClusterConfig(cmd *cobra.Command, existing *config.ClusterConfig, k
 			repository = autoSelectedRepository
 		}
 
-		if cmd.Flags().Changed(imageRepository) {
+		if cmd.Flags().Changed(imageRepository) || cmd.Flags().Changed(imageMirrorCountry) {
 			out.T(out.SuccessType, "Using image repository {{.name}}", out.V{"name": repository})
 		}
 
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/node/cache.go b/pkg/minikube/node/cache.go
index 5af6b2e30353..a5c3ed07a907 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/node/cache.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/node/cache.go
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@ const (
 
 // BeginCacheKubernetesImages caches images required for kubernetes version in the background
 func beginCacheKubernetesImages(g *errgroup.Group, imageRepository string, k8sVersion string, cRuntime string) {
-	if download.PreloadExists(k8sVersion, cRuntime) {
+	// TODO: remove imageRepository check once #7695 is fixed
+	if imageRepository == "" && download.PreloadExists(k8sVersion, cRuntime) {
 		glog.Info("Caching tarball of preloaded images")
 		err := download.Preload(k8sVersion, cRuntime)
 		if err == nil {