diff --git a/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/bsutil/kverify/api_server.go b/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/bsutil/kverify/api_server.go
index 146eabc7c694..0f924ceda21b 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/bsutil/kverify/api_server.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/bsutil/kverify/api_server.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ package kverify
 import (
 	"crypto/tls"
 	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"os/exec"
@@ -172,7 +173,7 @@ func APIServerStatus(cr command.Runner, hostname string, port int) (state.State,
 		if strings.Contains(rr.Stderr.String(), "freezer.state: No such file or directory\n") {
 			glog.Infof("unable to get freezer state (might be okay and be related to #770): %s", rr.Stderr.String())
 		} else {
-			glog.Warningf("unable to get freezer state : %s", rr.Stderr.String())
+			glog.Warningf("unable to get freezer state: %s", rr.Stderr.String())
 		}
 
 		return apiServerHealthz(hostname, port)
@@ -202,13 +203,19 @@ func apiServerHealthz(hostname string, port int) (state.State, error) {
 		glog.Infof("stopped: %s: %v", url, err)
 		return state.Stopped, nil
 	}
+
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+	body, err := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+	if err != nil {
+		glog.Warningf("unable to read response body: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	glog.Infof("%s returned %d:\n%s", url, resp.StatusCode, body)
 	if resp.StatusCode == http.StatusUnauthorized {
-		glog.Errorf("%s returned code %d (unauthorized). Please ensure that your apiserver authorization settings make sense!", url, resp.StatusCode)
-		return state.Error, nil
+		return state.Error, fmt.Errorf("%s returned code %d (unauthorized). Check your apiserver authorization settings:\n%s", url, resp.StatusCode, body)
 	}
 	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
-		glog.Warningf("%s response: %v %+v", url, err, resp)
-		return state.Error, nil
+		return state.Error, fmt.Errorf("%s returned error %d:\n%s", url, resp.StatusCode, body)
 	}
 	return state.Running, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/kubeadm/kubeadm.go b/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/kubeadm/kubeadm.go
index 1c4853dab058..5408744837fd 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/kubeadm/kubeadm.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/kubeadm/kubeadm.go
@@ -133,11 +133,7 @@ func (k *Bootstrapper) createCompatSymlinks() error {
 
 // clearStaleConfigs clears configurations which may have stale IP addresses
 func (k *Bootstrapper) clearStaleConfigs(cfg config.ClusterConfig) error {
-	cp, err := config.PrimaryControlPlane(&cfg)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
+	// These are the files that kubeadm will reject stale versions of
 	paths := []string{
 		"/etc/kubernetes/admin.conf",
 		"/etc/kubernetes/kubelet.conf",
@@ -145,11 +141,29 @@ func (k *Bootstrapper) clearStaleConfigs(cfg config.ClusterConfig) error {
 		"/etc/kubernetes/scheduler.conf",
 	}
 
-	endpoint := fmt.Sprintf("https://%s", net.JoinHostPort(cp.IP, strconv.Itoa(cp.Port)))
+	args := append([]string{"ls", "-la"}, paths...)
+	rr, err := k.c.RunCmd(exec.Command("sudo", args...))
+	if err != nil {
+		glog.Infof("config check failed, skipping stale config cleanup: %v", err)
+		return nil
+	}
+	glog.Infof("found existing configuration files:\n%s\n", rr.Stdout.String())
+
+	cp, err := config.PrimaryControlPlane(&cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	endpoint := fmt.Sprintf("https://%s", net.JoinHostPort(constants.ControlPlaneAlias, strconv.Itoa(cp.Port)))
 	for _, path := range paths {
-		_, err := k.c.RunCmd(exec.Command("sudo", "/bin/bash", "-c", fmt.Sprintf("grep %s %s || sudo rm -f %s", endpoint, path, path)))
+		_, err := k.c.RunCmd(exec.Command("sudo", "grep", endpoint, path))
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			glog.Infof("%q may not be in %s - will remove: %v", endpoint, path, err)
+
+			_, err := k.c.RunCmd(exec.Command("sudo", "rm", "-f", path))
+			if err != nil {
+				glog.Errorf("rm failed: %v", err)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
@@ -292,6 +306,7 @@ func (k *Bootstrapper) StartCluster(cfg config.ClusterConfig) error {
 		if rerr == nil {
 			return nil
 		}
+
 		out.ErrT(out.Embarrassed, "Unable to restart cluster, will reset it: {{.error}}", out.V{"error": rerr})
 		if err := k.DeleteCluster(cfg.KubernetesConfig); err != nil {
 			glog.Warningf("delete failed: %v", err)
@@ -435,35 +450,36 @@ func (k *Bootstrapper) WaitForNode(cfg config.ClusterConfig, n config.Node, time
 	return waitErr
 }
 
-// needsReset returns whether or not the cluster needs to be reconfigured
-func (k *Bootstrapper) needsReset(conf string, hostname string, port int, client *kubernetes.Clientset, version string) bool {
+// needsReconfigure returns whether or not the cluster needs to be reconfigured
+func (k *Bootstrapper) needsReconfigure(conf string, hostname string, port int, client *kubernetes.Clientset, version string) bool {
 	if rr, err := k.c.RunCmd(exec.Command("sudo", "diff", "-u", conf, conf+".new")); err != nil {
-		glog.Infof("needs reset: configs differ:\n%s", rr.Output())
+		glog.Infof("needs reconfigure: configs differ:\n%s", rr.Output())
 		return true
 	}
 
 	st, err := kverify.APIServerStatus(k.c, hostname, port)
 	if err != nil {
-		glog.Infof("needs reset: apiserver error: %v", err)
+		glog.Infof("needs reconfigure: apiserver error: %v", err)
 		return true
 	}
 
 	if st != state.Running {
-		glog.Infof("needs reset: apiserver in state %s", st)
+		glog.Infof("needs reconfigure: apiserver in state %s", st)
 		return true
 	}
 
 	if err := kverify.ExpectAppsRunning(client, kverify.AppsRunningList); err != nil {
-		glog.Infof("needs reset: %v", err)
+		glog.Infof("needs reconfigure: %v", err)
 		return true
 	}
 
 	if err := kverify.APIServerVersionMatch(client, version); err != nil {
-		glog.Infof("needs reset: %v", err)
+		glog.Infof("needs reconfigure: %v", err)
 		return true
 	}
-	// to be used in the ingeration test to verify it wont reset.
-	glog.Infof("The running cluster does not need a reset. hostname: %s", hostname)
+
+	// DANGER: This log message is hard-coded in an integration test!
+	glog.Infof("The running cluster does not require reconfiguration: %s", hostname)
 	return false
 }
 
@@ -509,7 +525,7 @@ func (k *Bootstrapper) restartCluster(cfg config.ClusterConfig) error {
 
 	// If the cluster is running, check if we have any work to do.
 	conf := bsutil.KubeadmYamlPath
-	if !k.needsReset(conf, hostname, port, client, cfg.KubernetesConfig.KubernetesVersion) {
+	if !k.needsReconfigure(conf, hostname, port, client, cfg.KubernetesConfig.KubernetesVersion) {
 		glog.Infof("Taking a shortcut, as the cluster seems to be properly configured")
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -530,12 +546,15 @@ func (k *Bootstrapper) restartCluster(cfg config.ClusterConfig) error {
 		fmt.Sprintf("%s phase etcd local --config %s", baseCmd, conf),
 	}
 
-	glog.Infof("resetting cluster from %s", conf)
+	glog.Infof("reconfiguring cluster from %s", conf)
 	// Run commands one at a time so that it is easier to root cause failures.
 	for _, c := range cmds {
-		_, err := k.c.RunCmd(exec.Command("/bin/bash", "-c", c))
-		if err != nil {
-			return errors.Wrap(err, "run")
+		if _, err := k.c.RunCmd(exec.Command("/bin/bash", "-c", c)); err != nil {
+			glog.Errorf("%s failed - will try once more: %v", c, err)
+
+			if _, err := k.c.RunCmd(exec.Command("/bin/bash", "-c", c)); err != nil {
+				return errors.Wrap(err, "run")
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -820,7 +839,7 @@ func (k *Bootstrapper) applyKICOverlay(cfg config.ClusterConfig) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	ko := path.Join(vmpath.GuestEphemeralDir, fmt.Sprintf("kic_overlay.yaml"))
+	ko := path.Join(vmpath.GuestEphemeralDir, "kic_overlay.yaml")
 	f := assets.NewMemoryAssetTarget(b.Bytes(), ko, "0644")
 
 	if err := k.c.Copy(f); err != nil {
@@ -890,7 +909,7 @@ func (k *Bootstrapper) elevateKubeSystemPrivileges(cfg config.ClusterConfig) err
 	rr, err := k.c.RunCmd(cmd)
 	if err != nil {
 		// Error from server (AlreadyExists): clusterrolebindings.rbac.authorization.k8s.io "minikube-rbac" already exists
-		if strings.Contains(rr.Output(), fmt.Sprintf("Error from server (AlreadyExists)")) {
+		if strings.Contains(rr.Output(), "Error from server (AlreadyExists)") {
 			glog.Infof("rbac %q already exists not need to re-create.", rbacName)
 			return nil
 		}
diff --git a/test/integration/pause_test.go b/test/integration/pause_test.go
index e0d98a0f6f2d..d9b3e337103c 100644
--- a/test/integration/pause_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/pause_test.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ func TestPause(t *testing.T) {
 			validator validateFunc
 		}{
 			{"Start", validateFreshStart},
-			{"SecondStartNoReset", validateStartNoReset},
+			{"SecondStartNoReconfiguration", validateStartNoReconfigure},
 			{"Pause", validatePause},
 			{"Unpause", validateUnpause},
 			{"PauseAgain", validatePause},
@@ -65,22 +65,22 @@ func validateFreshStart(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, profile string) {
 	}
 }
 
-// validateStartNoReset validates that starting a running cluster won't invoke a reset
-func validateStartNoReset(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, profile string) {
+// validateStartNoReconfigure validates that starting a running cluster does not invoke reconfiguration
+func validateStartNoReconfigure(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, profile string) {
 	args := []string{"start", "-p", profile, "--alsologtostderr", "-v=5"}
 	rr, err := Run(t, exec.CommandContext(ctx, Target(), args...))
 	if err != nil {
 		defer clusterLogs(t, profile)
 		t.Fatalf("failed to second start a running minikube with args: %q : %v", rr.Command(), err)
 	}
+
 	if !NoneDriver() {
-		softLog := "The running cluster does not need a reset"
+		softLog := "The running cluster does not require reconfiguration"
 		if !strings.Contains(rr.Output(), softLog) {
 			defer clusterLogs(t, profile)
-			t.Errorf("expected the second start log outputs to include %q but got: %s", softLog, rr.Output())
+			t.Errorf("expected the second start log output to include %q but got: %s", softLog, rr.Output())
 		}
 	}
-
 }
 
 func validatePause(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, profile string) {