diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
index f3dcc21ac1ea..8a313476535b 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
@@ -1199,7 +1199,8 @@ func validateFlags(cmd *cobra.Command, drvName string) {
 	}
 
 	// validate kubeadm extra args
-	if invalidOpts := bsutil.FindInvalidExtraConfigFlags(config.ExtraOptions); len(invalidOpts) > 0 {
+	extraOptions := getExtraOptions()
+	if invalidOpts := bsutil.FindInvalidExtraConfigFlags(extraOptions); len(invalidOpts) > 0 {
 		out.WarningT(
 			"These --extra-config parameters are invalid: {{.invalid_extra_opts}}",
 			out.V{"invalid_extra_opts": invalidOpts},
@@ -1212,7 +1213,7 @@ func validateFlags(cmd *cobra.Command, drvName string) {
 	}
 
 	// check that kubeadm extra args contain only allowed parameters
-	for param := range config.ExtraOptions.AsMap().Get(bsutil.Kubeadm) {
+	for param := range extraOptions.AsMap().Get(bsutil.Kubeadm) {
 		if !config.ContainsParam(bsutil.KubeadmExtraArgsAllowed[bsutil.KubeadmCmdParam], param) &&
 			!config.ContainsParam(bsutil.KubeadmExtraArgsAllowed[bsutil.KubeadmConfigParam], param) {
 			exit.Message(reason.Usage, "Sorry, the kubeadm.{{.parameter_name}} parameter is currently not supported by --extra-config", out.V{"parameter_name": param})
@@ -1472,17 +1473,19 @@ func autoSetDriverOptions(cmd *cobra.Command, drvName string) (err error) {
 	err = nil
 	hints := driver.FlagDefaults(drvName)
 	if len(hints.ExtraOptions) > 0 {
+		extraOptionVals := getExtraOptions()
 		for _, eo := range hints.ExtraOptions {
-			if config.ExtraOptions.Exists(eo) {
+			if extraOptionVals.Exists(eo) {
 				klog.Infof("skipping extra-config %q.", eo)
 				continue
 			}
 			klog.Infof("auto setting extra-config to %q.", eo)
-			err = config.ExtraOptions.Set(eo)
+			err = extraOptionVals.Set(eo)
 			if err != nil {
 				err = errors.Wrapf(err, "setting extra option %s", eo)
 			}
 		}
+		viper.Set(extraOptions, extraOptionVals)
 	}
 
 	if !cmd.Flags().Changed(cacheImages) {
diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start_flags.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start_flags.go
index 50ad7b877a9c..ce3ceffd9a5f 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start_flags.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start_flags.go
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ const (
 	listenAddress           = "listen-address"
 	extraDisks              = "extra-disks"
 	certExpiration          = "cert-expiration"
+	extraOptions            = "extra-config"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -179,7 +180,7 @@ func initMinikubeFlags() {
 func initKubernetesFlags() {
 	startCmd.Flags().String(kubernetesVersion, "", fmt.Sprintf("The Kubernetes version that the minikube VM will use (ex: v1.2.3, 'stable' for %s, 'latest' for %s). Defaults to 'stable'.", constants.DefaultKubernetesVersion, constants.NewestKubernetesVersion))
 	startCmd.Flags().String(startNamespace, "default", "The named space to activate after start")
-	startCmd.Flags().Var(&config.ExtraOptions, "extra-config",
+	startCmd.Flags().String(extraOptions, "",
 		`A set of key=value pairs that describe configuration that may be passed to different components.
 		The key should be '.' separated, and the first part before the dot is the component to apply the configuration to.
 		Valid components are: kubelet, kubeadm, apiserver, controller-manager, etcd, proxy, scheduler
@@ -402,6 +403,19 @@ func getCNIConfig(cmd *cobra.Command) string {
 	return chosenCNI
 }
 
+// getExtraOptions gets Kubernetes extra options from flags
+func getExtraOptions() config.ExtraOptionSlice {
+	extraOptionVals := config.ExtraOptionSlice{}
+	val := viper.GetString(extraOptions)
+	if val == "" {
+		return extraOptionVals
+	}
+	if err := extraOptionVals.Set(val); err != nil {
+		klog.Errorf("Invalid %s flag provided, flag will be ignored: %v", extraOptions, err)
+	}
+	return extraOptionVals
+}
+
 // generateNewConfigFromFlags generate a config.ClusterConfig based on flags
 func generateNewConfigFromFlags(cmd *cobra.Command, k8sVersion string, drvName string) config.ClusterConfig {
 	var cc config.ClusterConfig
@@ -480,7 +494,7 @@ func generateNewConfigFromFlags(cmd *cobra.Command, k8sVersion string, drvName s
 			NetworkPlugin:          chosenNetworkPlugin,
 			ServiceCIDR:            viper.GetString(serviceCIDR),
 			ImageRepository:        getRepository(cmd, k8sVersion),
-			ExtraOptions:           config.ExtraOptions,
+			ExtraOptions:           getExtraOptions(),
 			ShouldLoadCachedImages: viper.GetBool(cacheImages),
 			CNI:                    getCNIConfig(cmd),
 			NodePort:               viper.GetInt(apiServerPort),
@@ -680,8 +694,8 @@ func updateExistingConfigFromFlags(cmd *cobra.Command, existing *config.ClusterC
 		cc.KubernetesConfig.KubernetesVersion = getKubernetesVersion(existing)
 	}
 
-	if cmd.Flags().Changed("extra-config") {
-		cc.KubernetesConfig.ExtraOptions = config.ExtraOptions
+	if cmd.Flags().Changed(extraOptions) {
+		cc.KubernetesConfig.ExtraOptions = getExtraOptions()
 	}
 
 	if cmd.Flags().Changed(cniFlag) || cmd.Flags().Changed(enableDefaultCNI) {
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/config/config.go b/pkg/minikube/config/config.go
index aba63f0b9772..2f7891f051fd 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/config/config.go
@@ -61,8 +61,6 @@ var (
 	DockerEnv []string
 	// DockerOpt contains the option parameters
 	DockerOpt []string
-	// ExtraOptions contains extra options (if any)
-	ExtraOptions ExtraOptionSlice
 )
 
 // ErrNotExist is the error returned when a config does not exist
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/node/start.go b/pkg/minikube/node/start.go
index 5f9fe232f802..5134db6698d8 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/node/start.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/node/start.go
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ func setupKubeAdm(mAPI libmachine.API, cfg config.ClusterConfig, n config.Node,
 	if err != nil {
 		exit.Error(reason.InternalBootstrapper, "Failed to get bootstrapper", err)
 	}
-	for _, eo := range config.ExtraOptions {
+	for _, eo := range cfg.KubernetesConfig.ExtraOptions {
 		out.Infof("{{.extra_option_component_name}}.{{.key}}={{.value}}", out.V{"extra_option_component_name": eo.Component, "key": eo.Key, "value": eo.Value})
 	}
 	// Loads cached images, generates config files, download binaries
diff --git a/site/content/en/docs/commands/start.md b/site/content/en/docs/commands/start.md
index 5db7d0bee417..16f9904b729e 100644
--- a/site/content/en/docs/commands/start.md
+++ b/site/content/en/docs/commands/start.md
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ minikube start [flags]
       --dry-run                           dry-run mode. Validates configuration, but does not mutate system state
       --embed-certs                       if true, will embed the certs in kubeconfig.
       --enable-default-cni                DEPRECATED: Replaced by --cni=bridge
-      --extra-config ExtraOption          A set of key=value pairs that describe configuration that may be passed to different components.
+      --extra-config string               A set of key=value pairs that describe configuration that may be passed to different components.
                                           		The key should be '.' separated, and the first part before the dot is the component to apply the configuration to.
                                           		Valid components are: kubelet, kubeadm, apiserver, controller-manager, etcd, proxy, scheduler
                                           		Valid kubeadm parameters: ignore-preflight-errors, dry-run, kubeconfig, kubeconfig-dir, node-name, cri-socket, experimental-upload-certs, certificate-key, rootfs, skip-phases, pod-network-cidr