diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/config/enable.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/config/enable.go
index 788a9477ae..801e64ec3b 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/config/enable.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/config/enable.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package config
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ var addonsEnableCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		viper.Set(config.AddonImages, images)
 		viper.Set(config.AddonRegistries, registries)
 		err := addons.SetAndSave(ClusterFlagValue(), addon, "true")
-		if err != nil {
+		if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, addons.ErrSkipThisAddon) {
 			exit.Error(reason.InternalAddonEnable, "enable failed", err)
 		}
 		if addon == "dashboard" {
@@ -63,8 +64,9 @@ var addonsEnableCmd = &cobra.Command{
 `, out.V{"profileArg": tipProfileArg})
 
 		}
-
-		out.Step(style.AddonEnable, "The '{{.addonName}}' addon is enabled", out.V{"addonName": addon})
+		if err != nil {
+			out.Step(style.AddonEnable, "The '{{.addonName}}' addon is enabled", out.V{"addonName": addon})
+		}
 	},
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/addons/addons.go b/pkg/addons/addons.go
index 47fed71d3c..b0a13f81c2 100644
--- a/pkg/addons/addons.go
+++ b/pkg/addons/addons.go
@@ -55,6 +55,9 @@ var Force bool = false
 // Currently only used for gcp-auth
 var Refresh bool = false
 
+// ErrSkipThisAddon is a special error that tells us to not error out, but to also not mark the addon as enabled
+var ErrSkipThisAddon = errors.New("skipping this addon")
+
 // RunCallbacks runs all actions associated to an addon, but does not set it (thread-safe)
 func RunCallbacks(cc *config.ClusterConfig, name string, value string) error {
 	klog.Infof("Setting %s=%s in profile %q", name, value, cc.Name)
@@ -65,11 +68,17 @@ func RunCallbacks(cc *config.ClusterConfig, name string, value string) error {
 
 	// Run any additional validations for this property
 	if err := run(cc, name, value, a.validations); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, ErrSkipThisAddon) {
+			return err
+		}
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "running validations")
 	}
 
 	// Run any callbacks for this property
 	if err := run(cc, name, value, a.callbacks); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, ErrSkipThisAddon) {
+			return err
+		}
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "running callbacks")
 	}
 	return nil
@@ -92,6 +101,9 @@ func SetAndSave(profile string, name string, value string) error {
 	}
 
 	if err := RunCallbacks(cc, name, value); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, ErrSkipThisAddon) {
+			return err
+		}
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "run callbacks")
 	}
 
@@ -105,15 +117,18 @@ func SetAndSave(profile string, name string, value string) error {
 
 // Runs all the validation or callback functions and collects errors
 func run(cc *config.ClusterConfig, name string, value string, fns []setFn) error {
-	var errors []error
+	var errs []error
 	for _, fn := range fns {
 		err := fn(cc, name, value)
 		if err != nil {
-			errors = append(errors, err)
+			if errors.Is(err, ErrSkipThisAddon) {
+				return ErrSkipThisAddon
+			}
+			errs = append(errs, err)
 		}
 	}
-	if len(errors) > 0 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("%v", errors)
+	if len(errs) > 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%v", errs)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/addons/addons_gcpauth.go b/pkg/addons/addons_gcpauth.go
index 65b613a2f0..23cadfd897 100644
--- a/pkg/addons/addons_gcpauth.go
+++ b/pkg/addons/addons_gcpauth.go
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ func verifyGCPAuthAddon(cc *config.ClusterConfig, name string, val string) error
 	// If we're in GCE and didn't actually start the gcp-auth pods, don't check for them.
 	// We also don't want to actually set the addon as enabled, so just exit completely.
 	if !Force && detect.IsOnGCE() && os.Getenv("GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTUALS") == "" {
-		os.Exit(0)
+		return ErrSkipThisAddon
 	}
 
 	err = verifyAddonStatusInternal(cc, name, val, "gcp-auth")