diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/cp.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/cp.go
index 012b0f5976..f60a068533 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/cp.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/cp.go
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ limitations under the License.
 package cmd
 
 import (
+	"path/filepath"
+
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
@@ -56,8 +58,10 @@ Example Command : "minikube cp a.txt /home/docker/b.txt" +
 	minikube cp <source file path> <target file absolute path> (example: "minikube cp a/b.txt /copied.txt")`)
 		}
 
-		src := newRemotePath(args[0])
-		dst := newRemotePath(args[1])
+		srcPath := args[0]
+		dstPath := setDstFileNameFromSrc(args[1], srcPath)
+		src := newRemotePath(srcPath)
+		dst := newRemotePath(dstPath)
 		validateArgs(src, dst)
 
 		co := mustload.Running(ClusterFlagValue())
@@ -83,6 +87,54 @@ Example Command : "minikube cp a.txt /home/docker/b.txt" +
 func init() {
 }
 
+// setDstFileNameFromSrc sets the src filename as dst filename
+// when the dst file name is not provided and ends with a `/`.
+// Otherwise this function is a no-op and returns the passed dst.
+func setDstFileNameFromSrc(dst, src string) string {
+	srcPath := newRemotePath(src)
+	dstPath := newRemotePath(dst)
+	guestToHost := srcPath.node != "" && dstPath.node == ""
+	guestToGuest := srcPath.node != "" && dstPath.node != ""
+
+	// Since Host can be any OS and Guest can only be linux, use
+	// filepath and path respectively
+	var dd, df, sf string
+	switch {
+	case guestToHost:
+		_, sf = pt.Split(src)
+		dd, df = filepath.Split(dst)
+	case guestToGuest:
+		_, sf = pt.Split(src)
+		dd, df = pt.Split(dst)
+	default:
+		_, sf = filepath.Split(src)
+		dd, df = pt.Split(dst)
+	}
+
+	// if dst is empty, dd and df will be empty, so return dst
+	// validation will be happening in `validateArgs`
+	if dd == "" && df == "" {
+		return ""
+	}
+
+	// if filename is already provided, return dst
+	if df != "" {
+		return dst
+	}
+
+	// if src filename is empty, return dst
+	if sf == "" {
+		return dst
+	}
+
+	// https://github.com/kubernetes/minikube/pull/15519/files#r1261750910
+	if guestToHost {
+		return filepath.Join(dd, sf)
+	}
+
+	return pt.Join(dd, sf)
+}
+
 // split path to node name and file path
 func newRemotePath(path string) *remotePath {
 	// if destination path is not a absolute path, trying to parse with <node>:<abs path> format
diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/cp_test.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/cp_test.go
index 632f8a89fe..1ec319f9ea 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/cp_test.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/cp_test.go
@@ -60,3 +60,26 @@ func TestParsePath(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestSetDstFileNameFromSrc(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []struct {
+		src  string
+		dst  string
+		want string
+	}{
+		{"./a/b", "/c/", "/c/b"},
+		{"./a/b", "node:/c/", "node:/c/b"},
+		{"./a", "/c/", "/c/a"},
+		{"", "/c/", "/c/"},
+		{"./a/b", "", ""},
+		{"./a/b", "/c", "/c"},
+		{"./a/", "/c/", "/c/"},
+	}
+
+	for _, c := range cases {
+		got := setDstFileNameFromSrc(c.dst, c.src)
+		if c.want != got {
+			t.Fatalf("wrong dst path for src=%s & dst=%s. want: %q, got: %q", c.src, c.dst, c.want, got)
+		}
+	}
+}