diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
index d51fec280a..a5546e0aae 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
@@ -1118,6 +1118,14 @@ func validateFlags(cmd *cobra.Command, drvName string) {
 		viper.Set(imageRepository, validateImageRepository(viper.GetString(imageRepository)))
 	}
 
+	if cmd.Flags().Changed(ports) {
+		err := validatePorts(viper.GetStringSlice(ports))
+		if err != nil {
+			exit.Message(reason.Usage, "{{.err}}", out.V{"err": err})
+		}
+
+	}
+
 	if cmd.Flags().Changed(containerRuntime) {
 		runtime := strings.ToLower(viper.GetString(containerRuntime))
 
@@ -1314,6 +1322,25 @@ func validateListenAddress(listenAddr string) {
 	}
 }
 
+// This function validates that the --ports are not below 1024 for the host and not outside range
+func validatePorts(ports []string) error {
+	for _, portDuplet := range ports {
+		for i, port := range strings.Split(portDuplet, ":") {
+			p, err := strconv.Atoi(port)
+			if err != nil {
+				return errors.Errorf("Sorry, one of the ports provided with --ports flag is not valid %s", ports)
+			}
+			if p > 65535 || p < 1 {
+				return errors.Errorf("Sorry, one of the ports provided with --ports flag is outside range %s", ports)
+			}
+			if p < 1024 && i == 0 {
+				return errors.Errorf("Sorry, you cannot use privileged ports on the host (below 1024) %s", ports)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // This function validates that the --insecure-registry follows one of the following formats:
 // "<ip>[:<port>]" "<hostname>[:<port>]" "<network>/<netmask>"
 func validateInsecureRegistry() {
diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start_test.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start_test.go
index 30b91b5a30..8ed305cdfe 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start_test.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start_test.go
@@ -363,3 +363,39 @@ func TestValidateImageRepository(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 }
+
+func TestValidatePorts(t *testing.T) {
+	var tests = []struct {
+		ports    []string
+		errorMsg string
+	}{
+		{
+			ports:    []string{"test:80"},
+			errorMsg: "Sorry, one of the ports provided with --ports flag is not valid [test:80]",
+		},
+		{
+			ports:    []string{"0:80"},
+			errorMsg: "Sorry, one of the ports provided with --ports flag is outside range [0:80]",
+		},
+		{
+			ports:    []string{"80:80"},
+			errorMsg: "Sorry, you cannot use privileged ports on the host (below 1024) [80:80]",
+		},
+		{
+			ports:    []string{"8080:80", "6443:443"},
+			errorMsg: "",
+		},
+	}
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(strings.Join(test.ports, ","), func(t *testing.T) {
+			gotError := ""
+			got := validatePorts(test.ports)
+			if got != nil {
+				gotError = got.Error()
+			}
+			if gotError != test.errorMsg {
+				t.Errorf("validatePorts(ports=%v): got %v, expected %v", test.ports, got, test.errorMsg)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}