diff --git a/pkg/drivers/kic/kic.go b/pkg/drivers/kic/kic.go
index 12880fd7e9..7c7b79178b 100644
--- a/pkg/drivers/kic/kic.go
+++ b/pkg/drivers/kic/kic.go
@@ -27,11 +27,13 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/machine/libmachine/state"
 	"github.com/golang/glog"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 	pkgdrivers "k8s.io/minikube/pkg/drivers"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/drivers/kic/node"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/drivers/kic/oci"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/assets"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/command"
+	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/config"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/constants"
 )
 
@@ -172,7 +174,12 @@ func (d *Driver) GetSSHHostname() (string, error) {
 
 // GetSSHPort returns port for use with ssh
 func (d *Driver) GetSSHPort() (int, error) {
-	return d.NodeConfig.SSHHostBindPort, nil
+	cc, err := config.Load(viper.GetString(config.MachineProfile))
+	if err != nil {
+		glog.Infof("error loading config file which may be okay on first run : %v ", err)
+		return 22, nil
+	}
+	return int(cc.SSHBindPort), nil
 }
 
 // GetURL returns ip of the container running kic control-panel
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/config/types.go b/pkg/minikube/config/types.go
index 18bd9a75b4..70d888e4f4 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/config/types.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/config/types.go
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@ type MachineConfig struct {
 	HostOnlyNicType     string // Only used by virtualbox
 	NatNicType          string // Only used by virtualbox
 	Addons              map[string]bool
-	NodeBindPort        int32 // Only used by kic
+	APIBindPort         int32 // the host port to bind to apiserver inside the container only used by kic
+	SSHBindPort         int32 // the host port to bind to ssh service inside the container only used by kic
 }
 
 // KubernetesConfig contains the parameters used to configure the VM Kubernetes.