diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
index d780c57f6c..c95aaf9924 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ const (
 	kubernetesVersion     = "kubernetes-version"
 	hostOnlyCIDR          = "host-only-cidr"
 	containerRuntime      = "container-runtime"
+	criSocket             = "cri-socket"
 	networkPlugin         = "network-plugin"
 	hypervVirtualSwitch   = "hyperv-virtual-switch"
 	kvmNetwork            = "kvm-network"
@@ -220,6 +221,7 @@ func runStart(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		DNSDomain:              viper.GetString(dnsDomain),
 		FeatureGates:           viper.GetString(featureGates),
 		ContainerRuntime:       viper.GetString(containerRuntime),
+		CRISocket:              viper.GetString(criSocket),
 		NetworkPlugin:          viper.GetString(networkPlugin),
 		ServiceCIDR:            pkgutil.DefaultServiceCIDR,
 		ExtraOptions:           extraOptions,
@@ -398,6 +400,7 @@ func init() {
 	startCmd.Flags().StringSliceVar(&insecureRegistry, "insecure-registry", nil, "Insecure Docker registries to pass to the Docker daemon.  The default service CIDR range will automatically be added.")
 	startCmd.Flags().StringSliceVar(&registryMirror, "registry-mirror", nil, "Registry mirrors to pass to the Docker daemon")
 	startCmd.Flags().String(containerRuntime, "", "The container runtime to be used")
+	startCmd.Flags().String(criSocket, "", "The cri socket path to be used")
 	startCmd.Flags().String(kubernetesVersion, constants.DefaultKubernetesVersion, "The kubernetes version that the minikube VM will use (ex: v1.2.3)")
 	startCmd.Flags().String(networkPlugin, "", "The name of the network plugin")
 	startCmd.Flags().String(featureGates, "", "A set of key=value pairs that describe feature gates for alpha/experimental features.")
diff --git a/docs/alternative_runtimes.md b/docs/alternative_runtimes.md
index 4128d3d239..6e87525e04 100644
--- a/docs/alternative_runtimes.md
+++ b/docs/alternative_runtimes.md
@@ -24,9 +24,10 @@ Or you can use the extended version:
 ```shell
 $ minikube start \
     --network-plugin=cni \
+    --cri-socket=/var/run/crio/crio.sock \
     --extra-config=kubelet.container-runtime=remote \
-    --extra-config=kubelet.container-runtime-endpoint=/var/run/crio/crio.sock \
-    --extra-config=kubelet.image-service-endpoint=/var/run/crio/crio.sock
+    --extra-config=kubelet.container-runtime-endpoint=unix:///var/run/crio/crio.sock \
+    --extra-config=kubelet.image-service-endpoint=unix:///var/run/crio/crio.sock
 ```
 
 ### Using containerd
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ Or you can use the extended version:
 ```shell
 $ minikube start \
     --network-plugin=cni \
+    --cri-socket=/run/containerd/containerd.sock \
     --extra-config=kubelet.container-runtime=remote \
     --extra-config=kubelet.container-runtime-endpoint=unix:///run/containerd/containerd.sock \
     --extra-config=kubelet.image-service-endpoint=unix:///run/containerd/containerd.sock
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/kubeadm/kubeadm.go b/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/kubeadm/kubeadm.go
index dce9a368a9..505ad2f987 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/kubeadm/kubeadm.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/kubeadm/kubeadm.go
@@ -239,6 +239,24 @@ func SetContainerRuntime(cfg map[string]string, runtime string) map[string]strin
 	return cfg
 }
 
+func GetCRISocket(path string, runtime string) string {
+	if path != "" {
+		glog.Infoln("Container runtime interface socket provided, using path.")
+		return path
+	}
+
+	switch runtime {
+	case "crio", "cri-o":
+		path = "/var/run/crio/crio.sock"
+	case "containerd":
+		path = "/run/containerd/containerd.sock"
+	default:
+		path = ""
+	}
+
+	return path
+}
+
 // NewKubeletConfig generates a new systemd unit containing a configured kubelet
 // based on the options present in the KubernetesConfig.
 func NewKubeletConfig(k8s config.KubernetesConfig) (string, error) {
@@ -352,6 +370,8 @@ func generateConfig(k8s config.KubernetesConfig) (string, error) {
 		return "", errors.Wrap(err, "parsing kubernetes version")
 	}
 
+	criSocket := GetCRISocket(k8s.CRISocket, k8s.ContainerRuntime)
+
 	// parses a map of the feature gates for kubeadm and component
 	kubeadmFeatureArgs, componentFeatureArgs, err := ParseFeatureArgs(k8s.FeatureGates)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -372,6 +392,7 @@ func generateConfig(k8s config.KubernetesConfig) (string, error) {
 		KubernetesVersion string
 		EtcdDataDir       string
 		NodeName          string
+		CRISocket         string
 		ExtraArgs         []ComponentExtraArgs
 		FeatureArgs       map[string]bool
 		NoTaintMaster     bool
@@ -383,6 +404,7 @@ func generateConfig(k8s config.KubernetesConfig) (string, error) {
 		KubernetesVersion: k8s.KubernetesVersion,
 		EtcdDataDir:       "/data/minikube", //TODO(r2d4): change to something else persisted
 		NodeName:          k8s.NodeName,
+		CRISocket:         criSocket,
 		ExtraArgs:         extraComponentConfig,
 		FeatureArgs:       kubeadmFeatureArgs,
 		NoTaintMaster:     false, // That does not work with k8s 1.12+
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/kubeadm/templates.go b/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/kubeadm/templates.go
index 12e3687505..a2d3bc92d7 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/kubeadm/templates.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/kubeadm/templates.go
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ networking:
 etcd:
   dataDir: {{.EtcdDataDir}}
 nodeName: {{.NodeName}}
-{{range .ExtraArgs}}{{.Component}}:{{range $i, $val := printMapInOrder .Options ": " }}
+{{if .CRISocket}}criSocket: {{.CRISocket}}
+{{end}}{{range .ExtraArgs}}{{.Component}}:{{range $i, $val := printMapInOrder .Options ": " }}
   {{$val}}{{end}}
 {{end}}{{if .FeatureArgs}}featureGates: {{range $i, $val := .FeatureArgs}}
   {{$i}}: {{$val}}{{end}}
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/config/types.go b/pkg/minikube/config/types.go
index 332810f7d0..2d805c13b9 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/config/types.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/config/types.go
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ type KubernetesConfig struct {
 	APIServerIPs      []net.IP
 	DNSDomain         string
 	ContainerRuntime  string
+	CRISocket         string
 	NetworkPlugin     string
 	FeatureGates      string
 	ServiceCIDR       string