diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
index fc3acd592d..192d5732f4 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
@@ -38,7 +38,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/shirou/gopsutil/cpu"
 	gopshost "github.com/shirou/gopsutil/host"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
+
 	cmdcfg "k8s.io/minikube/cmd/minikube/cmd/config"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/drivers/kic/oci"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/bsutil"
@@ -167,7 +169,10 @@ func runStart(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 
 	validateSpecifiedDriver(existing)
 	validateKubernetesVersion(existing)
+
 	ds, alts, specified := selectDriver(existing)
+	validateBaseImage(cmd.Flag(kicBaseImage), ds.Name)
+
 	starter, err := provisionWithDriver(cmd, ds, existing)
 	if err != nil {
 		node.ExitIfFatal(err)
@@ -516,6 +521,7 @@ func kubectlVersion(path string) (string, error) {
 	return cv.ClientVersion.GitVersion, nil
 }
 
+// returns (current_driver, suggested_drivers, "true, if the driver is set by command line arg or in the config file")
 func selectDriver(existing *config.ClusterConfig) (registry.DriverState, []registry.DriverState, bool) {
 	// Technically unrelated, but important to perform before detection
 	driver.SetLibvirtURI(viper.GetString(kvmQemuURI))
@@ -1185,6 +1191,25 @@ func validateKubernetesVersion(old *config.ClusterConfig) {
 	}
 }
 
+// validateBaseImage checks that --base-image is not passed if the drive being in use is KIC (docker/podman)
+// if so, the function exits the process
+func validateBaseImage(baseImage *pflag.Flag, driver string) {
+	if !validBaseImageFlag(baseImage.Changed, driver) {
+		exit.Message(reason.Usage, "TODO:  image {{.image}} with driver {{.driver}}",
+			out.V{
+				"driver": driver,
+				"image":  baseImage.Value,
+			},
+		)
+	}
+}
+func validBaseImageFlag(baseImageFlagSet bool, driver string) bool {
+	if baseImageFlagSet {
+		return registry.IsKIC(driver)
+	}
+	return true
+}
+
 func getKubernetesVersion(old *config.ClusterConfig) string {
 	paramVersion := viper.GetString(kubernetesVersion)
 
diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start_test.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start_test.go
index 8c315b375c..13da5639e4 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start_test.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start_test.go
@@ -23,8 +23,10 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
+
 	cfg "k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/config"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/constants"
+	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/driver"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/proxy"
 )
 
@@ -278,3 +280,50 @@ func TestSuggestMemoryAllocation(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestBaseImageFlagDriverCombo(t *testing.T) {
+	type testStruct struct {
+		description string
+		imageSet    bool
+		driver      string
+	}
+	invalidCombos := []testStruct{
+		{"KVM2 with flag", true, driver.KVM2},
+		{"VirtualBox with flag", true, driver.VirtualBox},
+		{"HyperKit with flag", true, driver.HyperKit},
+		{"VMware with flag", true, driver.VMware},
+		{"VMwareFusion with flag", true, driver.VMwareFusion},
+		{"HyperV with flag", true, driver.HyperV},
+		{"Parallels with flag", true, driver.Parallels},
+	}
+	validCombos := []testStruct{
+		{"Docker with flag", true, driver.Docker},
+		{"Podman with flag", true, driver.Podman},
+		{"Docker w/o flag", false, driver.Docker},
+		{"Podman w/o flag", false, driver.Podman},
+		{"KVM2 w/o flag", false, driver.KVM2},
+		{"VirtualBox w/o flag", false, driver.VirtualBox},
+		{"HyperKit w/o flag", false, driver.HyperKit},
+		{"VMware w/o flag", false, driver.VMware},
+		{"VMwareFusion w/o flag", false, driver.VMwareFusion},
+		{"HyperV w/o flag", false, driver.HyperV},
+		{"Parallels w/o flag", false, driver.Parallels},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range validCombos {
+		t.Run(test.description, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if !validBaseImageFlag(test.imageSet, test.driver) {
+				t.Errorf("invalidBaseImageFlag(base-image-set=%v, driver=%v): got false, expected true",
+					test.imageSet, test.driver)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+	for _, test := range invalidCombos {
+		t.Run(test.description, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if validBaseImageFlag(test.imageSet, test.driver) {
+				t.Errorf("invalidBaseImageFlag(base-image-set=%v, driver=%v): got true, expected false",
+					test.imageSet, test.driver)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}