diff --git a/deploy/addons/auto-pause/auto-pause.yaml.tmpl b/deploy/addons/auto-pause/auto-pause.yaml.tmpl
index 672925bef2..5bdafce3d5 100644
--- a/deploy/addons/auto-pause/auto-pause.yaml.tmpl
+++ b/deploy/addons/auto-pause/auto-pause.yaml.tmpl
@@ -44,5 +44,4 @@ spec:
             mountPath: /usr/local/etc/haproxy/haproxy.cfg
             readOnly: true
           - name: lua-script
-            mountPath: /etc/haproxy/unpause.lua
----
\ No newline at end of file
+            mountPath: /etc/haproxy/unpause.lua
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pkg/addons/addons.go b/pkg/addons/addons.go
index 5b03e6a2fc..6f548892df 100644
--- a/pkg/addons/addons.go
+++ b/pkg/addons/addons.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ package addons
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"os/exec"
 	"path"
 	"runtime"
 	"sort"
@@ -47,6 +46,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/reason"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/storageclass"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/style"
+	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/sysinit"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/util/retry"
 )
 
@@ -210,8 +210,7 @@ https://github.com/kubernetes/minikube/issues/7332`, out.V{"driver_name": cc.Dri
 	}
 
 	if name == "auto-pause" && !enable { // needs to be disabled before deleting the service file in the internal disable
-		cmd := exec.Command("sudo", "systemctl", "disable", "--now", "auto-pause")
-		if _, err := runner.RunCmd(cmd); err != nil {
+		if err := sysinit.New(runner).DisableNow("auto-pause"); err != nil {
 			klog.ErrorS(err, "failed to disable", "service", "auto-pause")
 		}
 	}
@@ -453,12 +452,9 @@ func enableOrDisableAutoPause(cc *config.ClusterConfig, name string, val string)
 		return errors.Wrapf(err, "parsing bool: %s", name)
 	}
 	co := mustload.Running(cc.Name)
-	r := co.CP.Runner
 	if enable {
-		cmd := exec.Command("sudo", "systemctl", "enable", "--now", "auto-pause")
-		if _, err := r.RunCmd(cmd); err != nil {
+		if err := sysinit.New(co.CP.Runner).EnableNow("auto-pause"); err != nil {
 			klog.ErrorS(err, "failed to enable", "service", "auto-pause")
-			return err
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/sysinit/openrc.go b/pkg/minikube/sysinit/openrc.go
index 7570516d5a..8966260b92 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/sysinit/openrc.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/sysinit/openrc.go
@@ -117,11 +117,21 @@ func (s *OpenRC) Disable(svc string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// DisableNow not implemented for openRC
+func (s *OpenRC) DisableNow(svc string) error {
+	return fmt.Errorf("DisableNow not implemented for OpenRC! PRs to fix are welcomed.")
+}
+
 // Enable does nothing
 func (s *OpenRC) Enable(svc string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// EnableNow  not implemented for openRC
+func (s *OpenRC) EnableNow(svc string) error {
+	return fmt.Errorf("EnableNow not implemented for OpenRC! PRs to fix are welcomed.")
+}
+
 // Restart restarts a service
 func (s *OpenRC) Restart(svc string) error {
 	rr, err := s.r.RunCmd(exec.Command("sudo", "service", svc, "restart"))
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/sysinit/sysinit.go b/pkg/minikube/sysinit/sysinit.go
index 122d53fd6e..5f19aed9e0 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/sysinit/sysinit.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/sysinit/sysinit.go
@@ -41,9 +41,15 @@ type Manager interface {
 	// Disable disables a service
 	Disable(string) error
 
+	// Disable disables a service and stops it right after.
+	DisableNow(string) error
+
 	// Enable enables a service
 	Enable(string) error
 
+	// EnableNow enables a service and starts it right after.
+	EnableNow(string) error
+
 	// Start starts a service idempotently
 	Start(string) error
 
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/sysinit/systemd.go b/pkg/minikube/sysinit/systemd.go
index bd36bcc770..77de6d9679 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/sysinit/systemd.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/sysinit/systemd.go
@@ -52,6 +52,12 @@ func (s *Systemd) Disable(svc string) error {
 	return err
 }
 
+// DisableNow disables a service and stops it too (not waiting for next restart)
+func (s *Systemd) DisableNow(svc string) error {
+	_, err := s.r.RunCmd(exec.Command("sudo", "systemctl", "disable", "--now", svc))
+	return err
+}
+
 // Enable enables a service
 func (s *Systemd) Enable(svc string) error {
 	if svc == "kubelet" {
@@ -61,6 +67,15 @@ func (s *Systemd) Enable(svc string) error {
 	return err
 }
 
+// Enable enables a service and then activates it too (not waiting for next start)
+func (s *Systemd) EnableNow(svc string) error {
+	if svc == "kubelet" {
+		return errors.New("please don't enable kubelet as it creates a race condition; if it starts on systemd boot it will pick up /etc/hosts before we have time to configure /etc/hosts")
+	}
+	_, err := s.r.RunCmd(exec.Command("sudo", "systemctl", "enable", "--now", svc))
+	return err
+}
+
 // Start starts a service
 func (s *Systemd) Start(svc string) error {
 	if err := s.daemonReload(); err != nil {