diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/service.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/service.go
index 321b7ccbc9..d138c73af3 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/service.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/service.go
@@ -104,7 +104,11 @@ var serviceCmd = &cobra.Command{
 
 		urls, err := service.WaitForService(api, namespace, svc, serviceURLTemplate, serviceURLMode, https, wait, interval)
 		if err != nil {
-			exit.WithCodeT(exit.Data, `Error opening service: {{.error}}`, out.V{"error": err})
+			if err.Error() == "Service not found in namespace" {
+				exit.WithCodeT(exit.Data, `Service '{{.service}}' was not found in '{{.namespace}}' namespace.
+You may select another namespace by using 'minikube service {{.service}} -n <namespace>'. Or list out all the services using 'minikube service list'`, out.V{"service": svc, "namespace": namespace})
+			}
+			exit.WithError("Error opening service", err)
 		}
 
 		openURLs(svc, urls)
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/service/service.go b/pkg/minikube/service/service.go
index 6e9b6e97cf..d7ff77a37b 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/service/service.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/service/service.go
@@ -276,8 +276,7 @@ func WaitForService(api libmachine.API, namespace string, service string, urlTem
 	chkSVC := func() error { return CheckService(namespace, service) }
 
 	if err := retry.Expo(chkSVC, time.Duration(interval)*time.Second, time.Duration(wait)*time.Second); err != nil {
-		return urlList, errors.Errorf(`Service %s was not found in %q namespace. 
-You may select another namespace by using 'minikube service %s -n <namespace>'. Or list out all the services using 'minikube service list'`, service, namespace, service)
+		return nil, errors.New("Service not found in namespace")
 	}
 
 	serviceURL, err := GetServiceURLsForService(api, namespace, service, urlTemplate)