diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/config/disable.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/config/disable.go
index b0838076d9..b70befbcb1 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/config/disable.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/config/disable.go
@@ -35,7 +35,10 @@ var addonsDisableCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		if len(args) != 1 {
 			exit.Message(reason.Usage, "usage: minikube addons disable ADDON_NAME")
 		}
-
+		err := addons.VerifyNotPaused(ClusterFlagValue(), false)
+		if err != nil {
+			exit.Error(reason.InternalAddonDisablePaused, "disable failed", err)
+		}
 		addon := args[0]
 		if addon == "heapster" {
 			exit.Message(reason.AddonUnsupported, "The heapster addon is depreciated. please try to disable metrics-server instead")
@@ -46,7 +49,7 @@ var addonsDisableCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			exit.Message(reason.AddonUnsupported, `"'{{.minikube_addon}}' is not a valid minikube addon`, out.V{"minikube_addon": addon})
 		}
 		if validAddon.IsEnabled(cc) {
-			err := addons.SetAndSave(ClusterFlagValue(), addon, "false")
+			err = addons.SetAndSave(ClusterFlagValue(), addon, "false")
 			if err != nil {
 				exit.Error(reason.InternalAddonDisable, "disable failed", err)
 			}
diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/config/enable.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/config/enable.go
index cfd9c8cec1..9c15727151 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/config/enable.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/config/enable.go
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ var addonsEnableCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			exit.Message(reason.Usage, "You cannot enable addons on a cluster without Kubernetes, to enable Kubernetes on your cluster, run: minikube start --kubernetes-version=stable")
 		}
 
+		err = addons.VerifyNotPaused(ClusterFlagValue(), true)
+		if err != nil {
+			exit.Error(reason.InternalAddonEnablePaused, "enabled failed", err)
+		}
 		addon := args[0]
 		isDeprecated, replacement, msg := addons.Deprecations(addon)
 		if isDeprecated && replacement == "" {
diff --git a/pkg/addons/addons.go b/pkg/addons/addons.go
index c453562463..cba3b2f4b5 100644
--- a/pkg/addons/addons.go
+++ b/pkg/addons/addons.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/blang/semver/v4"
+	"github.com/docker/machine/libmachine/state"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 
@@ -36,9 +37,11 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/drivers/kic/oci"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/kapi"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/assets"
+	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/cluster"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/command"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/config"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/constants"
+	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/cruntime"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/driver"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/exit"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/machine"
@@ -585,3 +588,63 @@ func UpdateConfigToDisable(cc *config.ClusterConfig) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+// VerifyNotPaused verifies the cluster is not paused before enable/disable an addon.
+func VerifyNotPaused(profile string, enable bool) error {
+	klog.Info("checking whether the cluster is paused")
+
+	cc, err := config.Load(profile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "loading profile")
+	}
+
+	api, err := machine.NewAPIClient()
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "machine client")
+	}
+	defer api.Close()
+
+	cp, err := config.PrimaryControlPlane(cc)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "control plane")
+	}
+
+	host, err := machine.LoadHost(api, config.MachineName(*cc, cp))
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "get host")
+	}
+
+	s, err := host.Driver.GetState()
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "get state")
+	}
+	if s != state.Running {
+		// can't check the status of pods on a non-running cluster
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	runner, err := machine.CommandRunner(host)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "command runner")
+	}
+
+	crName := cc.KubernetesConfig.ContainerRuntime
+	cr, err := cruntime.New(cruntime.Config{Type: crName, Runner: runner})
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "container runtime")
+	}
+	runtimePaused, err := cluster.CheckIfPaused(cr, []string{"kube-system"})
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "check paused")
+	}
+	if !runtimePaused {
+		return nil
+	}
+	action := "disable"
+	if enable {
+		action = "enable"
+	}
+	msg := fmt.Sprintf("Can't %s addon on a paused cluster, please unpause the cluster first.", action)
+	out.Styled(style.Shrug, msg)
+	return errors.New(msg)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/reason/reason.go b/pkg/minikube/reason/reason.go
index e7f6b76fe3..aae3c5d34c 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/reason/reason.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/reason/reason.go
@@ -85,6 +85,11 @@ var (
 	InternalAddonDisable = Kind{ID: "MK_ADDON_DISABLE", ExitCode: ExProgramError}
 	// minikube could not enable an addon, e.g. dashboard addon
 	InternalAddonEnable = Kind{ID: "MK_ADDON_ENABLE", ExitCode: ExProgramError}
+	// minikube could not enable an addon on a paused cluster
+	InternalAddonEnablePaused = Kind{ID: "MK_ADDON_ENABLE_PAUSED", ExitCode: ExProgramConflict}
+	// minikube could not disable an addon on a paused cluster
+	InternalAddonDisablePaused = Kind{ID: "MK_ADDON_DISABLE_PAUSED", ExitCode: ExProgramConflict}
+
 	// minikube failed to update internal configuration, such as the cached images config map
 	InternalAddConfig = Kind{ID: "MK_ADD_CONFIG", ExitCode: ExProgramError}
 	// minikube failed to create a cluster bootstrapper