diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
index 55325fee80..ebb5158124 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/notify"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/out"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/proxy"
+	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/registry"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/translate"
 	pkgutil "k8s.io/minikube/pkg/util"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/util/lock"
@@ -200,7 +201,7 @@ func initKubernetesFlags() {
 
 // initDriverFlags inits the commandline flags for vm drivers
 func initDriverFlags() {
-	startCmd.Flags().String("vm-driver", "", fmt.Sprintf("Driver is one of: %v (defaults to auto-detect)", driver.SupportedDrivers()))
+	startCmd.Flags().String("vm-driver", "", fmt.Sprintf("Driver is one of: %v (defaults to auto-detect)", driver.DisplaySupportedDrivers()))
 	startCmd.Flags().Bool(disableDriverMounts, false, "Disables the filesystem mounts provided by the hypervisors")
 
 	// kvm2
@@ -583,23 +584,30 @@ func selectDriver(existing *cfg.MachineConfig) string {
 	driver.SetLibvirtURI(viper.GetString(kvmQemuURI))
 	options := driver.Choices()
 	pick, alts := driver.Choose(name, options)
+	exp := ""
+	if pick.Priority == registry.Experimental {
+		exp = "experimental"
+	}
 
 	if name != "" {
-		out.T(out.Sparkle, `Selecting '{{.driver}}' driver from user configuration (alternates: {{.alternates}})`, out.V{"driver": name, "alternates": alts})
+		out.T(out.Sparkle, `Selecting {{.experimental}} '{{.driver}}' driver from user configuration (alternates: {{.alternates}})`, out.V{"experimental": exp, "driver": name, "alternates": alts})
 		return name
 	}
 
 	// By default, the driver is whatever we used last time
 	if existing != nil {
 		pick, alts := driver.Choose(existing.VMDriver, options)
-		out.T(out.Sparkle, `Selecting '{{.driver}}' driver from existing profile (alternates: {{.alternates}})`, out.V{"driver": existing.VMDriver, "alternates": alts})
+		if pick.Priority == registry.Experimental {
+			exp = "experimental"
+		}
+		out.T(out.Sparkle, `Selecting {{.experimental}} '{{.driver}}' driver from existing profile (alternates: {{.alternates}})`, out.V{"experimental": exp, "driver": existing.VMDriver, "alternates": alts})
 		return pick.Name
 	}
 
 	if len(options) > 1 {
-		out.T(out.Sparkle, `Automatically selected the '{{.driver}}' driver (alternates: {{.alternates}})`, out.V{"driver": pick.Name, "alternates": alts})
+		out.T(out.Sparkle, `Automatically selected the {{.experimental}} '{{.driver}}' driver (alternates: {{.alternates}})`, out.V{"experimental": exp, "driver": pick.Name, "alternates": alts})
 	} else {
-		out.T(out.Sparkle, `Automatically selected the '{{.driver}}' driver`, out.V{"driver": pick.Name})
+		out.T(out.Sparkle, `Automatically selected the {{.experimental}} '{{.driver}}' driver`, out.V{"experimental": exp, "driver": pick.Name})
 	}
 
 	if pick.Name == "" {
@@ -612,7 +620,7 @@ func selectDriver(existing *cfg.MachineConfig) string {
 func validateDriver(name string, existing *cfg.MachineConfig) {
 	glog.Infof("validating driver %q against %+v", name, existing)
 	if !driver.Supported(name) {
-		exit.WithCodeT(exit.Unavailable, "The driver '{{.driver}}' is not supported on {{.os}}", out.V{"driver": name, "os": runtime.GOOS})
+		exit.WithCodeT(exit.Unavailable, "The driver {{.experimental}} '{{.driver}}' is not supported on {{.os}}", out.V{"driver": name, "os": runtime.GOOS})
 	}
 
 	st := driver.Status(name)
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/driver/driver.go b/pkg/minikube/driver/driver.go
index c084b49846..006e346d64 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/driver/driver.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/driver/driver.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"sort"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/golang/glog"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/drivers/kic"
@@ -60,6 +61,19 @@ func SupportedDrivers() []string {
 	return supportedDrivers
 }
 
+// DisplaySupportedDrivers returns a string with a list of supported drivers
+func DisplaySupportedDrivers() string {
+	var sd []string
+	for _, d := range supportedDrivers {
+		if registry.Driver(d).Priority == registry.Experimental {
+			sd = append(sd, d+" (experimental)")
+			continue
+		}
+		sd = append(sd, d)
+	}
+	return strings.Join(sd, ", ")
+}
+
 // Supported returns if the driver is supported on this host.
 func Supported(name string) bool {
 	for _, d := range supportedDrivers {
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/registry/drvs/docker/docker.go b/pkg/minikube/registry/drvs/docker/docker.go
index 42fc292b87..bafcf1b093 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/registry/drvs/docker/docker.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/registry/drvs/docker/docker.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ func init() {
 		Config:   configure,
 		Init:     func() drivers.Driver { return kic.NewDriver(kic.Config{OCIBinary: oci.Docker}) },
 		Status:   status,
-		Priority: registry.Discouraged, // experimental
+		Priority: registry.Experimental,
 	}); err != nil {
 		panic(fmt.Sprintf("register failed: %v", err))
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/registry/registry.go b/pkg/minikube/registry/registry.go
index 0bc86eb0f5..a506a28aeb 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/registry/registry.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/registry/registry.go
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ const (
 	Unknown Priority = iota
 	// Unhealthy is when a driver does not pass health checks
 	Unhealthy
+	// Experimental is when a driver is not officially supported because it's still experimental
+	Experimental
 	// Discouraged is when a driver has caveats that preclude it's recommendation
 	Discouraged
 	// Deprecated is when a driver has been formally deprecated