diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
index 669b548a10..fd582fa5e4 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
@@ -1000,10 +1000,6 @@ func getKubernetesVersion(old *config.ClusterConfig) string {
 	}
 	nv := version.VersionPrefix + nvs.String()
 
-	if old == nil || old.KubernetesConfig.KubernetesVersion == "" {
-		return nv
-	}
-
 	oldestVersion, err := semver.Make(strings.TrimPrefix(constants.OldestKubernetesVersion, version.VersionPrefix))
 	if err != nil {
 		exit.WithCodeT(exit.Data, "Unable to parse oldest Kubernetes version from constants: {{.error}}", out.V{"error": err})
@@ -1022,6 +1018,10 @@ func getKubernetesVersion(old *config.ClusterConfig) string {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if old == nil || old.KubernetesConfig.KubernetesVersion == "" {
+		return nv
+	}
+
 	ovs, err := semver.Make(strings.TrimPrefix(old.KubernetesConfig.KubernetesVersion, version.VersionPrefix))
 	if err != nil {
 		glog.Errorf("Error parsing old version %q: %v", old.KubernetesConfig.KubernetesVersion, err)