diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/status.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/status.go
index 64a20bcddfd1..ad050cf199df 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/status.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/status.go
@@ -45,8 +45,10 @@ var output string
 
 const (
 	// Additional states used by kubeconfig
-	Configured    = "Configured"    // analogous to state.Saved
-	Misconfigured = "Misconfigured" // analogous to state.Error
+	Configured    = "Configured"    // ~state.Saved
+	Misconfigured = "Misconfigured" // ~state.Error
+	// Additional states used for clarity
+	Nonexistent = "Nonexistent" // ~state.None
 )
 
 // Status holds string representations of component states
@@ -92,6 +94,9 @@ var statusCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		if err != nil {
 			glog.Errorf("status error: %v", err)
 		}
+		if st.Host == Nonexistent {
+			glog.Errorf("The %q cluster does not exist!", machineName)
+		}
 
 		switch strings.ToLower(output) {
 		case "text":
@@ -125,11 +130,22 @@ func exitCode(st *Status) int {
 }
 
 func status(api libmachine.API, name string) (*Status, error) {
-	st := &Status{}
+	st := &Status{
+		Host:       Nonexistent,
+		APIServer:  Nonexistent,
+		Kubelet:    Nonexistent,
+		Kubeconfig: Nonexistent,
+	}
+
 	hs, err := cluster.GetHostStatus(api, name)
 	if err != nil {
 		return st, errors.Wrap(err, "host")
 	}
+
+	// Nonexistent it is!
+	if hs == state.None.String() {
+		return st, nil
+	}
 	st.Host = hs
 	if st.Host != state.Running.String() {
 		return st, nil
diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/status_test.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/status_test.go
index 015e5bd48379..ef414631f832 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/status_test.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/status_test.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ func TestExitCode(t *testing.T) {
 		{"ok", 0, &Status{Host: "Running", Kubelet: "Running", APIServer: "Running", Kubeconfig: Configured}},
 		{"paused", 2, &Status{Host: "Running", Kubelet: "Stopped", APIServer: "Paused", Kubeconfig: Configured}},
 		{"down", 7, &Status{Host: "Stopped", Kubelet: "Stopped", APIServer: "Stopped", Kubeconfig: Misconfigured}},
+		{"missing", 7, &Status{Host: "Nonexistent", Kubelet: "Nonexistent", APIServer: "Nonexistent", Kubeconfig: "Nonexistent"}},
 	}
 	for _, tc := range tests {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {