diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/docker-env.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/docker-env.go
index 94677f22287d..83858724b600 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/docker-env.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/docker-env.go
@@ -252,8 +252,7 @@ var dockerEnvCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		sh := shell.EnvConfig{
 			Shell: shl,
 		}
-		cname := ClusterFlagValue()
-		co := mustload.Running(cname)
+
 		if dockerUnset {
 			if err := dockerUnsetScript(DockerEnvConfig{EnvConfig: sh}, os.Stdout); err != nil {
 				exit.Error(reason.InternalEnvScript, "Error generating unset output", err)
@@ -266,6 +265,9 @@ var dockerEnvCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			exit.SetShell(true)
 		}
 
+		cname := ClusterFlagValue()
+		co := mustload.Running(cname)
+
 		driverName := co.CP.Host.DriverName
 
 		if driverName == driver.None {
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index a5c8313f3538..ae446773c437 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -740,6 +740,7 @@ github.com/opencontainers/selinux v1.3.1-0.20190929122143-5215b1806f52/go.mod h1
 github.com/otiai10/copy v1.5.0 h1:SoXDGnlTUZoqB/wSuj/Y5L6T5i6iN4YRAcMCd+JnLNU=
 github.com/otiai10/copy v1.5.0/go.mod h1:XWfuS3CrI0R6IE0FbgHsEazaXO8G0LpMp9o8tos0x4E=
 github.com/otiai10/curr v0.0.0-20150429015615-9b4961190c95/go.mod h1:9qAhocn7zKJG+0mI8eUu6xqkFDYS2kb2saOteoSB3cE=
+github.com/otiai10/curr v1.0.0 h1:TJIWdbX0B+kpNagQrjgq8bCMrbhiuX73M2XwgtDMoOI=
 github.com/otiai10/curr v1.0.0/go.mod h1:LskTG5wDwr8Rs+nNQ+1LlxRjAtTZZjtJW4rMXl6j4vs=
 github.com/otiai10/mint v1.3.0/go.mod h1:F5AjcsTsWUqX+Na9fpHb52P8pcRX2CI6A3ctIT91xUo=
 github.com/otiai10/mint v1.3.2 h1:VYWnrP5fXmz1MXvjuUvcBrXSjGE6xjON+axB/UrpO3E=
diff --git a/test/integration/functional_test.go b/test/integration/functional_test.go
index 7a54b317635c..2513552a3304 100644
--- a/test/integration/functional_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/functional_test.go
@@ -262,6 +262,10 @@ func validateDockerEnv(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, profile string) {
 		// we should be able to get minikube status with a bash which evaled docker-env
 		rr, err = Run(t, c)
 	}
+	got := Status(mctx, t, Target(), profile, "DockerEnv", profile)
+	if got != "in-use" {
+		t.Errorf("expected status after eval-ing docker-env to be -%q- but got *%q*", "in-use", got)
+	}
 	if mctx.Err() == context.DeadlineExceeded {
 		t.Errorf("failed to run the command by deadline. exceeded timeout. %s", rr.Command())
 	}