diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/config/profile.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/config/profile.go
index 778402408970..280bb1c237ad 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/config/profile.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/config/profile.go
@@ -65,11 +65,7 @@ var ProfileCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		}
 
 		if !pkgConfig.ProfileExists(profile) {
-			err := pkgConfig.CreateEmptyProfile(profile)
-			if err != nil {
-				exit.WithError("Creating a new profile failed", err)
-			}
-			out.SuccessT("Created a new profile : {{.profile_name}}", out.V{"profile_name": profile})
+			out.FailureT("if you want to create a profile you can by this command: minikube start -p {{.profile_name}}", out.V{"profile_name": profile})
 		}
 
 		err := Set(pkgConfig.MachineProfile, profile)
@@ -91,7 +87,7 @@ var ProfileCmd = &cobra.Command{
 					out.ErrT(out.Sad, `Error while setting kubectl current context :  {{.error}}`, out.V{"error": err})
 				}
 			}
+			out.SuccessT("minikube profile was successfully set to {{.profile_name}}", out.V{"profile_name": profile})
 		}
-		out.SuccessT("minikube profile was successfully set to {{.profile_name}}", out.V{"profile_name": profile})
 	},
 }
diff --git a/test/integration/functional_test.go b/test/integration/functional_test.go
index bb4efa3701a5..75f0446c0839 100644
--- a/test/integration/functional_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/functional_test.go
@@ -494,7 +494,29 @@ func validateLogsCmd(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, profile string) {
 
 // validateProfileCmd asserts "profile" command functionality
 func validateProfileCmd(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, profile string) {
-	rr, err := Run(t, exec.CommandContext(ctx, Target(), "profile", "list"))
+	// Profile command should not create a nonexistent profile
+	nonexistentProfile := "lis"
+	rr, err := Run(t, exec.CommandContext(ctx, Target(), "profile", nonexistentProfile))
+	rr, err = Run(t, exec.CommandContext(ctx, Target(), "profile", "list", "--output", "json"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("%s failed: %v", rr.Args, err)
+	}
+	var profileJson map[string][]map[string]interface{}
+	err = json.Unmarshal(rr.Stdout.Bytes(), &profileJson)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("%s failed: %v", rr.Args, err)
+	}
+	for profileK := range profileJson {
+		for _, p := range profileJson[profileK] {
+			var name = p["Name"]
+			if (name == nonexistentProfile) {
+				t.Errorf("minikube profile %s should not exist", nonexistentProfile)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	// List profiles
+	rr, err = Run(t, exec.CommandContext(ctx, Target(), "profile", "list"))
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("%s failed: %v", rr.Args, err)
 	}