diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start_flags.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start_flags.go
index 92546e3f9c90..494a6f2f6819 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start_flags.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start_flags.go
@@ -490,6 +490,8 @@ func getNetwork(driverName string) string {
 		return validateQemuNetwork(n)
 	} else if driver.IsVFKit(driverName) {
 		return validateVfkitNetwork(n)
+	} else if driver.IsKrunkit(driverName) {
+		return validateVmnetNetwork(n)
 	}
 	return n
 }
@@ -535,10 +537,7 @@ func validateVfkitNetwork(n string) string {
 		// always available
 	case "vmnet-shared":
 		// "vment-shared" provides access between machines, with lower performance compared to "nat".
-		if err := vmnet.ValidateHelper(); err != nil {
-			vmnetErr := err.(*vmnet.Error)
-			exit.Message(vmnetErr.Kind, "failed to validate {{.network}} network: {{.reason}}", out.V{"network": n, "reason": err})
-		}
+		n = validateVmnetNetwork(n)
 	case "":
 		// Default to nat since it is always available and provides the best performance.
 		n = "nat"
@@ -548,6 +547,17 @@ func validateVfkitNetwork(n string) string {
 	return n
 }
 
+func validateVmnetNetwork(n string) string {
+	if !viper.GetBool(downloadOnly) {
+		if err := vmnet.ValidateHelper(); err != nil {
+			vmnetErr := err.(*vmnet.Error)
+			exit.Message(vmnetErr.Kind, "failed to validate {{.network}} network: {{.reason}}",
+				out.V{"network": n, "reason": err})
+		}
+	}
+	return n
+}
+
 // generateNewConfigFromFlags generate a config.ClusterConfig based on flags
 func generateNewConfigFromFlags(cmd *cobra.Command, k8sVersion string, rtime string, drvName string) config.ClusterConfig {
 	var cc config.ClusterConfig
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/registry/drvs/krunkit/krunkit.go b/pkg/minikube/registry/drvs/krunkit/krunkit.go
index 2faf138dba5f..f86616848bfc 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/registry/drvs/krunkit/krunkit.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/registry/drvs/krunkit/krunkit.go
@@ -98,9 +98,5 @@ func status() registry.State {
 	if _, err := exec.LookPath("krunkit"); err != nil {
 		return registry.State{Error: err, Fix: "Run 'brew tap slp/krunkit && brew install krunkit'", Doc: docURL}
 	}
-	if err := vmnet.ValidateHelper(); err != nil {
-		vmnetErr := err.(*vmnet.Error)
-		return registry.State{Error: vmnetErr.Err, Fix: "Install and configure vment-helper", Doc: docURL}
-	}
 	return registry.State{Installed: true, Healthy: true, Running: true}
 }