diff --git a/pkg/minikube/cluster/cluster.go b/pkg/minikube/cluster/cluster.go
index 85ac0684af7b..38c7e0a0e6c4 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/cluster/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/cluster/cluster.go
@@ -148,10 +148,7 @@ func GetLocalkubeStatus(api libmachine.API) (string, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
-
-	statusCmd := localkubeStatusCommand
-
-	s, err := RunCommand(h, statusCmd, false)
+	s, err := RunCommand(h, localkubeStatusCommand, false)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/cluster/commands.go b/pkg/minikube/cluster/commands.go
index 6de89dc75eda..fe5972870cf4 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/cluster/commands.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/cluster/commands.go
@@ -28,8 +28,14 @@ import (
 )
 
 // Kill any running instances.
+
 var localkubeStartCmdTemplate = "/usr/local/bin/localkube {{.Flags}} --generate-certs=false --logtostderr=true --enable-dns=false"
 
+var startCommandNoneTemplate = `
+# Run with nohup so it stays up. Redirect logs to useful places.
+sudo sh -c 'PATH=/usr/local/sbin:$PATH nohup {{.LocalkubeStartCmd}} > {{.Stdout}} 2> {{.Stderr}} < /dev/null & echo $! > {{.Pidfile}} &'
+`
+
 var localkubeSystemdTmpl = `[Unit]
 Description=Localkube
 Documentation=https://github.com/kubernetes/minikube/tree/master/pkg/localkube
@@ -47,11 +53,15 @@ ExecReload=/bin/kill -s HUP $MAINPID
 WantedBy=multi-user.target
 `
 
-var startCommandTemplate = `
+var startCommandTemplate = "if [[ `systemctl` =~ -\\.mount ]] &>/dev/null;" + `then
   {{.StartCommandSystemd}}
   sudo systemctl daemon-reload
   sudo systemctl enable localkube.service
   sudo systemctl restart localkube.service || true
+else
+  sudo killall localkube || true
+  {{.StartCommandNone}}
+fi
 `
 
 func GetStartCommand(kubernetesConfig KubernetesConfig) (string, error) {
@@ -59,6 +69,10 @@ func GetStartCommand(kubernetesConfig KubernetesConfig) (string, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
+	startCommandNone, err := GetStartCommandNone(kubernetesConfig, localkubeStartCommand)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
 	startCommandSystemd, err := GetStartCommandSystemd(kubernetesConfig, localkubeStartCommand)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
@@ -66,8 +80,10 @@ func GetStartCommand(kubernetesConfig KubernetesConfig) (string, error) {
 	t := template.Must(template.New("startCommand").Parse(startCommandTemplate))
 	buf := bytes.Buffer{}
 	data := struct {
+		StartCommandNone    string
 		StartCommandSystemd string
 	}{
+		StartCommandNone:    startCommandNone,
 		StartCommandSystemd: startCommandSystemd,
 	}
 	if err := t.Execute(&buf, data); err != nil {
@@ -76,6 +92,26 @@ func GetStartCommand(kubernetesConfig KubernetesConfig) (string, error) {
 	return buf.String(), nil
 }
 
+func GetStartCommandNone(kubernetesConfig KubernetesConfig, localkubeStartCmd string) (string, error) {
+	t := template.Must(template.New("startCommand").Parse(startCommandNoneTemplate))
+	buf := bytes.Buffer{}
+	data := struct {
+		LocalkubeStartCmd string
+		Stdout            string
+		Stderr            string
+		Pidfile           string
+	}{
+		LocalkubeStartCmd: localkubeStartCmd,
+		Stdout:            constants.RemoteLocalKubeOutPath,
+		Stderr:            constants.RemoteLocalKubeErrPath,
+		Pidfile:           constants.LocalkubePIDPath,
+	}
+	if err := t.Execute(&buf, data); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return buf.String(), nil
+}
+
 func GetStartCommandSystemd(kubernetesConfig KubernetesConfig, localkubeStartCmd string) (string, error) {
 	t, err := template.New("localkubeConfig").Parse(localkubeSystemdTmpl)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -130,6 +166,7 @@ func GenLocalkubeStartCmd(kubernetesConfig KubernetesConfig) (string, error) {
 		flagVals = append(flagVals, fmt.Sprintf("--extra-config=%s", e.String()))
 	}
 	flags := strings.Join(flagVals, " ")
+
 	t := template.Must(template.New("localkubeStartCmd").Parse(localkubeStartCmdTemplate))
 	buf := bytes.Buffer{}
 	data := struct {
@@ -145,7 +182,12 @@ func GenLocalkubeStartCmd(kubernetesConfig KubernetesConfig) (string, error) {
 	return buf.String(), nil
 }
 
-const logsTemplate = "sudo journalctl {{.Flags}} -u localkube"
+const logsTemplate = "if [[ `systemctl` =~ -\\.mount ]] &>/dev/null; " + `then
+  sudo journalctl {{.Flags}} -u localkube
+else
+  tail -n +1 {{.Flags}} {{.RemoteLocalkubeErrPath}} {{.RemoteLocalkubeOutPath}} %s
+fi
+`
 
 func GetLogsCommand(follow bool) (string, error) {
 	t, err := template.New("logsTemplate").Parse(logsTemplate)
@@ -173,7 +215,16 @@ func GetLogsCommand(follow bool) (string, error) {
 	return buf.String(), nil
 }
 
-var localkubeStatusCommand = `sudo systemctl is-active localkube 2>&1 1>/dev/null && echo "Running" || echo "Stopped"`
+var localkubeStatusCommand = fmt.Sprintf("if [[ `systemctl` =~ -\\.mount ]] &>/dev/null; "+`then
+  sudo systemctl is-active localkube &>/dev/null && echo "Running" || echo "Stopped"
+else
+  if ps $(cat %s) &>/dev/null; then
+    echo "Running"
+  else
+    echo "Stopped"
+  fi
+fi
+`, constants.LocalkubePIDPath)
 
 func GetMountCleanupCommand(path string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("sudo umount %s;", path)
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/machine/drivers/none/none.go b/pkg/minikube/machine/drivers/none/none.go
index f7455f570a3d..7e68ecc44333 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/machine/drivers/none/none.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/machine/drivers/none/none.go
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ limitations under the License.
 package none
 
 import (
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
@@ -50,10 +49,6 @@ func NewDriver(hostName, storePath string) *Driver {
 
 // PreCreateCheck checks that VBoxManage exists and works
 func (d *Driver) PreCreateCheck() error {
-	// check that systemd is installed as it is a requirement
-	if _, err := exec.LookPath("systemctl"); err != nil {
-		return errors.New("systemd is a requirement in order to use the none driver")
-	}
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -96,10 +91,19 @@ func (d *Driver) GetURL() (string, error) {
 }
 
 func (d *Driver) GetState() (state.State, error) {
-	command := `sudo systemctl is-active localkube 2>&1 1>/dev/null && echo "Running" || echo "Stopped"`
+	var localkubeStatusCommand = fmt.Sprintf("if [[ `systemctl` =~ -\\.mount ]] &>/dev/null; "+`then
+  sudo systemctl is-active localkube &>/dev/null && echo "Running" || echo "Stopped"
+else
+  if ps $(cat %s) &>/dev/null; then
+    echo "Running"
+  else
+    echo "Stopped"
+  fi
+fi
+`, constants.LocalkubePIDPath)
 
 	path := filepath.Join(constants.GetMinipath(), "tmp-cmd")
-	ioutil.WriteFile(filepath.Join(constants.GetMinipath(), "tmp-cmd"), []byte(command), os.FileMode(0644))
+	ioutil.WriteFile(filepath.Join(constants.GetMinipath(), "tmp-cmd"), []byte(localkubeStatusCommand), os.FileMode(0644))
 	defer os.Remove(path)
 	cmd := exec.Command("sudo", "/bin/sh", path)
 	out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()