diff --git a/test/integration/addons_test.go b/test/integration/addons_test.go
index 5b77259848994f1fe333da772da5e23b86ac40cd..fa02cf21d8c5c8e16b37bc710bcf81b2c701558a 100644
--- a/test/integration/addons_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/addons_test.go
@@ -36,8 +36,7 @@ var (
 
 func TestAddons(t *testing.T) {
 	minikubeRunner := util.MinikubeRunner{BinaryPath: *binaryPath, T: t}
-	minikubeRunner.RunCommand("start", true)
-	minikubeRunner.CheckStatus("Running")
+	minikubeRunner.EnsureRunning()
 	kubectlRunner := util.NewKubectlRunner(t)
 
 	checkAddon := func() error {
diff --git a/test/integration/cluster_env_test.go b/test/integration/cluster_env_test.go
index 63380ab415bf7448fee8f5406d167cce888de6b8..cb48d2ead35f896f78a58328b63c87e25d92e657 100644
--- a/test/integration/cluster_env_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/cluster_env_test.go
@@ -29,8 +29,7 @@ import (
 
 func TestClusterEnv(t *testing.T) {
 	minikubeRunner := util.MinikubeRunner{BinaryPath: *binaryPath, T: t}
-	minikubeRunner.RunCommand("start", true)
-	minikubeRunner.CheckStatus("Running")
+	minikubeRunner.EnsureRunning()
 
 	dockerEnvVars := minikubeRunner.RunCommand("docker-env", true)
 	if err := minikubeRunner.SetEnvFromEnvCmdOutput(dockerEnvVars); err != nil {
diff --git a/test/integration/cluster_logs_test.go b/test/integration/cluster_logs_test.go
index 9d05b7688e6aeae7b088311baba97946b974f9e8..e13aeabfb9ebfc2a1aa5403ca5c09e8a9bb4bb44 100644
--- a/test/integration/cluster_logs_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/cluster_logs_test.go
@@ -27,8 +27,7 @@ import (
 
 func TestClusterLogs(t *testing.T) {
 	minikubeRunner := util.MinikubeRunner{BinaryPath: *binaryPath, T: t}
-	minikubeRunner.RunCommand("start", true)
-	minikubeRunner.CheckStatus("Running")
+	minikubeRunner.EnsureRunning()
 
 	logsCmdOutput := minikubeRunner.RunCommand("logs", true)
 	//check for # of lines or check for strings
diff --git a/test/integration/cluster_ssh_test.go b/test/integration/cluster_ssh_test.go
index c9366122305eca9ebf12ee991a6c42d9321c0a35..9e187c3cbb920e7ca73f120b5d9f633df5057728 100644
--- a/test/integration/cluster_ssh_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/cluster_ssh_test.go
@@ -26,8 +26,7 @@ import (
 
 func TestClusterSSH(t *testing.T) {
 	minikubeRunner := util.MinikubeRunner{BinaryPath: *binaryPath, T: t}
-	minikubeRunner.RunCommand("start", true)
-	minikubeRunner.CheckStatus("Running")
+	minikubeRunner.EnsureRunning()
 
 	expectedStr := "hello"
 	sshCmdOutput := minikubeRunner.RunCommand("ssh echo "+expectedStr, true)
diff --git a/test/integration/cluster_status_test.go b/test/integration/cluster_status_test.go
index d3d3461be4e54a563f532c60956e839247c43578..477a7ff452dcf358147fc30b56198b3840c278d8 100644
--- a/test/integration/cluster_status_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/cluster_status_test.go
@@ -30,8 +30,7 @@ import (
 
 func TestClusterStatus(t *testing.T) {
 	minikubeRunner := util.MinikubeRunner{BinaryPath: *binaryPath, T: t}
-	minikubeRunner.RunCommand("start", true)
-	minikubeRunner.CheckStatus("Running")
+	minikubeRunner.EnsureRunning()
 
 	kubectlRunner := util.NewKubectlRunner(t)
 	cs := api.ComponentStatusList{}