diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/delete.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/delete.go
index a01a4658f0c1..b881c6d84d4f 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/delete.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/delete.go
@@ -541,13 +541,15 @@ func handleSingleDeletionError(err error) {
 	if ok {
 		switch deletionError.Errtype {
 		case Fatal:
-			out.FatalT(deletionError.Error())
+			out.ErrT(style.Fatal, "Failed to delete profile(s): {{.error}}", out.V{"error": deletionError.Error()})
+			os.Exit(reason.ExGuestError)
 		case MissingProfile:
 			out.ErrT(style.Sad, deletionError.Error())
 		case MissingCluster:
 			out.ErrT(style.Meh, deletionError.Error())
 		default:
-			out.FatalT(deletionError.Error())
+			out.ErrT(style.Fatal, "Unable to delete profile(s): {{.error}}", out.V{"error": deletionError.Error()})
+			os.Exit(reason.ExGuestError)
 		}
 	} else {
 		exit.Error(reason.GuestDeletion, "Could not process error from failed deletion", err)
diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/node_stop.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/node_stop.go
index 65c92f71f8af..b8f59f8c18cf 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/node_stop.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/node_stop.go
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ limitations under the License.
 package cmd
 
 import (
+	"os"
+
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/config"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/exit"
@@ -49,7 +51,8 @@ var nodeStopCmd = &cobra.Command{
 
 		err = machine.StopHost(api, machineName)
 		if err != nil {
-			out.FatalT("Failed to stop node {{.name}}", out.V{"name": name})
+			out.ErrT(style.Fatal, "Failed to stop node {{.name}}: {{.error}}", out.V{"name": name, "error": err})
+			os.Exit(reason.ExHostError)
 		}
 		out.Step(style.Stopped, "Successfully stopped node {{.name}}", out.V{"name": machineName})
 	},
diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/service.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/service.go
index 9914302ff907..28df4bbb8cca 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/service.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/service.go
@@ -98,8 +98,7 @@ var serviceCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		var services service.URLs
 		services, err := service.GetServiceURLs(co.API, co.Config.Name, namespace, serviceURLTemplate)
 		if err != nil {
-			out.FatalT("Failed to get service URL: {{.error}}", out.V{"error": err})
-			out.ErrT(style.Notice, "Check that minikube is running and that you have specified the correct namespace (-n flag) if required.")
+			out.ErrT(style.Fatal, "Failed to get service URL - check that minikube is running and that you have specified the correct namespace (-n flag) if required: {{.error}}", out.V{"error": err})
 			os.Exit(reason.ExSvcUnavailable)
 		}
 
diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/service_list.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/service_list.go
index 99fd13b7d93e..338c993d0180 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/service_list.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/service_list.go
@@ -47,8 +47,7 @@ var serviceListCmd = &cobra.Command{
 
 		serviceURLs, err := service.GetServiceURLs(co.API, co.Config.Name, serviceListNamespace, serviceURLTemplate)
 		if err != nil {
-			out.FatalT("Failed to get service URL: {{.error}}", out.V{"error": err})
-			out.ErrT(style.Notice, "Check that minikube is running and that you have specified the correct namespace (-n flag) if required.")
+			out.ErrT(style.Fatal, "Failed to get service URL - check that minikube is running and that you have specified the correct namespace (-n flag) if required: {{.error}}", out.V{"error": err})
 			os.Exit(reason.ExSvcUnavailable)
 		}
 		serviceURLs = updatePortsAndURLs(serviceURLs, co)
diff --git a/pkg/minikube/out/out.go b/pkg/minikube/out/out.go
index 0043bc875031..4ce9ac62d1f8 100644
--- a/pkg/minikube/out/out.go
+++ b/pkg/minikube/out/out.go
@@ -255,11 +255,6 @@ func SuccessT(format string, a ...V) {
 	Step(style.Success, format, a...)
 }
 
-// FatalT is a shortcut for writing a templated fatal message to stderr
-func FatalT(format string, a ...V) {
-	ErrT(style.Fatal, format, a...)
-}
-
 // WarningT is a shortcut for writing a templated warning message to stderr
 func WarningT(format string, a ...V) {
 	if JSON {
@@ -368,12 +363,12 @@ func LogEntries(msg string, err error, entries map[string][]string) {
 func displayError(msg string, err error) {
 	klog.Warningf(fmt.Sprintf("%s: %v", msg, err))
 	if JSON {
-		FatalT("{{.msg}}: {{.err}}", V{"msg": translate.T(msg), "err": err})
+		ErrT(style.Fatal, "{{.msg}}: {{.err}}", V{"msg": translate.T(msg), "err": err})
 		return
 	}
 	// use Warning because Error will display a duplicate message to stderr
 	ErrT(style.Empty, "")
-	FatalT("{{.msg}}: {{.err}}", V{"msg": translate.T(msg), "err": err})
+	ErrT(style.Fatal, "{{.msg}}: {{.err}}", V{"msg": translate.T(msg), "err": err})
 	ErrT(style.Empty, "")
 	displayGitHubIssueMessage()
 }