diff --git a/src/api.py b/src/api.py
index 52fb8e6e..7c67f89f 100644
--- a/src/api.py
+++ b/src/api.py
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ class APIError(Exception):
 
 
 class StoppableXMLRPCServer(SimpleXMLRPCServer):
+    allow_reuse_address = True
+
     def serve_forever(self):
         while state.shutdown == 0:
             self.handle_request()
diff --git a/src/bitmessagemain.py b/src/bitmessagemain.py
index 388a6068..17e97ffd 100755
--- a/src/bitmessagemain.py
+++ b/src/bitmessagemain.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import ctypes
 from struct import pack
 from subprocess import call
 from time import sleep
+from random import randint
 
 from api import MySimpleXMLRPCRequestHandler, StoppableXMLRPCServer
 from helper_startup import isOurOperatingSystemLimitedToHavingVeryFewHalfOpenConnections
@@ -171,8 +172,25 @@ class singleAPI(threading.Thread, helper_threading.StoppableThread):
             pass
 
     def run(self):
-        se = StoppableXMLRPCServer((BMConfigParser().get('bitmessagesettings', 'apiinterface'), BMConfigParser().getint(
-            'bitmessagesettings', 'apiport')), MySimpleXMLRPCRequestHandler, True, True)
+        port = BMConfigParser().getint('bitmessagesettings', 'apiport')
+        try:
+            from errno import WSAEADDRINUSE
+        except (ImportError, AttributeError):
+            errno.WSAEADDRINUSE = errno.EADDRINUSE
+        for attempt in range(50):
+            try:
+                if attempt > 0:
+                    port = randint(32767, 65535)
+                se = StoppableXMLRPCServer((BMConfigParser().get('bitmessagesettings', 'apiinterface'), port),
+                    MySimpleXMLRPCRequestHandler, True, True)
+            except socket.error as e:
+                if e.errno in (errno.EADDRINUSE, errno.WSAEADDRINUSE):
+                    continue
+            else:
+                if attempt > 0:
+                    BMConfigParser().set("bitmessagesettings", "apiport", str(port))
+                    BMConfigParser().save()
+                break
         se.register_introspection_functions()
         se.serve_forever()
 
diff --git a/src/network/asyncore_pollchoose.py b/src/network/asyncore_pollchoose.py
index 2b874c0f..c2568e9f 100644
--- a/src/network/asyncore_pollchoose.py
+++ b/src/network/asyncore_pollchoose.py
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ import os
 from errno import EALREADY, EINPROGRESS, EWOULDBLOCK, ECONNRESET, EINVAL, \
      ENOTCONN, ESHUTDOWN, EISCONN, EBADF, ECONNABORTED, EPIPE, EAGAIN, \
      ECONNREFUSED, EHOSTUNREACH, ENETUNREACH, ENOTSOCK, EINTR, ETIMEDOUT, \
+     EADDRINUSE, \
      errorcode
 try:
     from errno import WSAEWOULDBLOCK
@@ -71,6 +72,10 @@ try:
     from errno import WSAECONNRESET
 except (ImportError, AttributeError):
     WSAECONNRESET = ECONNRESET
+try:
+    from errno import WSAEADDRINUSE
+except (ImportError, AttributeError):
+    WSAEADDRINUSE = EADDRINUSE
 
 _DISCONNECTED = frozenset((ECONNRESET, ENOTCONN, ESHUTDOWN, ECONNABORTED, EPIPE,
                            EBADF, ECONNREFUSED, EHOSTUNREACH, ENETUNREACH, ETIMEDOUT,
diff --git a/src/network/connectionpool.py b/src/network/connectionpool.py
index 201432f0..8474e84c 100644
--- a/src/network/connectionpool.py
+++ b/src/network/connectionpool.py
@@ -119,7 +119,9 @@ class BMConnectionPool(object):
     def startListening(self):
         host = self.getListeningIP()
         port = BMConfigParser().safeGetInt("bitmessagesettings", "port")
-        self.listeningSockets[state.Peer(host, port)] = network.tcp.TCPServer(host=host, port=port)
+        # correct port even if it changed
+        ls = network.tcp.TCPServer(host=host, port=port)
+        self.listeningSockets[ls.destination] = ls
 
     def startUDPSocket(self, bind=None):
         if bind is None:
diff --git a/src/network/tcp.py b/src/network/tcp.py
index 01b19817..0fcbc160 100644
--- a/src/network/tcp.py
+++ b/src/network/tcp.py
@@ -252,10 +252,29 @@ class TCPServer(AdvancedDispatcher):
             AdvancedDispatcher.__init__(self)
         self.create_socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
         self.set_reuse_addr()
-        self.bind((host, port))
+        for attempt in range(50):
+            try:
+                if attempt > 0:
+                    port = random.randint(32767, 65535)
+                self.bind((host, port))
+            except socket.error as e:
+                if e.errno in (asyncore.EADDRINUSE, asyncore.WSAEADDRINUSE):
+                    continue
+            else:
+                if attempt > 0:
+                    BMConfigParser().set("bitmessagesettings", "port", str(port))
+                    BMConfigParser().save()
+                break
         self.destination = state.Peer(host, port)
+        self.bound = True
         self.listen(5)
 
+    def is_bound(self):
+        try:
+            return self.bound
+        except AttributeError:
+            return False
+
     def handle_accept(self):
         pair = self.accept()
         if pair is not None:
diff --git a/src/upnp.py b/src/upnp.py
index 6c245345..ff657619 100644
--- a/src/upnp.py
+++ b/src/upnp.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ from struct import unpack, pack
 import threading
 import time
 from bmconfigparser import BMConfigParser
+from network.connectionpool import BMConnectionPool
 from helper_threading import *
 import queues
 import shared
@@ -179,7 +180,6 @@ class uPnPThread(threading.Thread, StoppableThread):
 
     def __init__ (self):
         threading.Thread.__init__(self, name="uPnPThread")
-        self.localPort = BMConfigParser().getint('bitmessagesettings', 'port')
         try:
             self.extPort = BMConfigParser().getint('bitmessagesettings', 'extport')
         except:
@@ -199,6 +199,17 @@ class uPnPThread(threading.Thread, StoppableThread):
         logger.debug("Starting UPnP thread")
         logger.debug("Local IP: %s", self.localIP)
         lastSent = 0
+
+        # wait until asyncore binds so that we know the listening port
+        bound = False
+        while state.shutdown == 0 and not self._stopped and not bound:
+            for s in BMConnectionPool().listeningSockets.values():
+                if s.is_bound():
+                    bound = True
+            if not bound:
+                time.sleep(1)
+
+        self.localPort = BMConfigParser().getint('bitmessagesettings', 'port')
         while state.shutdown == 0 and BMConfigParser().safeGetBoolean('bitmessagesettings', 'upnp'):
             if time.time() - lastSent > self.sendSleep and len(self.routers) == 0:
                 try: