diff --git a/desktop/src/main/__tests__/ports.test.ts b/desktop/src/main/__tests__/ports.test.ts
index 67a93569..ef5688d0 100644
--- a/desktop/src/main/__tests__/ports.test.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/main/__tests__/ports.test.ts
@@ -3,49 +3,96 @@ import net from 'node:net';
 
 import { findAvailablePort, isPortAvailable } from '../ports.js';
 
+async function listenOnEphemeralPort(server: net.Server, host: string): Promise<number> {
+  await new Promise<void>((resolve, reject) => {
+    const onError = (error: Error) => {
+      server.off('listening', onListening);
+      reject(error);
+    };
+    const onListening = () => {
+      server.off('error', onError);
+      resolve();
+    };
+
+    server.once('error', onError);
+    server.once('listening', onListening);
+    server.listen(0, host);
+  });
+
+  const address = server.address();
+  if (!address || typeof address === 'string') {
+    throw new Error(`Unable to resolve ${host} test listener port`);
+  }
+  return address.port;
+}
+
+async function closeServer(server: net.Server): Promise<void> {
+  if (!server.listening) {
+    return;
+  }
+  await new Promise<void>((resolve, reject) => {
+    server.close((error) => (error ? reject(error) : resolve()));
+  });
+}
+
+async function acquireAvailablePort(host = '127.0.0.1'): Promise<number> {
+  const reservation = net.createServer();
+  try {
+    return await listenOnEphemeralPort(reservation, host);
+  } finally {
+    await closeServer(reservation);
+  }
+}
+
 describe('port selection', () => {
   it('returns the preferred port when it is available', async () => {
-    const port = await findAvailablePort(47631, '127.0.0.1', 1);
-    expect(port).toBe(47631);
+    const preferredPort = await acquireAvailablePort();
+
+    const port = await findAvailablePort(preferredPort, '127.0.0.1', 1);
+
+    expect(port).toBe(preferredPort);
   });
 
   it('falls forward when the preferred port is busy', async () => {
     const server = net.createServer();
-    await new Promise<void>((resolve) => server.listen(47632, '127.0.0.1', resolve));
+    const preferredPort = await listenOnEphemeralPort(server, '127.0.0.1');
 
     try {
-      expect(await isPortAvailable(47632)).toBe(false);
-      const port = await findAvailablePort(47632, '127.0.0.1', 3);
-      expect(port).toBeGreaterThan(47632);
+      expect(await isPortAvailable(preferredPort)).toBe(false);
+
+      const port = await findAvailablePort(preferredPort, '127.0.0.1', 1);
+
+      expect(port).not.toBe(preferredPort);
+      expect(await isPortAvailable(port)).toBe(true);
     } finally {
-      await new Promise<void>((resolve) => server.close(() => resolve()));
+      await closeServer(server);
     }
   });
 
   it('keeps separately selected desktop fallback ports distinct', async () => {
     const busyServer = net.createServer();
-    await new Promise<void>((resolve) => busyServer.listen(47633, '127.0.0.1', resolve));
+    const preferredPort = await listenOnEphemeralPort(busyServer, '127.0.0.1');
 
     try {
-      const serverPort = await findAvailablePort(47633, '127.0.0.1', 3);
-      const webPort = await findAvailablePort(47633, '127.0.0.1', 3, new Set([serverPort]));
+      const serverPort = await findAvailablePort(preferredPort, '127.0.0.1', 1);
+      const webPort = await findAvailablePort(preferredPort, '127.0.0.1', 1, new Set([serverPort]));
 
-      expect(serverPort).toBeGreaterThan(47633);
-      expect(webPort).toBeGreaterThan(47633);
+      expect(serverPort).not.toBe(preferredPort);
+      expect(webPort).not.toBe(preferredPort);
       expect(webPort).not.toBe(serverPort);
+      expect(await isPortAvailable(serverPort)).toBe(true);
+      expect(await isPortAvailable(webPort)).toBe(true);
     } finally {
-      await new Promise<void>((resolve) => busyServer.close(() => resolve()));
+      await closeServer(busyServer);
     }
   });
 
   it('falls forward when the preferred port is busy on an IPv6 wildcard', async () => {
     const server = net.createServer();
+    let preferredPort: number;
 
     try {
-      await new Promise<void>((resolve, reject) => {
-        server.once('error', reject);
-        server.listen(47634, '::', resolve);
-      });
+      preferredPort = await listenOnEphemeralPort(server, '::');
     } catch (error) {
       const code = (error as NodeJS.ErrnoException).code;
       if (code === 'EAFNOSUPPORT' || code === 'EADDRNOTAVAIL') {
@@ -55,11 +102,14 @@ describe('port selection', () => {
     }
 
     try {
-      expect(await isPortAvailable(47634)).toBe(false);
-      const port = await findAvailablePort(47634, '127.0.0.1', 3);
-      expect(port).toBeGreaterThan(47634);
+      expect(await isPortAvailable(preferredPort)).toBe(false);
+
+      const port = await findAvailablePort(preferredPort, '127.0.0.1', 1);
+
+      expect(port).not.toBe(preferredPort);
+      expect(await isPortAvailable(port)).toBe(true);
     } finally {
-      await new Promise<void>((resolve) => server.close(() => resolve()));
+      await closeServer(server);
     }
   });