diff --git a/config/Desktop.py b/config/Desktop.py
index bbba6f1..e1668b8 100644
--- a/config/Desktop.py
+++ b/config/Desktop.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import os
 import os.path
+import socket
 import cherrypy
 from tempfile import gettempdir
 
@@ -8,8 +9,17 @@ username_postfix = os.environ.get( "USER" )
 username_postfix = username_postfix and "_%s" % username_postfix or ""
 
 
+# find an available TCP socket to listen on
+sock = socket.socket( socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM )
+sock.bind( ( "", 0 ) )
+socket_port = sock.getsockname()[ 1 ]
+sock.close()
+
+
+
 settings = { 
   "global": {
+    "server.socket_port": socket_port,
     "server.thread_pool": 4,
     "session_filter.storage_type": "ram",
     "session_filter.timeout": 60 * 24 * 365, # one year
@@ -18,6 +28,7 @@ settings = {
     "server.log_file": os.path.join( gettempdir(), "luminotes_error%s.log" % username_postfix ),
     "server.log_access_file": os.path.join( gettempdir(), "luminotes%s.log" % username_postfix ),
     "server.log_tracebacks": True,
+    "luminotes.port_file": os.path.join( gettempdir(), "luminotes_port%s" % username_postfix ),
     "luminotes.launch_browser": True,
     "luminotes.db_host": None, # use local SQLite database
     "luminotes.auto_login_username": "desktopuser",
diff --git a/luminotes.py b/luminotes.py
index 5f96256..e72d52c 100755
--- a/luminotes.py
+++ b/luminotes.py
@@ -51,7 +51,10 @@ def main( args ):
   launch_browser = cherrypy.config.configMap[ u"global" ].get( u"luminotes.launch_browser" )
 
   socket.setdefaulttimeout( INITIAL_SOCKET_TIMEOUT_SECONDS )
-  server_url = u"http://localhost:%d/" % cherrypy.config.configMap[ u"global" ].get( u"server.socket_port" )
+  port_filename = cherrypy.config.configMap[ u"global" ].get( u"luminotes.port_file" )
+  socket_port = cherrypy.config.configMap[ u"global" ].get( u"server.socket_port" )
+  existing_socket_port = port_filename and os.path.exists( port_filename ) and file( port_filename ).read() or socket_port
+  server_url = u"http://localhost:%s/" % existing_socket_port
   server_present = True
 
   # if requested, attempt to shutdown an existing server and exit
@@ -76,6 +79,8 @@ def main( args ):
 
     sys.exit( 0 )
 
+  server_url = u"http://localhost:%s/" % socket_port
+
   # remove the existing log files, if any
   try:
     log_access_file = cherrypy.config.configMap[ u"global" ].get( u"server.log_access_file" )
@@ -102,10 +107,16 @@ def main( args ):
   root = Root( database, cherrypy.config.configMap )
   cherrypy.root = root
 
-  cherrypy.server.start_with_callback( callback, ( log_access_file, log_file, server_url, launch_browser ) )
+  cherrypy.server.start_with_callback( callback, ( log_access_file, log_file, server_url, port_filename, socket_port, launch_browser ) )
 
 
-def callback( log_access_file, log_file, server_url, launch_browser = False ):
+def callback( log_access_file, log_file, server_url, port_filename, socket_port, launch_browser = False ):
+  # record our listening socket port
+  if port_filename:
+    port_file = file( port_filename, "w" )
+    port_file.write( "%s" % socket_port )
+    port_file.close()
+
   # this causes cherrypy to create the access log
   if log_access_file:
     try: