diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 4acbd14..07dcc02 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ except:
 
 setuptools.setup(
         name='warcprox',
-        version='2.1b1.dev68',
+        version='2.1b1.dev69',
         description='WARC writing MITM HTTP/S proxy',
         url='https://github.com/internetarchive/warcprox',
         author='Noah Levitt',
diff --git a/tests/test_warcprox.py b/tests/test_warcprox.py
index 547e579..546ab9b 100755
--- a/tests/test_warcprox.py
+++ b/tests/test_warcprox.py
@@ -1356,6 +1356,36 @@ def test_controller_with_defaults():
     assert not controller.warc_writer_thread.writer_pool.default_warc_writer.record_builder.base32
     assert controller.warc_writer_thread.writer_pool.default_warc_writer.record_builder.digest_algorithm == 'sha1'
 
+def test_choose_a_port_for_me(service_registry):
+    options = warcprox.Options()
+    options.port = 0
+    controller = warcprox.controller.WarcproxController(
+            service_registry=service_registry, options=options)
+    assert controller.proxy.server_port != 0
+    assert controller.proxy.server_port != 8000
+    assert controller.proxy.server_address == (
+            '127.0.0.1', controller.proxy.server_port)
+
+    th = threading.Thread(target=controller.run_until_shutdown)
+    th.start()
+
+    # check that service registry entry lists the correct port
+    start = time.time()
+    ports = []
+    while time.time() - start < 30:
+        svcs = service_registry.available_services('warcprox')
+        ports = [svc['port'] for svc in svcs]
+        if controller.proxy.server_port in ports:
+            break
+    assert controller.proxy.server_port in ports
+
+    # check that the status api lists the correct port
+    url = 'http://localhost:%s/status' % controller.proxy.server_port
+    response = requests.get(url)
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    status = json.loads(response.content.decode('ascii'))
+    assert status['port'] == controller.proxy.server_port
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     pytest.main()
 
diff --git a/warcprox/controller.py b/warcprox/controller.py
index 3ed2b8c..2492c02 100644
--- a/warcprox/controller.py
+++ b/warcprox/controller.py
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ class WarcproxController(object):
                 'role': 'warcprox',
                 'version': warcprox.__version__,
                 'heartbeat_interval': self.HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL,
-                'port': self.options.port,
+                'port': self.proxy.server_port,
             }
         status_info['load'] = 1.0 * self.proxy.recorded_url_q.qsize() / (
                 self.proxy.recorded_url_q.maxsize or 100)