diff --git a/agent/consul/config.go b/agent/consul/config.go
index 820e8cbea..2c752064d 100644
--- a/agent/consul/config.go
+++ b/agent/consul/config.go
@@ -85,6 +85,11 @@ type Config struct {
 	// as a voting member of the Raft cluster.
 	NonVoter bool
 
+	// NotifyListen is called after the RPC listener has been configured.
+	// RPCAdvertise will be set to the listener address if it hasn't been
+	// configured at this point.
+	NotifyListen func()
+
 	// RPCAddr is the RPC address used by Consul. This should be reachable
 	// by the WAN and LAN
 	RPCAddr *net.TCPAddr
@@ -92,7 +97,8 @@ type Config struct {
 	// RPCAdvertise is the address that is advertised to other nodes for
 	// the RPC endpoint. This can differ from the RPC address, if for example
 	// the RPCAddr is unspecified "0.0.0.0:8300", but this address must be
-	// reachable
+	// reachable. If RPCAdvertise is nil then it will be set to the Listener
+	// address after the listening socket is configured.
 	RPCAdvertise *net.TCPAddr
 
 	// RPCSrcAddr is the source address for outgoing RPC connections.
diff --git a/agent/consul/rpc.go b/agent/consul/rpc.go
index 55b330c2c..9f63166c6 100644
--- a/agent/consul/rpc.go
+++ b/agent/consul/rpc.go
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ const (
 func (s *Server) listen() {
 	for {
 		// Accept a connection
-		conn, err := s.rpcListener.Accept()
+		conn, err := s.Listener.Accept()
 		if err != nil {
 			if s.shutdown {
 				return
diff --git a/agent/consul/server.go b/agent/consul/server.go
index 12d5f10be..a53f5a213 100644
--- a/agent/consul/server.go
+++ b/agent/consul/server.go
@@ -150,9 +150,9 @@ type Server struct {
 	// Enterprise user-defined areas.
 	router *servers.Router
 
-	// rpcListener is used to listen for incoming connections
-	rpcListener net.Listener
-	rpcServer   *rpc.Server
+	// Listener is used to listen for incoming connections
+	Listener  net.Listener
+	rpcServer *rpc.Server
 
 	// rpcTLS is the TLS config for incoming TLS requests
 	rpcTLS *tls.Config
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ func NewServerLogger(config *Config, logger *log.Logger) (*Server, error) {
 
 // setupSerf is used to setup and initialize a Serf
 func (s *Server) setupSerf(conf *serf.Config, ch chan serf.Event, path string, wan bool) (*serf.Serf, error) {
-	addr := s.rpcListener.Addr().(*net.TCPAddr)
+	addr := s.Listener.Addr().(*net.TCPAddr)
 	conf.Init()
 	if wan {
 		conf.NodeName = fmt.Sprintf("%s.%s", s.config.NodeName, s.config.Datacenter)
@@ -645,7 +645,14 @@ func (s *Server) setupRPC(tlsWrap tlsutil.DCWrapper) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	s.rpcListener = ln
+	s.Listener = ln
+	if s.config.NotifyListen != nil {
+		s.config.NotifyListen()
+	}
+	// todo(fs): we should probably guard this
+	if s.config.RPCAdvertise == nil {
+		s.config.RPCAdvertise = ln.Addr().(*net.TCPAddr)
+	}
 
 	// Verify that we have a usable advertise address
 	if s.config.RPCAdvertise.IP.IsUnspecified() {
@@ -714,8 +721,8 @@ func (s *Server) Shutdown() error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if s.rpcListener != nil {
-		s.rpcListener.Close()
+	if s.Listener != nil {
+		s.Listener.Close()
 	}
 
 	// Close the connection pool
diff --git a/agent/consul/server_test.go b/agent/consul/server_test.go
index 36ad92ffc..91a474d9d 100644
--- a/agent/consul/server_test.go
+++ b/agent/consul/server_test.go
@@ -35,25 +35,30 @@ func testServerConfig(t *testing.T, NodeName string) (string, *Config) {
 	config.Bootstrap = true
 	config.Datacenter = "dc1"
 	config.DataDir = dir
-	config.RPCAddr = &net.TCPAddr{
-		IP:   []byte{127, 0, 0, 1},
-		Port: getPort(),
-	}
-	config.RPCAdvertise = config.RPCAddr
+
+	// bind the rpc server to a random port. config.RPCAdvertise will be
+	// set to the listen address unless it was set in the configuration.
+	// In that case get the address from srv.Listener.Addr().
+	config.RPCAddr = &net.TCPAddr{IP: []byte{127, 0, 0, 1}}
+
 	nodeID, err := uuid.GenerateUUID()
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	config.NodeID = types.NodeID(nodeID)
+
+	// set the memberlist bind port to 0 to bind to a random port.
+	// memberlist will update the value of BindPort after bind
+	// to the actual value.
 	config.SerfLANConfig.MemberlistConfig.BindAddr = "127.0.0.1"
-	config.SerfLANConfig.MemberlistConfig.BindPort = getPort()
+	config.SerfLANConfig.MemberlistConfig.BindPort = 0
 	config.SerfLANConfig.MemberlistConfig.SuspicionMult = 2
 	config.SerfLANConfig.MemberlistConfig.ProbeTimeout = 50 * time.Millisecond
 	config.SerfLANConfig.MemberlistConfig.ProbeInterval = 100 * time.Millisecond
 	config.SerfLANConfig.MemberlistConfig.GossipInterval = 100 * time.Millisecond
 
 	config.SerfWANConfig.MemberlistConfig.BindAddr = "127.0.0.1"
-	config.SerfWANConfig.MemberlistConfig.BindPort = getPort()
+	config.SerfWANConfig.MemberlistConfig.BindPort = 0
 	config.SerfWANConfig.MemberlistConfig.SuspicionMult = 2
 	config.SerfWANConfig.MemberlistConfig.ProbeTimeout = 50 * time.Millisecond
 	config.SerfWANConfig.MemberlistConfig.ProbeInterval = 100 * time.Millisecond
@@ -107,14 +112,50 @@ func testServerDCExpect(t *testing.T, dc string, expect int) (string, *Server) {
 func testServerWithConfig(t *testing.T, cb func(c *Config)) (string, *Server) {
 	name := fmt.Sprintf("Node %d", getPort())
 	dir, config := testServerConfig(t, name)
-	cb(config)
-	server, err := NewServer(config)
+	if cb != nil {
+		cb(config)
+	}
+	server, err := newServer(config)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
 	}
 	return dir, server
 }
 
+func newServer(c *Config) (*Server, error) {
+	// chain server up notification
+	oldNotify := c.NotifyListen
+	up := make(chan struct{})
+	c.NotifyListen = func() {
+		close(up)
+		if oldNotify != nil {
+			oldNotify()
+		}
+	}
+
+	// start server
+	srv, err := NewServer(c)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	// wait until after listen
+	<-up
+
+	// get the real address
+	//
+	// the server already sets the RPCAdvertise address
+	// if it wasn't configured since it needs it for
+	// some initialization
+	//
+	// todo(fs): setting RPCAddr should probably be guarded
+	// todo(fs): but for now it is a shortcut to avoid fixing
+	// todo(fs): tests which depend on that value. They should
+	// todo(fs): just get the listener address instead.
+	c.RPCAddr = srv.Listener.Addr().(*net.TCPAddr)
+	return srv, nil
+}
+
 func TestServer_StartStop(t *testing.T) {
 	// Start up a server and then stop it.
 	dir1, s1 := testServer(t)
@@ -381,7 +422,7 @@ func TestServer_JoinLAN_TLS(t *testing.T) {
 	conf1.VerifyIncoming = true
 	conf1.VerifyOutgoing = true
 	configureTLS(conf1)
-	s1, err := NewServer(conf1)
+	s1, err := newServer(conf1)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -393,7 +434,7 @@ func TestServer_JoinLAN_TLS(t *testing.T) {
 	conf2.VerifyIncoming = true
 	conf2.VerifyOutgoing = true
 	configureTLS(conf2)
-	s2, err := NewServer(conf2)
+	s2, err := newServer(conf2)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/agent/consul/status_endpoint_test.go b/agent/consul/status_endpoint_test.go
index 776d91b77..0c7440663 100644
--- a/agent/consul/status_endpoint_test.go
+++ b/agent/consul/status_endpoint_test.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func rpcClient(t *testing.T, s *Server) rpc.ClientCodec {
-	addr := s.config.RPCAddr
+	addr := s.config.RPCAdvertise
 	conn, err := net.DialTimeout("tcp", addr.String(), time.Second)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)