diff --git a/src/util/socket-util.ts b/src/util/socket-util.ts
index bf871aa9f..6747122ca 100644
--- a/src/util/socket-util.ts
+++ b/src/util/socket-util.ts
@@ -68,12 +68,18 @@ function probePort(interfaceIp: string, port: number): Promise<boolean> {
                 port,
                 ipv6Only: interfaceIp === '::1'
             });
-            probeServer.once('listening', () => {
+            // Only one of these events fires per probe. Each handler removes the other, or the
+            // unfired listener would stay on the shared probeServer and accumulate on every probe.
+            const onListening = () => {
+                probeServer.removeListener('error', onError);
                 probeServer.close(() => resolve(false));
-            });
-            probeServer.once('error', () => {
+            };
+            const onError = () => {
+                probeServer.removeListener('listening', onListening);
                 resolve(true);
-            });
+            };
+            probeServer.once('listening', onListening);
+            probeServer.once('error', onError);
         })
     );
 
diff --git a/test/socket-util.spec.ts b/test/socket-util.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ef80a2c6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/socket-util.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+import * as net from 'net';
+
+import { expect, nodeOnly } from './test-utils';
+import { isLocalPortActive } from '../src/util/socket-util';
+
+// A free port: bind to port 0, note the port we were given, then release it.
+const getFreePort = () => new Promise<number>((resolve, reject) => {
+    const server = net.createServer();
+    server.once('error', reject);
+    server.listen({ host: '127.0.0.1', port: 0 }, () => {
+        const { port } = server.address() as net.AddressInfo;
+        server.close(() => resolve(port));
+    });
+});
+
+nodeOnly(() => {
+    describe("isLocalPortActive", () => {
+
+        it("reports an unused port as inactive and a bound port as active", async () => {
+            const freePort = await getFreePort();
+            expect(await isLocalPortActive('127.0.0.1', freePort)).to.equal(false);
+
+            const server = net.createServer();
+            await new Promise<void>((resolve) => server.listen({ host: '127.0.0.1', port: 0 }, resolve));
+            const { port: boundPort } = server.address() as net.AddressInfo;
+
+            try {
+                expect(await isLocalPortActive('127.0.0.1', boundPort)).to.equal(true);
+            } finally {
+                await new Promise<void>((resolve) => server.close(() => resolve()));
+            }
+        });
+
+        it("doesn't leak listeners on the shared probe server across many probes", async () => {
+            const warnings: Error[] = [];
+            const onWarning = (warning: Error) => {
+                if (warning.name === 'MaxListenersExceededWarning') warnings.push(warning);
+            };
+            process.on('warning', onWarning);
+
+            try {
+                // Distinct ports, so every check runs a real probe rather than hitting the cache.
+                // Each kind runs in a row, more often than the default limit of 10 listeners: an
+                // 'error' event would also clear stale 'error' listeners left by earlier probes.
+                for (let i = 0; i < 12; i++) {
+                    expect(await isLocalPortActive('127.0.0.1', await getFreePort())).to.equal(false);
+                }
+
+                const servers: net.Server[] = [];
+                for (let i = 0; i < 12; i++) {
+                    const server = net.createServer();
+                    await new Promise<void>((resolve) => server.listen({ host: '127.0.0.1', port: 0 }, resolve));
+                    servers.push(server);
+                    const { port } = server.address() as net.AddressInfo;
+                    expect(await isLocalPortActive('127.0.0.1', port)).to.equal(true);
+                }
+
+                await Promise.all(servers.map((server) =>
+                    new Promise<void>((resolve) => server.close(() => resolve()))
+                ));
+
+                // Warnings are emitted asynchronously:
+                await new Promise((resolve) => setImmediate(resolve));
+                expect(warnings).to.deep.equal([]);
+            } finally {
+                process.removeListener('warning', onWarning);
+            }
+        });
+
+    });
+});