@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ Listen to port and serve API for [the UI](/guide/ui) or [browser server](/guide/
 
 In Browser Mode the server binds its port on the first browser launch, unless `api` or `ui` is enabled.
 
+Set `port` to `0` to let the operating system pick a free port.
+
 ## api.allowWrite <Version>4.1.0</Version> {#api-allowwrite}
 
 - **Type:** `boolean`
 
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ export function resolveApiServerConfig(
   }
 
   if (api) {
-    if (!api.port && !api.middlewareMode) {
+    if (api.port == null && !api.middlewareMode) {
       api.port = defaultPort
     }
   } else {
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ export function resolveApiServerConfig(
     api.middlewareMode = false
     // The browser server is standalone, so it always needs a port even when the
     // user didn't configure `api`/`ui` (in which case `api` defaulted above)
-    if (!api.port) {
+    if (api.port == null) {
       api.port = defaultPort
     }
   }
 
@@ -237,22 +237,16 @@ export class Logger {
       this.log(PAD + c.gray(`Running tests with seed "${seed}"`))
     }
 
-    if (this.ctx.config.ui) {
-      const host = this.ctx.config.api?.host || 'localhost'
-      const port = this.ctx.vite.config.server.port
-      const url = new URL(this.ctx.config.uiBase, `http://${host}:${port}`)
-      url.searchParams.set('token', this.ctx.config.api.token)
-
-      this.log(PAD + c.dim(c.green(`UI started at ${url}`)))
-    }
-    // browser mode always has `api.port`, but only listens on startup for `api`/`ui`
-    else if (this.ctx.config.api?.port && this.ctx.config._apiRequested) {
-      const resolvedUrls = this.ctx.vite.resolvedUrls
-      // workaround for https://github.com/vitejs/vite/issues/15438, it was fixed in vite 5.1
-      const fallbackUrl = `http://${this.ctx.config.api.host || 'localhost'}:${this.ctx.config.api.port}`
-      const origin = resolvedUrls?.local[0] ?? resolvedUrls?.network[0] ?? fallbackUrl
-
-      this.log(PAD + c.dim(c.green(`API started at ${new URL('/', origin)}`)))
+    const resolvedUrls = this.ctx.vite.resolvedUrls
+    const origin = resolvedUrls?.local[0] ?? resolvedUrls?.network[0]
+    if (origin && this.ctx.config._apiRequested) {
+      if (this.ctx.config.ui) {
+        const url = new URL(this.ctx.config.uiBase, origin)
+        url.searchParams.set('token', this.ctx.config.api.token)
+        this.log(PAD + c.dim(c.green(`UI started at ${url}`)))
+      } else {
+        this.log(PAD + c.dim(c.green(`API started at ${new URL('/', origin)}`)))
+      }
     }
 
     if (this.ctx.coverageProvider) {
 
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ export async function createClusterServer(
 
   if (!contribution) {
     const server = await createViteServer(viteConfig)
-    if (config.api.port) {
+    if (config.api.port != null) {
       await server.listen(config.api.port)
     }
     return { server }
 
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { afterEach, expect, test } from 'vitest'
-import { instances, runBrowserTests } from './utils'
+import { defaultBrowserPort } from 'vitest/config'
+import { instances, runBrowserTests, runInlineBrowserTests } from './utils'
 
 afterEach(() => {
   delete process.env.TEST_HTTPS
@@ -28,3 +29,15 @@ test('server-url https', async () => {
   expect(new URL(url).port).toBe('31122')
   expect(stdout).toReportSummaryTestFiles({ passed: instances.length })
 })
+
+test('server-url port 0', async () => {
+  const { stderr, ctx } = await runInlineBrowserTests(
+    { 'basic.test.ts': `test('basic', () => {})` },
+    { api: { port: 0 }, globals: true, watch: true },
+  )
+  expect(stderr).toBe('')
+  const url = ctx?.projects[0].vite.resolvedUrls?.local[0]
+  expect.assert(url)
+  // Vite 8.2.1+ binds an OS-assigned port, older Vite binds 5173
+  expect(new URL(url).port).not.toBe(String(defaultBrowserPort))
+})
@@ -50,6 +50,15 @@ describe('correctly defines api flag', () => {
     })
   })
 
+  it.for<[string, Parameters<typeof config>[0]]>([
+    ['api.port', { api: { port: 0 } }],
+    ['api', { api: 0 }],
+  ])('keeps port 0 with %s', async ([, options]) => {
+    const c = await config(options)
+    expect(c.api.port).toBe(0)
+    expect(c.$viteConfig.server.port).toBe(0)
+  })
+
   it('allowWrite and allowExec default to true when not exposed to network', async () => {
     const c = await config({ api: { port: 5555 } })
     expect(c.api.allowWrite).toBe(true)
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
`@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ export function resolveApiServerConfig(`
`120`	`120`	`}`
`121`	`121`
`122`	`122`	`if (api) {`
`123`		`- if (!api.port && !api.middlewareMode) {`
	`123`	`+ if (api.port == null && !api.middlewareMode) {`
`124`	`124`	`api.port = defaultPort`
`125`	`125`	`}`
`126`	`126`	`} else {`
`@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ export function resolveApiServerConfig(`
`132`	`132`	`api.middlewareMode = false`
`133`	`133`	`// The browser server is standalone, so it always needs a port even when the`
`134`	`134`	// user didn't configure `api`/`ui` (in which case `api` defaulted above)
`135`		`- if (!api.port) {`
	`135`	`+ if (api.port == null) {`
`136`	`136`	`api.port = defaultPort`
`137`	`137`	`}`
`138`	`138`	`}`
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
`@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ export async function createClusterServer(`
`173`	`173`
`174`	`174`	`if (!contribution) {`
`175`	`175`	`const server = await createViteServer(viteConfig)`
`176`		`- if (config.api.port) {`
	`176`	`+ if (config.api.port != null) {`
`177`	`177`	`await server.listen(config.api.port)`
`178`	`178`	`}`
`179`	`179`	`return { server }`