diff --git a/.aegir.js b/.aegir.js
index 48a04e99..6724bfc1 100644
--- a/.aegir.js
+++ b/.aegir.js
@@ -2,19 +2,23 @@
 
 const createServer = require('./src').createServer
 
-const server = createServer(null, {
-  ipfsModule: require('ipfs'),
-  ipfsHttpModule: require('ipfs-http-client')
-}, {
-  go: {
-    ipfsBin: require('go-ipfs-dep').path()
-  },
-  js: {
-    ipfsBin: require.resolve('ipfs/src/cli/bin.js')
+const server = createServer(null, 
+  {
+    ipfsModule: require('ipfs'),
+    ipfsHttpModule: require('ipfs-http-client')
+  }, 
+  {
+    go: {
+      ipfsBin: require('go-ipfs-dep').path()
+    },
+    js: {
+      ipfsBin: require.resolve('ipfs/src/cli/bin.js')
+    }
   }
-}) // using defaults
+)
+
 module.exports = {
-  bundlesize: { maxSize: '35kB' },
+  bundlesize: { maxSize: '33kB' },
   karma: {
     files: [{
       pattern: 'test/fixtures/**/*',
@@ -24,14 +28,14 @@ module.exports = {
     }]
   },
   hooks: {
-      pre: () => server.start(),
+      pre: async () => {
+        await server.start()
+        return {
+          env: {
+            IPFSD_CTL_SERVER: `http://localhost:${server.port}`
+          }
+        }
+      },
       post: () => server.stop()
-  },
-  webpack: process.env.NODE_ENV === 'test' ? undefined : {
-    externals: {
-      ipfs: 'ipfs',
-      'ipfs-http-client': 'ipfs-http-client',
-      'go-ipfs-dep': 'go-ipfs-dep'
-    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6200c744..01121ab5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ const server = Ctl.createServer(port, {
 const factory = Ctl.createFactory({
     ipfsHttpModule: require('ipfs-http-client'),
     remote: true, 
-    endpoint: `http://localhost:${port}` 
+    endpoint: `http://localhost:${port}` // or you can set process.env.IPFSD_CTL_SERVER to http://localhost:9090
 })
 
 await server.start()
diff --git a/src/endpoint/server.js b/src/endpoint/server.js
index f085a6b5..b9ba924f 100644
--- a/src/endpoint/server.js
+++ b/src/endpoint/server.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 'use strict'
 
 const Hapi = require('@hapi/hapi')
+const getPort = require('aegir/utils/get-port')
 const routes = require('./routes')
 
 /**
@@ -15,10 +16,9 @@ class Server {
    * @param {function} createFactory
    */
   constructor (options, createFactory) {
-    options = options || { port: 43134 }
-
+    this.options = options || { port: 43134 }
     this.server = null
-    this.port = options.port
+    this.port = this.options.port
     this.createFactory = createFactory
   }
 
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ class Server {
    * @returns {Promise<Hapi.Server>}
    */
   async start () {
+    this.port = await getPort(this.options.port, 'localhost')
     this.server = new Hapi.Server({
       port: this.port,
       host: 'localhost',
diff --git a/src/factory.js b/src/factory.js
index ee429436..91cbf6f3 100644
--- a/src/factory.js
+++ b/src/factory.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ const testsConfig = require('./config')
 
 const defaults = {
   remote: !isNode,
-  endpoint: 'http://localhost:43134',
+  endpoint: process.env.IPFSD_CTL_SERVER || 'http://localhost:43134',
   disposable: true,
   test: false,
   type: 'go',
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index b770f532..f9cdd2e6 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 'use strict'
 
-const Server = require('./endpoint/server')
 const Factory = require('./factory')
+const Server = require('./endpoint/server')
 
 /** @typedef {import("./ipfsd-daemon")} Controller */