diff --git a/iroh-cli/src/commands.rs b/iroh-cli/src/commands.rs
index bd1bc0d18af..a9e8d44cdf3 100644
--- a/iroh-cli/src/commands.rs
+++ b/iroh-cli/src/commands.rs
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ impl Cli {
                     .await
                 } else {
                     crate::logging::init_terminal_logging()?;
-                    let iroh = Iroh::connect(data_dir).await.context("rpc connect")?;
+                    let iroh = Iroh::connect_path(data_dir).await.context("rpc connect")?;
                     let env = ConsoleEnv::for_console(data_dir_owned, &iroh).await?;
                     console::run(&iroh, &env).await
                 }
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ impl Cli {
                     .await
                 } else {
                     crate::logging::init_terminal_logging()?;
-                    let iroh = Iroh::connect(data_dir).await.context("rpc connect")?;
+                    let iroh = Iroh::connect_path(data_dir).await.context("rpc connect")?;
                     let env = ConsoleEnv::for_cli(data_dir_owned, &iroh).await?;
                     command.run(&iroh, &env).await
                 }
diff --git a/iroh-cli/src/commands/doc.rs b/iroh-cli/src/commands/doc.rs
index d26f7859127..373ad6b1cb9 100644
--- a/iroh-cli/src/commands/doc.rs
+++ b/iroh-cli/src/commands/doc.rs
@@ -958,7 +958,7 @@ mod tests {
         let cli = ConsoleEnv::for_console(data_dir.path().to_owned(), &node)
             .await
             .context("ConsoleEnv")?;
-        let iroh = iroh::client::Iroh::connect(data_dir.path())
+        let iroh = iroh::client::Iroh::connect_path(data_dir.path())
             .await
             .context("rpc connect")?;
 
diff --git a/iroh-cli/src/commands/node.rs b/iroh-cli/src/commands/node.rs
index b85422069e0..17a3a6dee04 100644
--- a/iroh-cli/src/commands/node.rs
+++ b/iroh-cli/src/commands/node.rs
@@ -75,6 +75,9 @@ impl NodeCommands {
                 println!("Listening addresses: {:#?}", response.listen_addrs);
                 println!("Node public key: {}", response.addr.node_id);
                 println!("Version: {}", response.version);
+                if let Some(port) = response.rpc_port {
+                    println!("RPC Port: {}", port);
+                }
             }
         }
         Ok(())
diff --git a/iroh/src/client/node.rs b/iroh/src/client/node.rs
index 96ce9d87c22..7091c78a49f 100644
--- a/iroh/src/client/node.rs
+++ b/iroh/src/client/node.rs
@@ -81,4 +81,6 @@ pub struct NodeStatus {
     pub listen_addrs: Vec<SocketAddr>,
     /// The version of the node
     pub version: String,
+    /// RPC port, if currently listening.
+    pub rpc_port: Option<u16>,
 }
diff --git a/iroh/src/client/quic.rs b/iroh/src/client/quic.rs
index 6351c9632d0..06ecb08f4af 100644
--- a/iroh/src/client/quic.rs
+++ b/iroh/src/client/quic.rs
@@ -25,23 +25,29 @@ pub type RpcClient = quic_rpc::RpcClient<RpcService, BoxedConnection<RpcService>
 
 impl Iroh {
     /// Connect to an iroh node running on the same computer, but in a different process.
-    pub async fn connect(root: impl AsRef<Path>) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
+    pub async fn connect_path(root: impl AsRef<Path>) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
         let rpc_status = RpcStatus::load(root).await?;
         match rpc_status {
             RpcStatus::Stopped => {
                 bail!("iroh is not running, please start it");
             }
-            RpcStatus::Running { client, .. } => Ok(Iroh::new(client)),
+            RpcStatus::Running { client, port: _ } => Ok(Iroh::new(client)),
         }
     }
+
+    /// Connect to an iroh node at the given RPC address.
+    pub async fn connect_addr(addr: SocketAddr) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
+        let client = connect_raw(addr).await?;
+        Ok(Iroh::new(client))
+    }
 }
 
 /// Create a raw RPC client to an iroh node running on the same computer, but in a different
 /// process.
-pub(crate) async fn connect_raw(rpc_port: u16) -> anyhow::Result<RpcClient> {
+pub(crate) async fn connect_raw(addr: SocketAddr) -> anyhow::Result<RpcClient> {
     let bind_addr = SocketAddrV4::new(Ipv4Addr::UNSPECIFIED, 0).into();
     let endpoint = create_quinn_client(bind_addr, vec![RPC_ALPN.to_vec()], false)?;
-    let addr = SocketAddr::new(Ipv4Addr::LOCALHOST.into(), rpc_port);
+
     let server_name = "localhost".to_string();
     let connection = QuinnConnection::<RpcService>::new(endpoint, addr, server_name);
     let connection = BoxedConnection::new(connection);
diff --git a/iroh/src/node.rs b/iroh/src/node.rs
index 91e6febc61e..43822fd4e19 100644
--- a/iroh/src/node.rs
+++ b/iroh/src/node.rs
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ pub struct Node<D> {
 #[derive(derive_more::Debug)]
 struct NodeInner<D> {
     db: D,
+    rpc_port: Option<u16>,
     docs: Option<DocsEngine>,
     endpoint: Endpoint,
     gossip: Gossip,
@@ -150,6 +151,11 @@ impl<D: BaoStore> Node<D> {
         self.inner.endpoint.home_relay()
     }
 
+    /// Returns `Some(port)` if an RPC endpoint is running on this port.
+    pub fn my_rpc_port(&self) -> Option<u16> {
+        self.inner.rpc_port
+    }
+
     /// Shutdown the node.
     ///
     /// This does not gracefully terminate currently: all connections are closed and
diff --git a/iroh/src/node/builder.rs b/iroh/src/node/builder.rs
index d2917eb2ca9..f9b3612824c 100644
--- a/iroh/src/node/builder.rs
+++ b/iroh/src/node/builder.rs
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ where
     bind_port: Option<u16>,
     secret_key: SecretKey,
     rpc_endpoint: E,
+    rpc_port: Option<u16>,
     blobs_store: D,
     keylog: bool,
     relay_mode: RelayMode,
@@ -156,6 +157,7 @@ impl Default for Builder<iroh_blobs::store::mem::Store> {
             relay_mode: RelayMode::Default,
             dns_resolver: None,
             rpc_endpoint: Default::default(),
+            rpc_port: None,
             gc_policy: GcPolicy::Disabled,
             docs_storage: DocsStorage::Memory,
             node_discovery: Default::default(),
@@ -182,6 +184,7 @@ impl<D: Map> Builder<D> {
             relay_mode: RelayMode::Default,
             dns_resolver: None,
             rpc_endpoint: Default::default(),
+            rpc_port: None,
             gc_policy: GcPolicy::Disabled,
             docs_storage,
             node_discovery: Default::default(),
@@ -244,6 +247,7 @@ where
             blobs_store,
             keylog: self.keylog,
             rpc_endpoint: self.rpc_endpoint,
+            rpc_port: self.rpc_port,
             relay_mode: self.relay_mode,
             dns_resolver: self.dns_resolver,
             gc_policy: self.gc_policy,
@@ -256,7 +260,11 @@ where
     }
 
     /// Configure rpc endpoint, changing the type of the builder to the new endpoint type.
-    pub fn rpc_endpoint<E2: ServiceEndpoint<RpcService>>(self, value: E2) -> Builder<D, E2> {
+    pub fn rpc_endpoint<E2: ServiceEndpoint<RpcService>>(
+        self,
+        value: E2,
+        port: Option<u16>,
+    ) -> Builder<D, E2> {
         // we can't use ..self here because the return type is different
         Builder {
             storage: self.storage,
@@ -265,6 +273,7 @@ where
             blobs_store: self.blobs_store,
             keylog: self.keylog,
             rpc_endpoint: value,
+            rpc_port: port,
             relay_mode: self.relay_mode,
             dns_resolver: self.dns_resolver,
             gc_policy: self.gc_policy,
@@ -291,6 +300,7 @@ where
             blobs_store: self.blobs_store,
             keylog: self.keylog,
             rpc_endpoint: ep,
+            rpc_port: Some(actual_rpc_port),
             relay_mode: self.relay_mode,
             dns_resolver: self.dns_resolver,
             gc_policy: self.gc_policy,
@@ -501,6 +511,7 @@ where
         let client = crate::client::Iroh::new(quic_rpc::RpcClient::new(controller.clone()));
 
         let inner = Arc::new(NodeInner {
+            rpc_port: self.rpc_port,
             db: self.blobs_store,
             docs,
             endpoint,
diff --git a/iroh/src/node/rpc.rs b/iroh/src/node/rpc.rs
index 2c9b49fe383..b3d69ba2b3f 100644
--- a/iroh/src/node/rpc.rs
+++ b/iroh/src/node/rpc.rs
@@ -790,6 +790,7 @@ impl<D: BaoStore> Handler<D> {
                 .await
                 .unwrap_or_default(),
             version: env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION").to_string(),
+            rpc_port: self.inner.rpc_port,
         })
     }
 
diff --git a/iroh/src/node/rpc_status.rs b/iroh/src/node/rpc_status.rs
index 29f633eb81a..272c2b2f333 100644
--- a/iroh/src/node/rpc_status.rs
+++ b/iroh/src/node/rpc_status.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
-use std::path::Path;
+use std::{
+    net::{Ipv4Addr, SocketAddr},
+    path::Path,
+};
 
 use anyhow::{ensure, Context, Result};
 use tokio::{fs, io::AsyncReadExt};
@@ -40,7 +43,8 @@ impl RpcStatus {
                     .await
                     .context("read rpc lock file")?;
                 let running_rpc_port = u16::from_le_bytes(buffer);
-                if let Ok(client) = crate::client::quic_connect_raw(running_rpc_port).await {
+                let addr = SocketAddr::new(Ipv4Addr::LOCALHOST.into(), running_rpc_port);
+                if let Ok(client) = crate::client::quic_connect_raw(addr).await {
                     return Ok(RpcStatus::Running {
                         port: running_rpc_port,
                         client,