diff --git a/brozzler/browser.py b/brozzler/browser.py
index 62ef813..a8cdd1f 100644
--- a/brozzler/browser.py
+++ b/brozzler/browser.py
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ from brozzler.chrome import Chrome
 from brozzler.behaviors import Behavior
 from requests.structures import CaseInsensitiveDict
 import base64
-import psutil
 import sqlite3
 import datetime
 
@@ -103,7 +102,9 @@ class Browser:
 
     HARD_TIMEOUT_SECONDS = 20 * 60
 
-    def __init__(self, chrome_port=9222, chrome_exe='chromium-browser', proxy=None, ignore_cert_errors=False):
+    def __init__(
+            self, chrome_port=9222, chrome_exe='chromium-browser', proxy=None,
+            ignore_cert_errors=False):
         self.command_id = itertools.count(1)
         self.chrome_port = chrome_port
         self.chrome_exe = chrome_exe
@@ -130,7 +131,6 @@ class Browser:
     def start(self, proxy=None, cookie_db=None):
         if not self._chrome_instance:
             # these can raise exceptions
-            self.chrome_port = self._find_available_port()
             self._work_dir = tempfile.TemporaryDirectory()
             if cookie_db is not None:
                 cookie_dir = os.path.join(
@@ -199,23 +199,6 @@ class Browser:
                     cookie_location, exc_info=True)
         return cookie_db
 
-    def _find_available_port(self):
-        port_available = False
-        port = self.chrome_port
-
-        try:
-            conns = psutil.net_connections(kind="tcp")
-        except psutil.AccessDenied:
-            return port
-
-        for p in range(port, 65535):
-            if any(connection.laddr[1] == p for connection in conns):
-                self.logger.warn("port %s already open, will try %s", p, p+1)
-            else:
-                port = p
-                break
-        return port
-
     def is_running(self):
         return bool(self._websocket_url)
 
diff --git a/brozzler/chrome.py b/brozzler/chrome.py
index 9b4d816..96ae9cd 100644
--- a/brozzler/chrome.py
+++ b/brozzler/chrome.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import signal
 import sqlite3
 import datetime
 import json
+import psutil
 
 class Chrome:
     logger = logging.getLogger(__module__ + '.' + __qualname__)
@@ -53,6 +54,24 @@ class Chrome:
     def __exit__(self, *args):
         self.stop()
 
+    def _find_available_port(self, default_port=9200):
+        try:
+            conns = psutil.net_connections(kind='tcp')
+        except psutil.AccessDenied:
+            return default_port
+
+        if any(conn.laddr[1] == default_port for conn in conns):
+            return default_port
+
+        for p in range(9999,8999,-1):
+            if not any(conn.laddr[1] == p for conn in conns):
+                self.logger.warn(
+                        'port %s already in use, using %s instead',
+                        default_port, p)
+                return p
+
+        return default_port
+
     def start(self):
         '''
         Returns websocket url to chrome window with about:blank loaded.
@@ -60,6 +79,7 @@ class Chrome:
         timeout_sec = 600
         new_env = os.environ.copy()
         new_env['HOME'] = self.user_home_dir
+        self.port = self._find_available_port(self.port)
         chrome_args = [
                 self.executable, '--use-mock-keychain', # mac thing
                 '--user-data-dir=%s' % self.user_data_dir,
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 545f560..08748a2 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ def find_package_data(package):
 
 setuptools.setup(
         name='brozzler',
-        version='1.1b8.dev131',
+        version='1.1b8.dev132',
         description='Distributed web crawling with browsers',
         url='https://github.com/internetarchive/brozzler',
         author='Noah Levitt',
diff --git a/tests/test_units.py b/tests/test_units.py
index 2fee049..acd5fd0 100644
--- a/tests/test_units.py
+++ b/tests/test_units.py
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ import http.server
 import threading
 import os
 import brozzler
+import brozzler.chrome
+import socket
+import logging
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope='module')
 def httpd(request):
@@ -52,3 +55,18 @@ def test_robots(httpd):
     site = brozzler.Site(seed=url, user_agent='im/a bAdBOt/uh huh')
     assert not brozzler.is_permitted_by_robots(site, url)
 
+def test_find_available_port():
+    try:
+        psutil.net_connections(kind='tcp')
+    except psutil.AccessDenied:
+        logging.warn(
+                'skipping _find_available_port() test because '
+                'psutil.net_connections(kind="tcp") raised AccessDenied')
+        return
+    assert brozzler.chrome.Chrome._find_available_port(None, 9800) == 9800
+    sock = socket.socket()
+    sock.bind(('localhost', 9800))
+    assert brozzler.chrome.Chrome._find_available_port(None, 9800) == 9999
+    sock.close()
+    assert brozzler.chrome.Chrome._find_available_port(None, 9800) == 9800
+