diff --git a/src/libcore/rt/test.rs b/src/libcore/rt/test.rs
index 14d69c23732..c2ad7d37d42 100644
--- a/src/libcore/rt/test.rs
+++ b/src/libcore/rt/test.rs
@@ -27,3 +27,13 @@ pub fn run_in_newsched_task(f: ~fn()) {
         sched.run();
     }
 }
+
+/// Get a port number, starting at 9600, for use in tests
+pub fn next_test_port() -> u16 {
+    unsafe {
+        return rust_dbg_next_port() as u16;
+    }
+    extern {
+        fn rust_dbg_next_port() -> ::libc::uintptr_t;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/libcore/rt/uv/net.rs b/src/libcore/rt/uv/net.rs
index 0dc1a4d86cb..54823d4dbcf 100644
--- a/src/libcore/rt/uv/net.rs
+++ b/src/libcore/rt/uv/net.rs
@@ -19,12 +19,10 @@ use super::{Loop, Watcher, Request, UvError, Buf, Callback, NativeHandle, NullCa
             vec_to_uv_buf, vec_from_uv_buf};
 use super::super::io::net::ip::{IpAddr, Ipv4, Ipv6};
 
-#[cfg(test)]
-use unstable::run_in_bare_thread;
-#[cfg(test)]
-use super::super::thread::Thread;
-#[cfg(test)]
-use cell::Cell;
+#[cfg(test)] use cell::Cell;
+#[cfg(test)] use unstable::run_in_bare_thread;
+#[cfg(test)] use super::super::thread::Thread;
+#[cfg(test)] use super::super::test::next_test_port;
 
 fn ip4_as_uv_ip4(addr: IpAddr, f: &fn(*sockaddr_in)) {
     match addr {
@@ -361,7 +359,7 @@ fn connect_close() {
         let mut loop_ = Loop::new();
         let mut tcp_watcher = { TcpWatcher::new(&mut loop_) };
         // Connect to a port where nobody is listening
-        let addr = Ipv4(127, 0, 0, 1, 2923);
+        let addr = Ipv4(127, 0, 0, 1, next_test_port());
         do tcp_watcher.connect(addr) |stream_watcher, status| {
             rtdebug!("tcp_watcher.connect!");
             assert!(status.is_some());
@@ -373,47 +371,13 @@ fn connect_close() {
     }
 }
 
-#[test]
-#[ignore(reason = "need a server to connect to")]
-fn connect_read() {
-    do run_in_bare_thread() {
-        let mut loop_ = Loop::new();
-        let mut tcp_watcher = { TcpWatcher::new(&mut loop_) };
-        let addr = Ipv4(127, 0, 0, 1, 2924);
-        do tcp_watcher.connect(addr) |stream_watcher, status| {
-            let mut stream_watcher = stream_watcher;
-            rtdebug!("tcp_watcher.connect!");
-            assert!(status.is_none());
-            let alloc: AllocCallback = |size| {
-                vec_to_uv_buf(vec::from_elem(size, 0))
-            };
-            do stream_watcher.read_start(alloc)
-                |stream_watcher, nread, buf, status| {
-
-                let buf = vec_from_uv_buf(buf);
-                rtdebug!("read cb!");
-                if status.is_none() {
-                    let bytes = buf.unwrap();
-                    rtdebug!("%s", bytes.slice(0, nread as uint).to_str());
-                } else {
-                    rtdebug!("status after read: %s", status.get().to_str());
-                    rtdebug!("closing");
-                    stream_watcher.close(||());
-                }
-            }
-        }
-        loop_.run();
-        loop_.close();
-    }
-}
-
 #[test]
 fn listen() {
     do run_in_bare_thread() {
         static MAX: int = 10;
         let mut loop_ = Loop::new();
         let mut server_tcp_watcher = { TcpWatcher::new(&mut loop_) };
-        let addr = Ipv4(127, 0, 0, 1, 2925);
+        let addr = Ipv4(127, 0, 0, 1, next_test_port());
         server_tcp_watcher.bind(addr);
         let loop_ = loop_;
         rtdebug!("listening");
diff --git a/src/libcore/rt/uvio.rs b/src/libcore/rt/uvio.rs
index ff539739835..a9aa0333b16 100644
--- a/src/libcore/rt/uvio.rs
+++ b/src/libcore/rt/uvio.rs
@@ -19,9 +19,10 @@ use cell::{Cell, empty_cell};
 use cast::transmute;
 use super::sched::{Scheduler, local_sched};
 
-#[cfg(test)] use super::sched::Task;
-#[cfg(test)] use unstable::run_in_bare_thread;
 #[cfg(test)] use uint;
+#[cfg(test)] use unstable::run_in_bare_thread;
+#[cfg(test)] use super::sched::Task;
+#[cfg(test)] use super::test::next_test_port;
 
 pub struct UvEventLoop {
     uvio: UvIoFactory
@@ -340,7 +341,7 @@ fn test_simple_io_no_connect() {
         let mut sched = ~UvEventLoop::new_scheduler();
         let task = ~do Task::new(&mut sched.stack_pool) {
             let io = unsafe { local_sched::unsafe_borrow_io() };
-            let addr = Ipv4(127, 0, 0, 1, 2926);
+            let addr = Ipv4(127, 0, 0, 1, next_test_port());
             let maybe_chan = io.connect(addr);
             assert!(maybe_chan.is_none());
         };
@@ -354,7 +355,7 @@ fn test_simple_io_no_connect() {
 fn test_simple_tcp_server_and_client() {
     do run_in_bare_thread {
         let mut sched = ~UvEventLoop::new_scheduler();
-        let addr = Ipv4(127, 0, 0, 1, 2929);
+        let addr = Ipv4(127, 0, 0, 1, next_test_port());
 
         let client_task = ~do Task::new(&mut sched.stack_pool) {
             unsafe {
@@ -393,7 +394,7 @@ fn test_simple_tcp_server_and_client() {
 fn test_read_and_block() {
     do run_in_bare_thread {
         let mut sched = ~UvEventLoop::new_scheduler();
-        let addr = Ipv4(127, 0, 0, 1, 2930);
+        let addr = Ipv4(127, 0, 0, 1, next_test_port());
 
         let client_task = ~do Task::new(&mut sched.stack_pool) {
             let io = unsafe { local_sched::unsafe_borrow_io() };
@@ -454,7 +455,7 @@ fn test_read_and_block() {
 fn test_read_read_read() {
     do run_in_bare_thread {
         let mut sched = ~UvEventLoop::new_scheduler();
-        let addr = Ipv4(127, 0, 0, 1, 2931);
+        let addr = Ipv4(127, 0, 0, 1, next_test_port());
 
         let client_task = ~do Task::new(&mut sched.stack_pool) {
             let io = unsafe { local_sched::unsafe_borrow_io() };
diff --git a/src/rt/rust_test_helpers.cpp b/src/rt/rust_test_helpers.cpp
index 7938d65acd2..d82c39d6838 100644
--- a/src/rt/rust_test_helpers.cpp
+++ b/src/rt/rust_test_helpers.cpp
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ rust_dbg_extern_identity_TwoDoubles(TwoDoubles u) {
 extern "C" CDECL uintptr_t
 rust_dbg_next_port() {
   static lock_and_signal dbg_port_lock;
-  static uintptr_t next_port = 9000;
+  static uintptr_t next_port = 9600;
   scoped_lock with(dbg_port_lock);
   uintptr_t this_port = next_port;
   next_port += 1;