diff --git a/api/gateway/server.go b/api/gateway/server.go
index 266d0e790e..451df3da31 100644
--- a/api/gateway/server.go
+++ b/api/gateway/server.go
@@ -15,11 +15,12 @@ type Server struct {
 	srv      *http.Server
 	srvMux   *mux.Router // http request multiplexer
 	listener net.Listener
-	started  atomic.Bool
+
+	started atomic.Bool
 }
 
 // NewServer returns a new gateway Server.
-func NewServer(address string, port string) *Server {
+func NewServer(address, port string) *Server {
 	srvMux := mux.NewRouter()
 	srvMux.Use(setContentType)
 
@@ -42,13 +43,12 @@ func (s *Server) Start(context.Context) error {
 		log.Warn("cannot start server: already started")
 		return nil
 	}
-
 	listener, err := net.Listen("tcp", s.srv.Addr)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	s.listener = listener
-	log.Infow("server started", "listening on", listener.Addr().String())
+	log.Infow("server started", "listening on", s.srv.Addr)
 	//nolint:errcheck
 	go s.srv.Serve(listener)
 	return nil
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ func (s *Server) Stop(ctx context.Context) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	s.listener = nil
 	log.Info("server stopped")
 	return nil
 }
@@ -88,5 +89,8 @@ func (s *Server) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
 // ListenAddr returns the listen address of the server.
 func (s *Server) ListenAddr() string {
+	if s.listener == nil {
+		return ""
+	}
 	return s.listener.Addr().String()
 }
diff --git a/api/rpc/server.go b/api/rpc/server.go
index 4488ac53b5..dbb080e41e 100644
--- a/api/rpc/server.go
+++ b/api/rpc/server.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package rpc
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
@@ -13,16 +14,18 @@ import (
 var log = logging.Logger("rpc")
 
 type Server struct {
-	http    *http.Server
-	rpc     *jsonrpc.RPCServer
+	srv      *http.Server
+	rpc      *jsonrpc.RPCServer
+	listener net.Listener
+
 	started atomic.Bool
 }
 
-func NewServer(address string, port string) *Server {
+func NewServer(address, port string) *Server {
 	rpc := jsonrpc.NewServer()
 	return &Server{
 		rpc: rpc,
-		http: &http.Server{
+		srv: &http.Server{
 			Addr:    address + ":" + port,
 			Handler: rpc,
 			// the amount of time allowed to read request headers. set to the default 2 seconds
@@ -44,9 +47,14 @@ func (s *Server) Start(context.Context) error {
 		log.Warn("cannot start server: already started")
 		return nil
 	}
+	listener, err := net.Listen("tcp", s.srv.Addr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	s.listener = listener
+	log.Infow("server started", "listening on", s.srv.Addr)
 	//nolint:errcheck
-	go s.http.ListenAndServe()
-	log.Infow("server started", "listening on", s.http.Addr)
+	go s.srv.Serve(listener)
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -57,15 +65,19 @@ func (s *Server) Stop(ctx context.Context) error {
 		log.Warn("cannot stop server: already stopped")
 		return nil
 	}
-	err := s.http.Shutdown(ctx)
+	err := s.srv.Shutdown(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	s.listener = nil
 	log.Info("server stopped")
 	return nil
 }
 
 // ListenAddr returns the listen address of the server.
 func (s *Server) ListenAddr() string {
-	return s.http.Addr
+	if s.listener == nil {
+		return ""
+	}
+	return s.listener.Addr().String()
 }
diff --git a/api/rpc_test.go b/api/rpc_test.go
index c29b233512..6a09d0b0f0 100644
--- a/api/rpc_test.go
+++ b/api/rpc_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
 	"github.com/golang/mock/gomock"
@@ -28,8 +29,20 @@ func TestRPCCallsUnderlyingNode(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Cleanup(cancel)
 	nd, server := setupNodeWithModifiedRPC(t)
 	url := nd.RPCServer.ListenAddr()
-	client, err := client.NewClient(context.Background(), "http://"+url)
-	t.Cleanup(client.Close)
+	// we need to run this a few times to prevent the race where the server is not yet started
+	var (
+		rpcClient *client.Client
+		err       error
+	)
+	for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
+		time.Sleep(time.Second * 1)
+		rpcClient, err = client.NewClient(ctx, "http://"+url)
+		if err == nil {
+			t.Cleanup(rpcClient.Close)
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	require.NotNil(t, rpcClient)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	expectedBalance := &state.Balance{
@@ -39,7 +52,7 @@ func TestRPCCallsUnderlyingNode(t *testing.T) {
 
 	server.State.EXPECT().Balance(gomock.Any()).Return(expectedBalance, nil).Times(1)
 
-	balance, err := client.State.Balance(ctx)
+	balance, err := rpcClient.State.Balance(ctx)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.Equal(t, expectedBalance, balance)
 }
@@ -118,14 +131,16 @@ func setupNodeWithModifiedRPC(t *testing.T) (*nodebuilder.Node, *mockAPI) {
 		dasMock.NewMockModule(ctrl),
 	}
 
-	overrideRPCHandler := fx.Invoke(func(srv *rpc.Server) {
+	// given the behavior of fx.Invoke, this invoke will be called last as it is added at the root level module. For
+	// further information, check the documentation on fx.Invoke.
+	invokeRPC := fx.Invoke(func(srv *rpc.Server) {
 		srv.RegisterService("state", mockAPI.State)
 		srv.RegisterService("share", mockAPI.Share)
 		srv.RegisterService("fraud", mockAPI.Fraud)
 		srv.RegisterService("header", mockAPI.Header)
 		srv.RegisterService("das", mockAPI.Das)
 	})
-	nd := nodebuilder.TestNode(t, node.Full, overrideRPCHandler)
+	nd := nodebuilder.TestNode(t, node.Full, invokeRPC)
 	// start node
 	err := nd.Start(ctx)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
diff --git a/nodebuilder/testing.go b/nodebuilder/testing.go
index 2e55096f91..a7fb1e7bde 100644
--- a/nodebuilder/testing.go
+++ b/nodebuilder/testing.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ func TestNodeWithConfig(t *testing.T, tp node.Type, cfg *Config, opts ...fx.Opti
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	cfg.Core.IP = ip
 	cfg.Core.RPCPort = port
-	cfg.RPC.Port = "26655"
+	cfg.RPC.Port = "0"
 
 	opts = append(opts,
 		state.WithKeyringSigner(TestKeyringSigner(t)),