diff --git a/jkube-kit/remote-dev/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jkube/kit/remotedev/RemoteDevelopmentService.java b/jkube-kit/remote-dev/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jkube/kit/remotedev/RemoteDevelopmentService.java
index 805690529a..636a626773 100644
--- a/jkube-kit/remote-dev/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jkube/kit/remotedev/RemoteDevelopmentService.java
+++ b/jkube-kit/remote-dev/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jkube/kit/remotedev/RemoteDevelopmentService.java
@@ -62,12 +62,12 @@ public void stop() {
 
   private void checkEnvironment() {
     for (RemoteService remoteService : context.getRemoteDevelopmentConfig().getRemoteServices()) {
-      try (ServerSocket ignore = new ServerSocket(remoteService.getPort())) {
+      try (ServerSocket ignore = new ServerSocket(remoteService.getLocalPort())) {
         logger.debug("Local port '%s' for remote service '%s:%s' is available",
           remoteService.getLocalPort(), remoteService.getHostname(), remoteService.getPort());
       } catch (Exception e) {
         throw new IllegalStateException(
-          "Local port '" + remoteService.getPort() + "' is already in use (" + remoteService.getHostname() + ")");
+          "Local port '" + remoteService.getLocalPort() + "' is already in use (" + remoteService.getHostname() + ")");
       }
       if (kubernetesClient.services().withName(remoteService.getHostname()).get() == null) {
         logger.warn("Service '%s' does not exist in the cluster, " +
diff --git a/jkube-kit/remote-dev/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jkube/kit/remotedev/RemoteDevelopmentServiceTest.java b/jkube-kit/remote-dev/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jkube/kit/remotedev/RemoteDevelopmentServiceTest.java
index 13ac70412d..5bcc0ca0db 100644
--- a/jkube-kit/remote-dev/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jkube/kit/remotedev/RemoteDevelopmentServiceTest.java
+++ b/jkube-kit/remote-dev/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jkube/kit/remotedev/RemoteDevelopmentServiceTest.java
@@ -17,13 +17,24 @@
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.server.mock.EnableKubernetesMockClient;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.server.mock.KubernetesMockServer;
 import org.eclipse.jkube.kit.common.KitLogger;
+import org.eclipse.jkube.kit.common.util.IoUtil;
+
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.DisplayName;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.condition.DisabledIf;
 
+import java.net.InetAddress;
+import java.net.ServerSocket;
+import java.net.Socket;
 import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
 
+import static org.hamcrest.MatcherAssert.assertThat;
+import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.containsString;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertDoesNotThrow;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertThrows;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.never;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.spy;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.times;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
@@ -67,18 +78,44 @@ void canBeStoppedMultipleTimesBeforeStart() {
   @Test
   @DisplayName("start initiates PortForwarder and KubernetesSshServiceForwarder")
   void startInitiatesChildProcesses() {
+    // When
+    startDevelopmentServiceWithConfig(RemoteDevelopmentConfig.builder().build());
+
+    // Then
+    verify(logger, times(1))
+      .debug("Creating or replacing Kubernetes services for exposed ports from local environment");
+    verify(logger, times(1))
+      .debug("Starting Kubernetes SSH service forwarder...");
+    verify(logger, times(1))
+      .debug("Starting port forwarder...");
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  @DisplayName("start initiates if LocalPort for remote service are available")
+  void startInitsIfLocalPortAvailable() {
+    RemoteService remoteService = RemoteService.builder()
+        .hostname("remote-host").localPort(IoUtil.getFreeRandomPort()).port(1234).build();
+    RemoteDevelopmentConfig config = RemoteDevelopmentConfig.builder().remoteService(remoteService).build();
+
+    // When
+    startDevelopmentServiceWithConfig(config);
+
+    // Then
+    verify(logger, times(1))
+      .debug("Local port '%s' for remote service '%s:%s' is available", 
+        remoteService.getLocalPort(),remoteService.getHostname(),remoteService.getPort());
+    verify(logger, times(1))
+      .debug("Creating or replacing Kubernetes services for exposed ports from local environment");
+  }
+
+  private void startDevelopmentServiceWithConfig(RemoteDevelopmentConfig remoteDevelopmentConfig) {
     CompletableFuture<Void> future = null;
     try {
-      // When
-      future = new RemoteDevelopmentService(logger, kubernetesClient,  RemoteDevelopmentConfig.builder().build())
+      future = new RemoteDevelopmentService(logger, kubernetesClient, remoteDevelopmentConfig)
         .start();
-      // Then
-      verify(logger, times(1))
-        .debug("Starting Kubernetes SSH service forwarder...");
-      verify(logger, times(1))
-        .debug("Starting port forwarder...");
     } finally {
       Optional.ofNullable(future).ifPresent(f -> f.cancel(true));
     }
   }
+
 }