diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 3d0cc8c7f4..7495017a69 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ Usage:
 ./scripts/extract-changelog-for-version.sh 1.3.37 5
 ```
 ### 1.11-SNAPSHOT
+* Fix #2003: check local port available on start remote-dev
 * Fix #1439: Add hint to use jkube.domain if createExternalUrls is used without domain
 * Fix #1459: Route Generation should support `8443` as default web port
 * Fix #1546: Migrate to JUnit5 testing framework
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..b741e19062 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
@@ -17,14 +17,14 @@
 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.AfterEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.DisplayName;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
-import java.util.Optional;
-import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
-
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.spy;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.timeout;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.times;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
 
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ class RemoteDevelopmentServiceTest {
   @SuppressWarnings("unused")
   private KubernetesClient kubernetesClient;
   private KitLogger logger;
+  private RemoteDevelopmentService remoteDevelopmentService;
 
   @BeforeEach
   void setUp() {
@@ -42,6 +43,13 @@ void setUp() {
     logger = spy(new KitLogger.StdoutLogger());
   }
 
+  @AfterEach
+  void tearDown() {
+    if (remoteDevelopmentService != null) {
+      remoteDevelopmentService.stop();
+    }
+  }
+
   @Test
   @DisplayName("service can be stopped before it is started")
   void canBeStoppedBeforeStart() {
@@ -55,11 +63,11 @@ void canBeStoppedBeforeStart() {
   @DisplayName("service can be stopped multiple times before it is started")
   void canBeStoppedMultipleTimesBeforeStart() {
     // Given
-    final RemoteDevelopmentService remoteDev = new RemoteDevelopmentService(
+    remoteDevelopmentService = new RemoteDevelopmentService(
       logger, kubernetesClient,  RemoteDevelopmentConfig.builder().build());
-    remoteDev.stop();
+    remoteDevelopmentService.stop();
     // When
-    remoteDev.stop();
+    remoteDevelopmentService.stop();
     // Then
     verify(logger, times(2)).info("Remote development service stopped");
   }
@@ -67,18 +75,35 @@ void canBeStoppedMultipleTimesBeforeStart() {
   @Test
   @DisplayName("start initiates PortForwarder and KubernetesSshServiceForwarder")
   void startInitiatesChildProcesses() {
-    CompletableFuture<Void> future = null;
-    try {
-      // When
-      future = new RemoteDevelopmentService(logger, kubernetesClient,  RemoteDevelopmentConfig.builder().build())
-        .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));
-    }
+    // Given
+    remoteDevelopmentService = new RemoteDevelopmentService(
+      logger, kubernetesClient, RemoteDevelopmentConfig.builder().build());
+    // When
+    remoteDevelopmentService.start();
+    // Then
+    verify(logger, timeout(1000L).times(1))
+      .debug("Starting Kubernetes SSH service forwarder...");
+    verify(logger, timeout(1000L).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();
+    remoteDevelopmentService = new RemoteDevelopmentService(
+      logger, kubernetesClient, RemoteDevelopmentConfig.builder().remoteService(remoteService).build());
+
+    // When
+    remoteDevelopmentService.start();
+
+    // Then
+    verify(logger, timeout(1000L).times(1))
+      .debug("Local port '%s' for remote service '%s:%s' is available",
+        remoteService.getLocalPort(),remoteService.getHostname(),remoteService.getPort());
+    verify(logger,  timeout(1000L).times(1))
+      .debug("Creating or replacing Kubernetes services for exposed ports from local environment");
+  }
+
 }