diff --git a/httpbeast.nimble b/httpbeast.nimble
index ea2be4e..50246aa 100644
--- a/httpbeast.nimble
+++ b/httpbeast.nimble
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Package
 
-version       = "0.4.0"
+version       = "0.4.1"
 author        = "Dominik Picheta"
 description   = "A super-fast epoll-backed and parallel HTTP server."
 license       = "MIT"
diff --git a/src/httpbeast.nim b/src/httpbeast.nim
index 6e9f307..6c42c90 100644
--- a/src/httpbeast.nim
+++ b/src/httpbeast.nim
@@ -55,8 +55,10 @@ type
     numThreads: int
     loggers: seq[Logger]
     reusePort: bool
-      ## controls whether to fail with "Address already in use".
-      ## Setting this to false will raise when `threads` are on.
+      ## controls whether to use `OptReusePort` for sockets
+    failOnExistingPort: bool
+      ## Fail with "Address already in use" if port is in use, by attempting
+      ## to bind to a temporary socket to fail early.
 
   HttpBeastDefect* = ref object of Defect
 
@@ -67,7 +69,8 @@ proc initSettings*(port: Port = Port(8080),
                    bindAddr: string = "",
                    numThreads: int = 0,
                    domain = Domain.AF_INET,
-                   reusePort = true): Settings =
+                   reusePort = true,
+                   failOnExistingPort = true): Settings =
   Settings(
     port: port,
     bindAddr: bindAddr,
@@ -75,6 +78,7 @@ proc initSettings*(port: Port = Port(8080),
     numThreads: numThreads,
     loggers: getHandlers(),
     reusePort: reusePort,
+    failOnExistingPort: failOnExistingPort,
   )
 
 proc initData(fdKind: FdKind, ip = ""): Data =
@@ -311,6 +315,12 @@ proc updateDate(fd: AsyncFD): bool =
   result = false # Returning true signifies we want timer to stop.
   serverDate = now().utc().format("ddd, dd MMM yyyy HH:mm:ss 'GMT'")
 
+proc newSocketAux(settings: Settings): owned(Socket) =
+  result = newSocket(settings.domain)
+  result.setSockOpt(OptReuseAddr, true)
+  result.setSockOpt(OptReusePort, settings.reusePort)
+  result.bindAddr(settings.port, settings.bindAddr)
+
 proc eventLoop(params: (OnRequest, Settings)) =
   let (onRequest, settings) = params
 
@@ -319,12 +329,7 @@ proc eventLoop(params: (OnRequest, Settings)) =
 
   let selector = newSelector[Data]()
 
-  let server = newSocket(settings.domain)
-  server.setSockOpt(OptReuseAddr, true)
-  if compileOption("threads") and not settings.reusePort:
-    raise HttpBeastDefect(msg: "--threads:on requires reusePort to be enabled in settings")
-  server.setSockOpt(OptReusePort, settings.reusePort)
-  server.bindAddr(settings.port, settings.bindAddr)
+  let server = newSocketAux(settings)
   server.listen()
   server.getFd().setBlocking(false)
   selector.registerHandle(server.getFd(), {Event.Read}, initData(Server))
@@ -475,6 +480,10 @@ proc run*(onRequest: OnRequest, settings: Settings) =
     let numThreads = 1
 
   echo("Starting ", numThreads, " threads")
+  if settings.failOnExistingPort:
+    var settings2 = settings
+    settings2.reusePort = false
+    close(newSocketAux(settings2)) # attempt to bind to a temporary socket
   if numThreads > 1:
     when compileOption("threads"):
       var threads = newSeq[Thread[(OnRequest, Settings)]](numThreads)