diff --git a/lib/spec/runner/drb_command_line.rb b/lib/spec/runner/drb_command_line.rb
index 058a8e1df..6c2b54d63 100644
--- a/lib/spec/runner/drb_command_line.rb
+++ b/lib/spec/runner/drb_command_line.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,12 @@ module Spec
   module Runner
     # Facade to run specs by connecting to a DRB server
     class DrbCommandLine
+      # port to run against
+      def self.port(options)
+        (options.drb_port || ENV["RSPEC_DRB"] || 8989).to_i
+      end
+
+
       # Runs specs on a DRB server. Note that this API is similar to that of
       # CommandLine - making it possible for clients to use both interchangeably.
       def self.run(options)
@@ -13,7 +19,7 @@ def self.run(options)
           rescue SocketError; \
             DRb.start_service("druby://:0"); \
           end
-          spec_server = DRbObject.new_with_uri("druby://127.0.0.1:8989")
+          spec_server = DRbObject.new_with_uri("druby://127.0.0.1:#{port(options)}")
           spec_server.run(options.argv, options.error_stream, options.output_stream)
           true
         rescue DRb::DRbConnError
@@ -21,6 +27,7 @@ def self.run(options)
           false
         end
       end
+
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/spec/runner/option_parser.rb b/lib/spec/runner/option_parser.rb
index fbbf444a9..87c9522c2 100644
--- a/lib/spec/runner/option_parser.rb
+++ b/lib/spec/runner/option_parser.rb
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ def spec_command?
         :runner => ["-U", "--runner RUNNER", "Use a custom Runner."],
         :debug => ["-u", "--debugger", "Enable ruby-debugging."],
         :drb => ["-X", "--drb", "Run examples via DRb. (For example against script/spec_server)"],
+        :drb_port => ["--port PORT", "Port for DRb server. (Ignored without --drb)"],
         :version => ["-v", "--version", "Show version"],
         :help => ["-h", "--help", "You're looking at it"]
       }
@@ -113,6 +114,7 @@ def initialize(err, out)
         on(*OPTIONS[:runner])           {|runner|  @options.user_input_for_runner = runner}
         on(*OPTIONS[:debug])            {@options.debug = true}
         on(*OPTIONS[:drb])              {}
+        on(*OPTIONS[:drb_port])         {|port| @options.drb_port = port}
         on(*OPTIONS[:version])          {parse_version}
         on("--autospec")                {@options.autospec = true}
         on_tail(*OPTIONS[:help])        {parse_help}
diff --git a/lib/spec/runner/options.rb b/lib/spec/runner/options.rb
index e0179e80e..585b984ef 100644
--- a/lib/spec/runner/options.rb
+++ b/lib/spec/runner/options.rb
@@ -50,7 +50,8 @@ class Options
         :argv
       )
       attr_reader :colour, :differ_class, :files, :examples, :example_groups
-
+      attr_writer :drb_port
+      
       def initialize(error_stream, output_stream)
         @error_stream = error_stream
         @output_stream = output_stream
@@ -289,6 +290,10 @@ def dry_run?
         @dry_run == true
       end
 
+      def drb_port
+        @drb_port.to_i if @drb_port
+      end
+      
     protected
 
       def define_predicate_matchers
diff --git a/spec/spec/runner/drb_command_line_spec.rb b/spec/spec/runner/drb_command_line_spec.rb
index 0c17a7f68..5d058513e 100644
--- a/spec/spec/runner/drb_command_line_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/spec/runner/drb_command_line_spec.rb
@@ -101,6 +101,47 @@ def tty?; true end
           end
         end
 
+        context "port" do
+          before do
+            @options = stub("options", :drb_port => nil)
+          end
+
+
+          it "should default to 8989" do
+            Spec::Runner::DrbCommandLine.port(@options).should == 8989
+          end
+
+          it "should pull default value from RSPEC_DRB environment" do
+            original = ENV['RSPEC_DRB']
+            begin
+              ENV['RSPEC_DRB'] = '9000'
+              Spec::Runner::DrbCommandLine.port(@options).should == 9000
+            ensure
+              ENV['RSPEC_DRB'] = original
+            end
+          end
+
+          it "should pull configured value" do
+            @options.stub(:drb_port => '5000')
+
+            Spec::Runner::DrbCommandLine.port(@options).should == 5000
+          end
+
+          it 'should prefer configured value to environment' do
+            @options.stub(:drb_port => '5000')
+            original = ENV['RSPEC_DRB']
+            begin
+              ENV['RSPEC_DRB'] = '9000'
+              Spec::Runner::DrbCommandLine.port(@options).should == 5000
+            ensure
+              ENV['RSPEC_DRB'] = original
+            end
+          end
+
+
+        end
+
+
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/spec/runner/option_parser_spec.rb b/spec/spec/runner/option_parser_spec.rb
index a516bc686..bac01c908 100644
--- a/spec/spec/runner/option_parser_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/spec/runner/option_parser_spec.rb
@@ -63,6 +63,15 @@ def parse(args)
     options = parse(["--drb", "-u"])
     options.debug.should be_false
   end
+
+  it "should accept port option" do
+    options = parse(["--port", "9000"])
+    options.drb_port.should == 9000
+  end
+
+  it 'should require argument to port option' do
+    lambda { parse(["--port"]) }.should raise_error(OptionParser::MissingArgument)
+  end
   
   it "should accept dry run option" do
     options = parse(["--dry-run"])
diff --git a/spec/spec/runner/options_spec.rb b/spec/spec/runner/options_spec.rb
index bb1e0e8c3..63f9fa43d 100644
--- a/spec/spec/runner/options_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/spec/runner/options_spec.rb
@@ -266,6 +266,13 @@ module Runner
         end
       end
 
+      describe "#drb_port" do
+        it "returns a number" do
+          @options.drb_port = "400"
+          @options.drb_port.should == 400
+        end
+      end
+
       describe "#number_of_examples" do
         context "when --example is parsed" do
           it "provides the number of examples parsed instead of the total number of examples collected" do