diff --git a/its/core-it-suite/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/it/MavenITmng4554PluginPrefixMappingUpdateTest.java b/its/core-it-suite/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/it/MavenITmng4554PluginPrefixMappingUpdateTest.java
index 2955d65b2a..c4e6979be8 100644
--- a/its/core-it-suite/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/it/MavenITmng4554PluginPrefixMappingUpdateTest.java
+++ b/its/core-it-suite/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/it/MavenITmng4554PluginPrefixMappingUpdateTest.java
@@ -85,7 +85,17 @@ public class MavenITmng4554PluginPrefixMappingUpdateTest
 
         Server server = new Server( 0 );
         server.setHandler( handlerList );
+        Connector connector = server.getConnectors()[0];
+        connector.setHost( "localhost" );
         server.start();
+        while ( !server.isRunning() || !server.isStarted() )
+        {
+            if ( server.isFailed() )
+            {
+                fail( "Couldn't bind the server socket to a free port!" );
+            }
+            Thread.sleep( 100L );
+        }
 
         Verifier verifier = newVerifier( testDir.getAbsolutePath() );
         try
@@ -102,7 +112,7 @@ public class MavenITmng4554PluginPrefixMappingUpdateTest
                 assertFalse( new File( verifier.getArtifactMetadataPath( "org.apache.maven.its.mng4554", null, null, "maven-metadata-mng4554.xml" ) ).exists() );
             }
             Properties filterProps = verifier.newDefaultFilterProperties();
-            filterProps.setProperty( "@port@", Integer.toString( server.getConnectors()[0].getLocalPort() ) );
+            filterProps.setProperty( "@port@", Integer.toString( connector.getLocalPort() ) );
             filterProps.setProperty( "@repo@", "repo-1" );
             verifier.filterFile( "settings-template.xml", "settings.xml", "UTF-8", filterProps );
             verifier.addCliOption( "-s" );
@@ -127,6 +137,7 @@ public class MavenITmng4554PluginPrefixMappingUpdateTest
         {
             verifier.resetStreams();
             server.stop();
+            server.join();
         }
     }
 
@@ -162,7 +173,17 @@ public class MavenITmng4554PluginPrefixMappingUpdateTest
 
         Server server = new Server( 0 );
         server.setHandler( handlerList );
+        Connector connector = server.getConnectors()[0];
+        connector.setHost( "localhost" );
         server.start();
+        while ( !server.isRunning() || !server.isStarted() )
+        {
+            if ( server.isFailed() )
+            {
+                fail( "Couldn't bind the server socket to a free port!" );
+            }
+            Thread.sleep( 100L );
+        }
 
         Verifier verifier = newVerifier( testDir.getAbsolutePath() );
         try
@@ -179,7 +200,7 @@ public class MavenITmng4554PluginPrefixMappingUpdateTest
                 assertFalse( new File( verifier.getArtifactMetadataPath( "org.apache.maven.its.mng4554", null, null, "maven-metadata-mng4554.xml" ) ).exists() );
             }
             Properties filterProps = verifier.newDefaultFilterProperties();
-            filterProps.setProperty( "@port@", Integer.toString( server.getConnectors()[0].getLocalPort() ) );
+            filterProps.setProperty( "@port@", Integer.toString( connector.getLocalPort() ) );
             filterProps.setProperty( "@repo@", "repo-1" );
             verifier.filterFile( "settings-template.xml", "settings.xml", "UTF-8", filterProps );
             verifier.addCliOption( "-U" );
@@ -205,6 +226,7 @@ public class MavenITmng4554PluginPrefixMappingUpdateTest
         {
             verifier.resetStreams();
             server.stop();
+            server.join();
         }
     }