diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/cli/cli.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/cli/cli.ts
index 2db65f09e6..c0eeb2b130 100755
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/cli/cli.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/cli/cli.ts
@@ -240,10 +240,11 @@ Examples:
 program
     .command('experimental-grid-server', { hidden: true })
     .option('--port <port>', 'grid port; defaults to 3333')
+    .option('--address <address>', 'address of the server')
     .option('--agent-factory <factory>', 'path to grid agent factory or npm package')
     .option('--auth-token <authToken>', 'optional authentication token')
     .action(function(options) {
-      launchGridServer(options.agentFactory, options.port || 3333, options.authToken);
+      launchGridServer(options.agentFactory, options.port || 3333, options.address, options.authToken);
     });
 
 program
@@ -641,7 +642,7 @@ function commandWithOpenOptions(command: string, description: string, options: a
       .option('--viewport-size <size>', 'specify browser viewport size in pixels, for example "1280, 720"');
 }
 
-async function launchGridServer(factoryPathOrPackageName: string, port: number, authToken: string|undefined): Promise<void> {
+async function launchGridServer(factoryPathOrPackageName: string, port: number, address: string | undefined, authToken: string | undefined): Promise<void> {
   if (!factoryPathOrPackageName)
     factoryPathOrPackageName = path.join('..', 'grid', 'simpleGridFactory');
   let factory;
@@ -655,7 +656,7 @@ async function launchGridServer(factoryPathOrPackageName: string, port: number,
   if (!factory || !factory.launch || typeof factory.launch !== 'function')
     throw new Error('factory does not export `launch` method');
   factory.name = factory.name || factoryPathOrPackageName;
-  const gridServer = new GridServer(factory as GridFactory, authToken);
+  const gridServer = new GridServer(factory as GridFactory, authToken, address);
   await gridServer.start(port);
   console.log('Grid server is running at ' + gridServer.urlPrefix());
 }
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/grid/gridServer.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/grid/gridServer.ts
index e0aa3f6277..1247cda680 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/grid/gridServer.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/grid/gridServer.ts
@@ -220,11 +220,11 @@ export class GridServer {
   private _factory: GridFactory;
   private _pwVersion: string;
 
-  constructor(factory: GridFactory, authToken: string = '') {
+  constructor(factory: GridFactory, authToken: string = '', address: string = '') {
     this._log = debug(`pw:grid:server`);
     this._log(`using factory ${factory.name}`);
     this._authToken = authToken || '';
-    this._server = new HttpServer();
+    this._server = new HttpServer(address);
     this._factory = factory;
     this._pwVersion = getPlaywrightVersion(true /* majorMinorOnly */);
 
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ export class GridServer {
     return await initPromise;
   }
 
-  private _createAgent(): {agent: GridAgent, initPromise: Promise<{ error: any }>} {
+  private _createAgent(): { agent: GridAgent, initPromise: Promise<{ error: any }> } {
     const agent = new GridAgent(this._factory.capacity, this._factory.launchTimeout, this._factory.retireTimeout);
     this._agents.set(agent.agentId, agent);
     agent.on('close', () => {
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/utils/httpServer.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/utils/httpServer.ts
index d413fec142..a4e4dc17b3 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/utils/httpServer.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/utils/httpServer.ts
@@ -27,10 +27,11 @@ export class HttpServer {
   private _server: http.Server;
   private _urlPrefix: string;
   private _port: number = 0;
+  private _started = false;
   private _routes: { prefix?: string, exact?: string, handler: ServerRouteHandler }[] = [];
   private _activeSockets = new Set<import('net').Socket>();
-  constructor() {
-    this._urlPrefix = '';
+  constructor(address: string = '') {
+    this._urlPrefix = address;
     this._server = http.createServer(this._onRequest.bind(this));
   }
 
@@ -51,7 +52,8 @@ export class HttpServer {
   }
 
   async start(port?: number): Promise<string> {
-    assert(!this._urlPrefix, 'server already started');
+    assert(!this._started, 'server already started');
+    this._started = true;
     this._server.on('connection', socket => {
       this._activeSockets.add(socket);
       socket.once('close', () => this._activeSockets.delete(socket));
@@ -59,12 +61,14 @@ export class HttpServer {
     this._server.listen(port);
     await new Promise(cb => this._server!.once('listening', cb));
     const address = this._server.address();
-    if (typeof address === 'string') {
-      this._urlPrefix = address;
-    } else {
-      assert(address, 'Could not bind server socket');
-      this._port = address.port;
-      this._urlPrefix = `http://127.0.0.1:${address.port}`;
+    assert(address, 'Could not bind server socket');
+    if (!this._urlPrefix) {
+      if (typeof address === 'string') {
+        this._urlPrefix = address;
+      } else {
+        this._port = address.port;
+        this._urlPrefix = `http://127.0.0.1:${address.port}`;
+      }
     }
     return this._urlPrefix;
   }