diff --git a/contrib/pyln-testing/pyln/testing/utils.py b/contrib/pyln-testing/pyln/testing/utils.py
index e5d95404a..beea7a966 100644
--- a/contrib/pyln-testing/pyln/testing/utils.py
+++ b/contrib/pyln-testing/pyln/testing/utils.py
@@ -7,10 +7,10 @@ from pyln.client import RpcError
 from pyln.testing.btcproxy import BitcoinRpcProxy
 from collections import OrderedDict
 from decimal import Decimal
-from ephemeral_port_reserve import reserve  # type: ignore
 from pyln.client import LightningRpc
 from pyln.client import Millisatoshi
 
+import ephemeral_port_reserve  # type: ignore
 import json
 import logging
 import lzma
@@ -146,6 +146,27 @@ def get_tx_p2wsh_outnum(bitcoind, tx, amount):
     return None
 
 
+unused_port_lock = threading.Lock()
+unused_port_set = set()
+
+
+def reserve_unused_port():
+    """Get an unused port: avoids handing out the same port unless it's been
+    returned"""
+    with unused_port_lock:
+        while True:
+            port = ephemeral_port_reserve.reserve()
+            if port not in unused_port_set:
+                break
+        unused_port_set.add(port)
+
+    return port
+
+
+def drop_unused_port(port):
+    unused_port_set.remove(port)
+
+
 class TailableProc(object):
     """A monitorable process that we can start, stop and tail.
 
@@ -367,7 +388,10 @@ class BitcoinD(TailableProc):
         TailableProc.__init__(self, bitcoin_dir, verbose=False)
 
         if rpcport is None:
-            rpcport = reserve()
+            self.reserved_rpcport = reserve_unused_port()
+            rpcport = self.reserved_rpcport
+        else:
+            self.reserved_rpcport = None
 
         self.bitcoin_dir = bitcoin_dir
         self.rpcport = rpcport
@@ -398,6 +422,10 @@ class BitcoinD(TailableProc):
         self.rpc = SimpleBitcoinProxy(btc_conf_file=self.conf_file)
         self.proxies = []
 
+    def __del__(self):
+        if self.reserved_rpcport is not None:
+            drop_unused_port(self.reserved_rpcport)
+
     def start(self):
         TailableProc.start(self)
         self.wait_for_log("Done loading", timeout=TIMEOUT)
@@ -1281,6 +1309,7 @@ class NodeFactory(object):
         self.testname = testname
         self.next_id = 1
         self.nodes = []
+        self.reserved_ports = []
         self.executor = executor
         self.bitcoind = bitcoind
         self.directory = directory
@@ -1313,10 +1342,6 @@ class NodeFactory(object):
         cli_opts = {k: v for k, v in opts.items() if k not in node_opt_keys}
         return node_opts, cli_opts
 
-    def get_next_port(self):
-        with self.lock:
-            return reserve()
-
     def get_node_id(self):
         """Generate a unique numeric ID for a lightning node
         """
@@ -1361,7 +1386,7 @@ class NodeFactory(object):
                  expect_fail=False, cleandir=True, **kwargs):
         self.throttler.wait()
         node_id = self.get_node_id() if not node_id else node_id
-        port = self.get_next_port()
+        port = reserve_unused_port()
 
         lightning_dir = os.path.join(
             self.directory, "lightning-{}/".format(node_id))
@@ -1383,6 +1408,7 @@ class NodeFactory(object):
         node.set_feerates(feerates, False)
 
         self.nodes.append(node)
+        self.reserved_ports.append(port)
         if dbfile:
             out = open(os.path.join(node.daemon.lightning_dir, TEST_NETWORK,
                                     'lightningd.sqlite3'), 'xb')
@@ -1495,4 +1521,7 @@ class NodeFactory(object):
                     json.dumps(leaks, sort_keys=True, indent=4)
                 ))
 
+        for p in self.reserved_ports:
+            drop_unused_port(p)
+
         return not unexpected_fail, err_msgs
diff --git a/tests/test_misc.py b/tests/test_misc.py
index 1995a0bd1..6fb65f324 100644
--- a/tests/test_misc.py
+++ b/tests/test_misc.py
@@ -2104,7 +2104,7 @@ def test_unix_socket_path_length(node_factory, bitcoind, directory, executor, db
     os.makedirs(lightning_dir)
     db = db_provider.get_db(lightning_dir, "test_unix_socket_path_length", 1)
 
-    l1 = LightningNode(1, lightning_dir, bitcoind, executor, VALGRIND, db=db, port=node_factory.get_next_port())
+    l1 = LightningNode(1, lightning_dir, bitcoind, executor, VALGRIND, db=db, port=reserve())
 
     # `LightningNode.start()` internally calls `LightningRpc.getinfo()` which
     # exercises the socket logic, and raises an issue if it fails.