diff --git a/library/CMakeLists.txt b/library/CMakeLists.txt
index 22ceb5ea5..390efdcfe 100644
--- a/library/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/library/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ ENDIF()
 TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(dfhack protobuf-lite clsocket lua jsoncpp_lib_static dfhack-version ${PROJECT_LIBS})
 SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES(dfhack PROPERTIES INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES "")
 
-TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(dfhack-client protobuf-lite clsocket)
+TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(dfhack-client protobuf-lite clsocket jsoncpp_lib_static)
 TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(dfhack-run dfhack-client)
 
 if(APPLE)
diff --git a/library/RemoteClient.cpp b/library/RemoteClient.cpp
index 07f9c6961..25355530f 100644
--- a/library/RemoteClient.cpp
+++ b/library/RemoteClient.cpp
@@ -55,9 +55,10 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
 #include <memory>
 
-using namespace DFHack;
-
+#include "json/json.h"
 #include "tinythread.h"
+
+using namespace DFHack;
 using namespace tthread;
 
 using dfproto::CoreTextNotification;
@@ -132,14 +133,34 @@ bool readFullBuffer(CSimpleSocket *socket, void *buf, int size)
 
 int RemoteClient::GetDefaultPort()
 {
-    const char *port = getenv("DFHACK_PORT");
-    if (!port) port = "0";
+    int port = DEFAULT_PORT;
 
-    int portval = atoi(port);
-    if (portval <= 0)
-        return 5000;
+    const char *port_env = getenv("DFHACK_PORT");
+    if (port_env)
+    {
+        int port_val = atoi(port_env);
+        if (port_val > 0)
+            port = port_val;
+    }
     else
-        return portval;
+    {
+        for (const char *filename : {"dfhack-config/remote-server.json", "../dfhack-config/remote-server.json"})
+        {
+            std::ifstream in_file(filename, std::ios_base::in);
+            if (in_file)
+            {
+                Json::Value config;
+                in_file >> config;
+                in_file.close();
+                if (config.isMember("port")) {
+                    port = config["port"].asInt();
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return port;
 }
 
 bool RemoteClient::connect(int port)
@@ -157,7 +178,7 @@ bool RemoteClient::connect(int port)
 
     if (!socket->Open("localhost", port))
     {
-        default_output().printerr("Could not connect to localhost: %d\n", port);
+        default_output().printerr("Could not connect to localhost:%d\n", port);
         return false;
     }
 
diff --git a/library/RemoteServer.cpp b/library/RemoteServer.cpp
index fb10990f8..f110cc8b4 100644
--- a/library/RemoteServer.cpp
+++ b/library/RemoteServer.cpp
@@ -58,12 +58,11 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
 #include <memory>
 
-using namespace DFHack;
-
+#include "json/json.h"
 #include "tinythread.h"
-using namespace tthread;
 
-#include "json/json.h"
+using namespace DFHack;
+using namespace tthread;
 
 using dfproto::CoreTextNotification;
 using dfproto::CoreTextFragment;
@@ -395,11 +394,11 @@ bool ServerMain::listen(int port)
         inFile.close();
 
         allow_remote = configJson.get("allow_remote", "false").asBool();
-        port = configJson.get("port", port).asInt();
     }
 
+    // rewrite/normalize config file
     configJson["allow_remote"] = allow_remote;
-    configJson["port"] = port;
+    configJson["port"] = configJson.get("port", RemoteClient::DEFAULT_PORT);
 
     std::ofstream outFile(filename, std::ios_base::trunc);
 
@@ -409,6 +408,7 @@ bool ServerMain::listen(int port)
         outFile.close();
     }
 
+    std::cerr << "Listening on port " << port << (allow_remote ? " (remote enabled)" : "") << std::endl;
     if (allow_remote)
     {
         if (!socket->Listen(NULL, port))
diff --git a/library/include/RemoteClient.h b/library/include/RemoteClient.h
index e1a2c512a..cf07bba8b 100644
--- a/library/include/RemoteClient.h
+++ b/library/include/RemoteClient.h
@@ -233,6 +233,7 @@ namespace  DFHack
         RemoteClient(color_ostream *default_output = NULL);
         ~RemoteClient();
 
+        static constexpr int DEFAULT_PORT = 5000;
         static int GetDefaultPort();
 
         color_ostream &default_output() { return *p_default_output; };