diff --git a/tests/LightyTest.pm b/tests/LightyTest.pm
index e71fd2e6..6415413f 100644
--- a/tests/LightyTest.pm
+++ b/tests/LightyTest.pm
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ sub start_proc {
 	} elsif (defined $ENV{"TRACEME"} && $ENV{"TRACEME"} eq 'valgrind') {
 		@cmdline = (qw(valgrind --tool=memcheck --track-origins=yes --show-reachable=yes --leak-check=yes --log-file=valgrind.%p), @cmdline);
 	}
-	# diag("\nstarting lighttpd at :".$self->{PORT}.", cmdline: ".@cmdline );
+	# diag("\nstarting lighttpd at :".$self->{PORT}.", cmdline: @cmdline");
 	my $child = fork();
 	if (not defined $child) {
 		diag("\nFork failed");
@@ -203,21 +203,38 @@ sub start_proc {
 		return -1;
 	}
 	if ($child == 0) {
-		# set up systemd socket activation env vars
-		$ENV{LISTEN_FDS} = "1";
-		$ENV{LISTEN_PID} = $$;
-		if (defined($ENV{"TRACEME"}) && $ENV{"TRACEME"} ne "valgrind") {
-			$ENV{LISTEN_PID} = "parent:$$"; # lighttpd extension
-		}
-		listen($SOCK, 1024) || die "listen: $!";
-		if (fileno($SOCK) != 3) { # SD_LISTEN_FDS_START 3
-			require POSIX;
-			POSIX::dup2(fileno($SOCK), 3) || die "dup2: $!";
+		if ($^O eq "MSWin32") {
+			# On platforms where systemd socket activation is not supported
+			# or inconvenient for testing (i.e. cygwin <-> native Windows exe),
+			# there is a race condition with close() before server start,
+			# but port specific port is unlikely to be reused so quickly,
+			# and the point is to avoid a port which is already in use.
 			close($SOCK);
+			my $CONF;
+			open($CONF,'>',"$ENV{'SRCDIR'}/tmp/bind.conf") || die "open: $!";
+			print $CONF <<BIND_OVERRIDE;
+server.systemd-socket-activation := "disable"
+server.bind = "127.0.0.1"
+server.port = $ENV{'PORT'}
+BIND_OVERRIDE
 		}
 		else {
-			require Fcntl;
-			fcntl($SOCK, Fcntl::F_SETFD(), 0); # clr FD_CLOEXEC
+			# set up systemd socket activation env vars
+			$ENV{LISTEN_FDS} = "1";
+			$ENV{LISTEN_PID} = $$;
+			if (defined($ENV{"TRACEME"}) && $ENV{"TRACEME"} ne "valgrind") {
+				$ENV{LISTEN_PID} = "parent:$$"; # lighttpd extension
+			}
+			listen($SOCK, 1024) || die "listen: $!";
+			if (fileno($SOCK) != 3) { # SD_LISTEN_FDS_START 3
+				require POSIX;
+				POSIX::dup2(fileno($SOCK), 3) || die "dup2: $!";
+				close($SOCK);
+			}
+			else {
+				require Fcntl;
+				fcntl($SOCK, Fcntl::F_SETFD(), 0); # clr FD_CLOEXEC
+			}
 		}
 		exec @cmdline or die($?);
 	}
diff --git a/tests/condition.conf b/tests/condition.conf
index bbd2dd1c..55e2959a 100644
--- a/tests/condition.conf
+++ b/tests/condition.conf
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ debug.log-request-handling = "enable"
 debug.log-condition-handling = "enable"
 
 server.systemd-socket-activation = "enable"
+# optional bind spec override, e.g. for platforms without socket activation
+include env.SRCDIR + "/tmp/bind*.conf"
+
 server.document-root         = env.SRCDIR + "/tmp/lighttpd/servers/www.example.org/pages/"
 server.errorlog            = env.SRCDIR + "/tmp/lighttpd/logs/lighttpd.error.log"
 server.breakagelog         = env.SRCDIR + "/tmp/lighttpd/logs/lighttpd.breakage.log"
diff --git a/tests/fastcgi-responder.conf b/tests/fastcgi-responder.conf
index 427d71af..3b90af07 100644
--- a/tests/fastcgi-responder.conf
+++ b/tests/fastcgi-responder.conf
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@ debug.log-response-header  = "enable"
 debug.log-request-handling = "enable"
 
 server.systemd-socket-activation = "enable"
+# optional bind spec override, e.g. for platforms without socket activation
+include env.SRCDIR + "/tmp/bind*.conf"
+
 server.document-root       = env.SRCDIR + "/tmp/lighttpd/servers/www.example.org/pages/"
 server.errorlog            = env.SRCDIR + "/tmp/lighttpd/logs/lighttpd.error.log"
 server.breakagelog         = env.SRCDIR + "/tmp/lighttpd/logs/lighttpd.breakage.log"
diff --git a/tests/lighttpd.conf b/tests/lighttpd.conf
index c17d29fc..f8a064ca 100644
--- a/tests/lighttpd.conf
+++ b/tests/lighttpd.conf
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ debug.log-response-header = "enable"
 server.max-request-size = 65000
 
 server.systemd-socket-activation = "enable"
+# optional bind spec override, e.g. for platforms without socket activation
+include env.SRCDIR + "/tmp/bind*.conf"
+
 server.document-root       = env.SRCDIR + "/tmp/lighttpd/servers/www.example.org/pages/"
 server.errorlog            = env.SRCDIR + "/tmp/lighttpd/logs/lighttpd.error.log"
 server.breakagelog         = env.SRCDIR + "/tmp/lighttpd/logs/lighttpd.breakage.log"
diff --git a/tests/proxy.conf b/tests/proxy.conf
index 23a5173f..72d27a9c 100644
--- a/tests/proxy.conf
+++ b/tests/proxy.conf
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 server.systemd-socket-activation = "enable"
+# optional bind spec override, e.g. for platforms without socket activation
+include env.SRCDIR + "/tmp/bind*.conf"
+
 server.document-root         = env.SRCDIR + "/tmp/lighttpd/servers/www.example.org/pages/"
 server.errorlog            = env.SRCDIR + "/tmp/lighttpd/logs/lighttpd.error.log"
 server.breakagelog         = env.SRCDIR + "/tmp/lighttpd/logs/lighttpd.breakage.log"
diff --git a/tests/scgi-responder.conf b/tests/scgi-responder.conf
index b1368d7e..15726b38 100644
--- a/tests/scgi-responder.conf
+++ b/tests/scgi-responder.conf
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
 #debug.log-request-handling = "enable"
 
 server.systemd-socket-activation = "enable"
+# optional bind spec override, e.g. for platforms without socket activation
+include env.SRCDIR + "/tmp/bind*.conf"
+
 server.document-root       = env.SRCDIR + "/tmp/lighttpd/servers/www.example.org/pages/"
 server.errorlog            = env.SRCDIR + "/tmp/lighttpd/logs/lighttpd.error.log"
 server.breakagelog         = env.SRCDIR + "/tmp/lighttpd/logs/lighttpd.breakage.log"