diff --git a/jstests/repl/repl1.js b/jstests/repl/repl1.js
index 4ae7008c4b6..455b29baa0d 100644
--- a/jstests/repl/repl1.js
+++ b/jstests/repl/repl1.js
@@ -15,10 +15,12 @@ soonCount = function( count ) {
 }
 
 doTest = function( signal ) {
+
+    ports = allocatePorts( 2 );
     
     // spec small oplog for fast startup on 64bit machines
-    m = startMongod( "--port", "27018", "--dbpath", "/data/db/" + baseName + "-master", "--master", "--oplogSize", "1" );
-    s = startMongod( "--port", "27019", "--dbpath", "/data/db/" + baseName + "-slave", "--slave", "--source", "127.0.0.1:27018" );
+    m = startMongod( "--port", ports[ 0 ], "--dbpath", "/data/db/" + baseName + "-master", "--master", "--oplogSize", "1" );
+    s = startMongod( "--port", ports[ 1 ], "--dbpath", "/data/db/" + baseName + "-slave", "--slave", "--source", "127.0.0.1:" + ports[ 0 ] );
     
     am = m.getDB( baseName ).a
     
@@ -30,21 +32,21 @@ doTest = function( signal ) {
     assert.eq( 1, as.find( { i: 0 } ).count() );
     assert.eq( 1, as.find( { i: 999 } ).count() );
 
-    stopMongod( 27019, signal );
+    stopMongod( ports[ 1 ], signal );
     sleep( 2000 );
     
     for( i = 1000; i < 1010; ++i )
         am.save( { _id: new ObjectId(), i: i } );
 
-    s = startMongoProgram( "mongod", "--port", "27019", "--dbpath", "/data/db/" + baseName + "-slave", "--slave", "--source", "127.0.0.1:27018" );
+    s = startMongoProgram( "mongod", "--port", ports[ 1 ], "--dbpath", "/data/db/" + baseName + "-slave", "--slave", "--source", "127.0.0.1:" + ports[ 0 ] );
     soonCount( 1010 );
     as = s.getDB( baseName ).a
     assert.eq( 1, as.find( { i: 1009 } ).count() );
 
-    stopMongod( 27018, signal );
+    stopMongod( ports[ 0 ], signal );
     sleep( 2000 );
     
-    m = startMongoProgram( "mongod", "--port", "27018", "--dbpath", "/data/db/" + baseName + "-master", "--master", "--oplogSize", "1" );
+    m = startMongoProgram( "mongod", "--port", ports[ 0 ], "--dbpath", "/data/db/" + baseName + "-master", "--master", "--oplogSize", "1" );
     am = m.getDB( baseName ).a
 
     for( i = 1010; i < 1020; ++i )
@@ -53,8 +55,6 @@ doTest = function( signal ) {
     assert.soon( function() { return as.find().count() == 1020; } );
     assert.eq( 1, as.find( { i: 1019 } ).count() );
     
-    stopMongod( 27018 );
-    stopMongod( 27019 );
 }
 
 doTest( 15 ); // SIGTERM
diff --git a/shell/ShellUtils.cpp b/shell/ShellUtils.cpp
index 7b0647c13f5..e12571287dd 100644
--- a/shell/ShellUtils.cpp
+++ b/shell/ShellUtils.cpp
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 #include <map>
 #include <sstream>
 #include <vector>
+#include <sys/socket.h>
+#include <netinet/in.h>
 
 using namespace std;
 using namespace v8;
@@ -535,6 +537,35 @@ Handle< Value > ThreadInject( const Arguments &args ) {
     return v8::Undefined();    
 }
 
+Handle< Value > AllocatePorts( const Arguments &args ) {
+    jsassert( args.Length() == 1 , "allocatePorts takes exactly 1 argument" );
+    jsassert( args[0]->IsInt32() , "allocatePorts needs to be passed an integer" );
+
+    int n = args[0]->ToInt32()->Value();
+    
+    Local< Array > ret = Array::New( n );
+    for( int i = 0; i < n; ++i ) {
+        int s = socket( AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0 );
+        assert( s );
+
+        sockaddr_in address;
+        memset(address.sin_zero, 0, sizeof(address.sin_zero));
+        address.sin_family = AF_INET;
+        address.sin_port = 0;
+        address.sin_addr.s_addr = 0;        
+        assert( 0 == bind( s, (sockaddr*)&address, sizeof( address ) ) );
+        
+        sockaddr_in newAddress;
+        socklen_t len = sizeof( newAddress );
+        assert( 0 == getsockname( s, (sockaddr*)&newAddress, &len ) );
+        ret->Set( Number::New( i ), Number::New( ntohs( newAddress.sin_port ) ) );
+        
+        assert( 0 == close( s ) );
+    }
+
+    return ret;
+}
+
 void installShellUtils( Handle<v8::ObjectTemplate>& global ){
     global->Set(v8::String::New("sleep"), v8::FunctionTemplate::New(JSSleep));
     global->Set(v8::String::New("print"), v8::FunctionTemplate::New(Print));
@@ -543,6 +574,7 @@ void installShellUtils( Handle<v8::ObjectTemplate>& global ){
     global->Set(v8::String::New("quit"), v8::FunctionTemplate::New(Quit));
     global->Set(v8::String::New("version"), v8::FunctionTemplate::New(Version));
     global->Set(v8::String::New("threadInject"), v8::FunctionTemplate::New(ThreadInject));
+    global->Set(v8::String::New("allocatePorts"), v8::FunctionTemplate::New(AllocatePorts));
 #if !defined(_WIN32)
     global->Set(v8::String::New("_startMongoProgram"), v8::FunctionTemplate::New(StartMongoProgram));
     global->Set(v8::String::New("stopMongod"), v8::FunctionTemplate::New(StopMongoProgram));