diff --git a/packages/web/src/server/http.js b/packages/web/src/server/http.js
index d3297e33..4866da9c 100644
--- a/packages/web/src/server/http.js
+++ b/packages/web/src/server/http.js
@@ -74,11 +74,17 @@ export const createHttpServer = async (flecks) => {
     if (host) {
       args.push(host);
     }
-    args.push(async (error) => {
-      if (error) {
-        reject(error);
-        return;
+    const onError = (error) => {
+      if ('EADDRINUSE' === error.code) {
+        error.message = (
+          `HTTP server couldn't connect: '${[host, port].join(':')}' already in use!`
+        );
       }
+      reject(error);
+    };
+    httpServer.on('error', onError);
+    args.push(async () => {
+      httpServer.off('error', onError);
       await flecks.invokeSequentialAsync('@flecks/web/server.up', httpServer);
       const actualPort = 0 === port ? httpServer.address().port : port;
       debug(
diff --git a/packages/web/src/server/index.js b/packages/web/src/server/index.js
index 82a69ec7..74961442 100644
--- a/packages/web/src/server/index.js
+++ b/packages/web/src/server/index.js
@@ -8,6 +8,15 @@ const {
 export {configSource};
 
 export const hooks = {
+  '@flecks/core.starting': (flecks) => {
+    const {
+      host = 'production' === NODE_ENV ? '0.0.0.0' : 'localhost',
+      port,
+      public: httpPublic,
+    } = flecks.get('@flecks/web');
+    flecks.web.host = host;
+    flecks.web.public = httpPublic || [host, port].join(':');
+  },
   '@flecks/web.routes': (flecks) => {
     const routes = [
       {
@@ -60,15 +69,8 @@ export const mixin = (Flecks) => class FlecksWithWeb extends Flecks {
   constructor(runtime) {
     super(runtime);
     if (!this.web) {
-      const {
-        host = 'production' === NODE_ENV ? '0.0.0.0' : 'localhost',
-        port,
-        public: httpPublic,
-      } = runtime.config['@flecks/web'];
       this.web = {
         config: runtime['@flecks/web'],
-        host,
-        public: httpPublic || [host, port].join(':'),
         server: undefined,
       };
     }