diff --git a/cli/tauri.js/src/helpers/tauri-config.ts b/cli/tauri.js/src/helpers/tauri-config.ts
index 8931d4258..b2d038fcd 100644
--- a/cli/tauri.js/src/helpers/tauri-config.ts
+++ b/cli/tauri.js/src/helpers/tauri-config.ts
@@ -31,8 +31,7 @@ const getTauriConfig = (cfg: Partial<TauriConfig>): TauriConfig => {
       ctx: {},
       tauri: {
         embeddedServer: {
-          active: true,
-          port: "3000"
+          active: true
         },
         bundle: {
           active: true,
diff --git a/cli/tauri.js/src/types/config.schema.json b/cli/tauri.js/src/types/config.schema.json
index 78493e630..1e10dc788 100644
--- a/cli/tauri.js/src/types/config.schema.json
+++ b/cli/tauri.js/src/types/config.schema.json
@@ -401,8 +401,18 @@
               "type": "boolean"
             },
             "port": {
-              "description": "enable custom port, instead of using random port",
-              "type": "string"
+              "anyOf": [
+                {
+                  "enum": [
+                    "random"
+                  ],
+                  "type": "string"
+                },
+                {
+                  "type": "number"
+                }
+              ],
+              "description": "the embedded server port number or the 'random' string to generate one at runtime"
             }
           },
           "type": "object"
@@ -490,4 +500,4 @@
     "tauri"
   ],
   "type": "object"
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/cli/tauri.js/src/types/config.ts b/cli/tauri.js/src/types/config.ts
index 2369bc28a..98ac01062 100644
--- a/cli/tauri.js/src/types/config.ts
+++ b/cli/tauri.js/src/types/config.ts
@@ -223,7 +223,10 @@ export interface TauriConfig {
        * whether we should use the embedded-server or the no-server mode
        */
       active?: boolean
-      port?: string
+      /**
+       * the embedded server port number or the 'random' string to generate one at runtime
+       */
+      port?: number | 'random' | undefined
     }
     /**
      * tauri bundler configuration
diff --git a/cli/tauri.js/src/types/config.validator.ts b/cli/tauri.js/src/types/config.validator.ts
index 005c70a92..3b8b781bc 100644
--- a/cli/tauri.js/src/types/config.validator.ts
+++ b/cli/tauri.js/src/types/config.validator.ts
@@ -411,8 +411,18 @@ export const TauriConfigSchema = {
               "type": "boolean"
             },
             "port": {
-              "description": "enable custom port, instead of using random port",
-              "type": "string"
+              "anyOf": [
+                {
+                  "enum": [
+                    "random"
+                  ],
+                  "type": "string"
+                },
+                {
+                  "type": "number"
+                }
+              ],
+              "description": "the embedded server port number or the 'random' string to generate one at runtime"
             }
           },
           "type": "object"
diff --git a/tauri-api/src/config.rs b/tauri-api/src/config.rs
index 8ddadc0a0..fb2bf38d8 100644
--- a/tauri-api/src/config.rs
+++ b/tauri-api/src/config.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use serde::de::{Deserializer, Error as DeError, Visitor};
 use serde::Deserialize;
 
 use once_cell::sync::OnceCell;
@@ -52,6 +53,15 @@ fn default_window() -> WindowConfig {
   }
 }
 
+/// The embedded server port.
+#[derive(PartialEq, Debug, Deserialize)]
+pub enum Port {
+  /// Port with a numeric value.
+  Value(u16),
+  /// Random port.
+  Random,
+}
+
 /// The embeddedServer configuration object.
 #[derive(PartialEq, Deserialize, Debug)]
 #[serde(tag = "embeddedServer", rename_all = "camelCase")]
@@ -61,16 +71,52 @@ pub struct EmbeddedServerConfig {
   pub host: String,
   /// The embedded server port.
   /// If it's `random`, we'll generate one at runtime.
-  #[serde(default = "default_port")]
-  pub port: String,
+  #[serde(default = "default_port", deserialize_with = "port_deserializer")]
+  pub port: Port,
 }
 
 fn default_host() -> String {
   "http://127.0.0.1".to_string()
 }
 
-fn default_port() -> String {
-  "random".to_string()
+fn port_deserializer<'de, D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<Port, D::Error>
+where
+  D: Deserializer<'de>,
+{
+  struct PortDeserializer;
+
+  impl<'de> Visitor<'de> for PortDeserializer {
+    type Value = Port;
+    fn expecting(&self, formatter: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+      formatter.write_str("a port number or the 'random' string")
+    }
+
+    fn visit_str<E>(self, value: &str) -> Result<Self::Value, E>
+    where
+      E: DeError,
+    {
+      if value != "random" {
+        Err(DeError::custom(
+          "expected a 'random' string or a port number",
+        ))
+      } else {
+        Ok(Port::Random)
+      }
+    }
+
+    fn visit_u64<E>(self, value: u64) -> Result<Self::Value, E>
+    where
+      E: DeError,
+    {
+      Ok(Port::Value(value as u16))
+    }
+  }
+
+  deserializer.deserialize_any(PortDeserializer {})
+}
+
+fn default_port() -> Port {
+  Port::Random
 }
 
 fn default_embedded_server() -> EmbeddedServerConfig {
@@ -341,7 +387,7 @@ mod test {
         },
         embedded_server: EmbeddedServerConfig {
           host: String::from("http://127.0.0.1"),
-          port: String::from("random"),
+          port: Port::Random,
         },
         bundle: BundleConfig {
           identifier: String::from("com.tauri.communication"),
@@ -437,7 +483,7 @@ mod test {
       },
       embedded_server: EmbeddedServerConfig {
         host: String::from("http://127.0.0.1"),
-        port: String::from("random"),
+        port: Port::Random,
       },
       bundle: BundleConfig {
         identifier: String::from(""),
diff --git a/tauri/src/app/runner.rs b/tauri/src/app/runner.rs
index e61a7e845..4773f47a4 100644
--- a/tauri/src/app/runner.rs
+++ b/tauri/src/app/runner.rs
@@ -103,19 +103,15 @@ fn setup_content() -> crate::Result<Content<String>> {
 #[cfg(embedded_server)]
 fn setup_port() -> crate::Result<(String, bool)> {
   let config = get()?;
-  if config.tauri.embedded_server.port == "random" {
-    match get_available_port() {
+  match config.tauri.embedded_server.port {
+    tauri_api::config::Port::Random => match get_available_port() {
       Some(available_port) => Ok((available_port.to_string(), true)),
       None => Ok(("0".to_string(), false)),
+    },
+    tauri_api::config::Port::Value(port) => {
+      let port_valid = port_is_available(port);
+      Ok((port.to_string(), port_valid))
     }
-  } else {
-    let port = &config.tauri.embedded_server.port;
-    let port_valid = port_is_available(
-      port
-        .parse::<u16>()
-        .unwrap_or_else(|_| panic!("Invalid port {}", port)),
-    );
-    Ok((port.to_string(), port_valid))
   }
 }