diff --git a/include/proto/checks.h b/include/proto/checks.h
index 9ab3e509b..ecd4a5ce4 100644
--- a/include/proto/checks.h
+++ b/include/proto/checks.h
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ void free_check(struct check *check);
 
 void send_email_alert(struct server *s, int priority, const char *format, ...)
 	__attribute__ ((format(printf, 3, 4)));
+int srv_check_healthcheck_port(struct check *chk);
 #endif /* _PROTO_CHECKS_H */
 
 /*
diff --git a/include/types/checks.h b/include/types/checks.h
index dd2018400..283ff3dbe 100644
--- a/include/types/checks.h
+++ b/include/types/checks.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ enum chk_result {
 #define CHK_ST_ENABLED          0x0004  /* this check is currently administratively enabled */
 #define CHK_ST_PAUSED           0x0008  /* checks are paused because of maintenance (health only) */
 #define CHK_ST_AGENT            0x0010  /* check is an agent check (otherwise it's a health check) */
+#define CHK_ST_PORT_MISS        0x0020  /* check can't be send because no port is configured to run it */
 
 /* check status */
 enum {
diff --git a/include/types/stream.h b/include/types/stream.h
index 17e74b8ea..0d8c5002a 100644
--- a/include/types/stream.h
+++ b/include/types/stream.h
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@
 #define SF_ERR_DOWN     0x00009000	/* the proxy killed a stream because the backend became unavailable */
 #define SF_ERR_KILLED   0x0000a000	/* the proxy killed a stream because it was asked to do so */
 #define SF_ERR_UP       0x0000b000	/* the proxy killed a stream because a preferred backend became available */
+#define SF_ERR_CHK_PORT 0x0000c000	/* no port could be found for a health check. TODO: check SF_ERR_SHIFT */
 #define SF_ERR_MASK     0x0000f000	/* mask to get only stream error flags */
 #define SF_ERR_SHIFT    12		/* bit shift */
 
diff --git a/src/checks.c b/src/checks.c
index 5d026420b..65d003743 100644
--- a/src/checks.c
+++ b/src/checks.c
@@ -679,6 +679,12 @@ static void chk_report_conn_err(struct connection *conn, int errno_bck, int expi
 		}
 	}
 
+       if (check->state & CHK_ST_PORT_MISS) {
+		/* NOTE: this is reported after <fall> tries */
+		chunk_printf(chk, "No port available for the TCP connection");
+		set_server_check_status(check, HCHK_STATUS_SOCKERR, err_msg);
+	}
+
 	if ((conn->flags & (CO_FL_CONNECTED|CO_FL_WAIT_L4_CONN)) == CO_FL_WAIT_L4_CONN) {
 		/* L4 not established (yet) */
 		if (conn->flags & CO_FL_ERROR)
@@ -1430,6 +1436,7 @@ static struct task *server_warmup(struct task *t)
  *  - SF_ERR_PRXCOND if the connection has been limited by the proxy (maxconn)
  *  - SF_ERR_RESOURCE if a system resource is lacking (eg: fd limits, ports, ...)
  *  - SF_ERR_INTERNAL for any other purely internal errors
+ *  - SF_ERR_CHK_PORT if no port could be found to run a health check on an AF_INET* socket
  * Additionnally, in the case of SF_ERR_RESOURCE, an emergency log will be emitted.
  * Note that we try to prevent the network stack from sending the ACK during the
  * connect() when a pure TCP check is used (without PROXY protocol).
@@ -1491,8 +1498,16 @@ static int connect_conn_chk(struct task *t)
 		conn->addr.to = s->addr;
 	}
 
-	if (check->port) {
-		set_host_port(&conn->addr.to, check->port);
+       if ((conn->addr.to.ss_family == AF_INET) || (conn->addr.to.ss_family == AF_INET6)) {
+		int i = 0;
+
+		i = srv_check_healthcheck_port(check);
+		if (i == 0) {
+			conn->owner = check;
+			return SF_ERR_CHK_PORT;
+		}
+
+		set_host_port(&conn->addr.to, i);
 	}
 
 	proto = protocol_by_family(conn->addr.to.ss_family);
@@ -2072,6 +2087,9 @@ static struct task *process_chk_conn(struct task *t)
 			conn->flags |= CO_FL_ERROR;
 			chk_report_conn_err(conn, errno, 0);
 			break;
+		/* should share same code than cases below */
+		case SF_ERR_CHK_PORT:
+			check->state |= CHK_ST_PORT_MISS;
 		case SF_ERR_PRXCOND:
 		case SF_ERR_RESOURCE:
 		case SF_ERR_INTERNAL:
@@ -3368,6 +3386,53 @@ void send_email_alert(struct server *s, int level, const char *format, ...)
 	enqueue_email_alert(p, buf);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Return value:
+ *   the port to be used for the health check
+ *   0 in case no port could be found for the check
+ */
+int srv_check_healthcheck_port(struct check *chk)
+{
+	int i = 0;
+	struct server *srv = NULL;
+
+	srv = chk->server;
+
+	/* If neither a port nor an addr was specified and no check transport
+	 * layer is forced, then the transport layer used by the checks is the
+	 * same as for the production traffic. Otherwise we use raw_sock by
+	 * default, unless one is specified.
+	 */
+	if (!chk->port && !is_addr(&chk->addr)) {
+#ifdef USE_OPENSSL
+		chk->use_ssl |= (srv->use_ssl || (srv->proxy->options & PR_O_TCPCHK_SSL));
+#endif
+		chk->send_proxy |= (srv->pp_opts);
+	}
+
+	/* by default, we use the health check port ocnfigured */
+	if (chk->port > 0)
+		return chk->port;
+
+	/* try to get the port from check_core.addr if check.port not set */
+	i = get_host_port(&chk->addr);
+	if (i > 0)
+		return i;
+
+	/* try to get the port from server address */
+	/* prevent MAPPORTS from working at this point, since checks could
+	 * not be performed in such case (MAPPORTS impose a relative ports
+	 * based on live traffic)
+	 */
+	if (srv->flags & SRV_F_MAPPORTS)
+		return 0;
+	i = get_host_port(&srv->addr); /* by default */
+	if (i > 0)
+		return i;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 
 /*
  * Local variables:
diff --git a/src/server.c b/src/server.c
index 62c08b056..e41afc744 100644
--- a/src/server.c
+++ b/src/server.c
@@ -869,7 +869,6 @@ int parse_server(const char *file, int linenum, char **args, struct proxy *curpr
 
 	if (!strcmp(args[0], "server") || !strcmp(args[0], "default-server")) {  /* server address */
 		int cur_arg;
-		short realport = 0;
 		int do_agent = 0, do_check = 0, defsrv = (*args[0] == 'd');
 
 		if (!defsrv && curproxy == defproxy) {
@@ -961,10 +960,6 @@ int parse_server(const char *file, int linenum, char **args, struct proxy *curpr
 				err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_FATAL;
 				goto out;
 			}
-			else {
-				/* used by checks */
-				realport = port1;
-			}
 
 			/* save hostname and create associated name resolution */
 			newsrv->hostname = fqdn;
@@ -1749,29 +1744,11 @@ int parse_server(const char *file, int linenum, char **args, struct proxy *curpr
 				goto out;
 			}
 
-			/* If neither a port nor an addr was specified and no check transport
-			 * layer is forced, then the transport layer used by the checks is the
-			 * same as for the production traffic. Otherwise we use raw_sock by
-			 * default, unless one is specified.
-			 */
-			if (!newsrv->check.port && !is_addr(&newsrv->check.addr)) {
-#ifdef USE_OPENSSL
-				newsrv->check.use_ssl |= (newsrv->use_ssl || (newsrv->proxy->options & PR_O_TCPCHK_SSL));
-#endif
-				newsrv->check.send_proxy |= (newsrv->pp_opts);
-			}
-			/* try to get the port from check_core.addr if check.port not set */
-			if (!newsrv->check.port)
-				newsrv->check.port = get_host_port(&newsrv->check.addr);
-
-			if (!newsrv->check.port)
-				newsrv->check.port = realport; /* by default */
-
 			/*
 			 * We need at least a service port, a check port or the first tcp-check rule must
 			 * be a 'connect' one when checking an IPv4/IPv6 server.
 			 */
-			if (!newsrv->check.port &&
+			if ((srv_check_healthcheck_port(&newsrv->check) == 0) &&
 			    (is_inet_addr(&newsrv->check.addr) ||
 			     (!is_addr(&newsrv->check.addr) && is_inet_addr(&newsrv->addr)))) {
 				struct tcpcheck_rule *r = NULL;