diff --git a/server/args.go b/server/args.go
index cfed4d8..27c740a 100644
--- a/server/args.go
+++ b/server/args.go
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ type Args struct {
 	EsPort                      string
 	PrometheusPort              string
 	NotifierPort                string
-	JSONRPCPort                 *int
-	JSONRPCHTTPPort             *int
+	JSONRPCPort                 int
+	JSONRPCHTTPPort             int
 	EsIndex                     string
 	RefreshDelta                int
 	CacheTTL                    int
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ func ParseArgs(searchRequest *pb.SearchRequest) *Args {
 	esPort := parser.String("", "esport", &argparse.Options{Required: false, Help: "elasticsearch port", Default: DefaultEsPort})
 	prometheusPort := parser.String("", "prometheus-port", &argparse.Options{Required: false, Help: "prometheus port", Default: DefaultPrometheusPort})
 	notifierPort := parser.String("", "notifier-port", &argparse.Options{Required: false, Help: "notifier port", Default: DefaultNotifierPort})
-	jsonRPCPort := parser.Int("", "json-rpc-port", &argparse.Options{Required: false, Help: "JSON RPC port", Validate: validatePort, Default: DefaultJSONRPCPort})
+	jsonRPCPort := parser.Int("", "json-rpc-port", &argparse.Options{Required: false, Help: "JSON RPC port", Validate: validatePort})
 	jsonRPCHTTPPort := parser.Int("", "json-rpc-http-port", &argparse.Options{Required: false, Help: "JSON RPC over HTTP port", Validate: validatePort})
 	esIndex := parser.String("", "esindex", &argparse.Options{Required: false, Help: "elasticsearch index name", Default: DefaultEsIndex})
 	refreshDelta := parser.Int("", "refresh-delta", &argparse.Options{Required: false, Help: "elasticsearch index refresh delta in seconds", Default: DefaultRefreshDelta})
@@ -166,6 +166,11 @@ func ParseArgs(searchRequest *pb.SearchRequest) *Args {
 		log.Fatalln(parser.Usage(err))
 	}
 
+	// Use default JSON RPC port only if *neither* JSON RPC arg is specified.
+	if *jsonRPCPort == 0 && *jsonRPCHTTPPort == 0 {
+		*jsonRPCPort = DefaultJSONRPCPort
+	}
+
 	args := &Args{
 		CmdType:                     SearchCmd,
 		Host:                        *host,
@@ -176,8 +181,8 @@ func ParseArgs(searchRequest *pb.SearchRequest) *Args {
 		EsPort:                      *esPort,
 		PrometheusPort:              *prometheusPort,
 		NotifierPort:                *notifierPort,
-		JSONRPCPort:                 jsonRPCPort,
-		JSONRPCHTTPPort:             jsonRPCHTTPPort,
+		JSONRPCPort:                 *jsonRPCPort,
+		JSONRPCHTTPPort:             *jsonRPCHTTPPort,
 		EsIndex:                     *esIndex,
 		RefreshDelta:                *refreshDelta,
 		CacheTTL:                    *cacheTTL,
diff --git a/server/federation_test.go b/server/federation_test.go
index 78d9038..850500f 100644
--- a/server/federation_test.go
+++ b/server/federation_test.go
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ func removeFile(fileName string) {
 
 // makeDefaultArgs creates a default set of arguments for testing the server.
 func makeDefaultArgs() *server.Args {
-	port := server.DefaultJSONRPCPort
 	args := &server.Args{
 		CmdType:                     server.ServeCmd,
 		Host:                        server.DefaultHost,
@@ -56,7 +55,7 @@ func makeDefaultArgs() *server.Args {
 		EsPort:                      server.DefaultEsPort,
 		PrometheusPort:              server.DefaultPrometheusPort,
 		NotifierPort:                server.DefaultNotifierPort,
-		JSONRPCPort:                 &port,
+		JSONRPCPort:                 server.DefaultJSONRPCPort,
 		EsIndex:                     server.DefaultEsIndex,
 		RefreshDelta:                server.DefaultRefreshDelta,
 		CacheTTL:                    server.DefaultCacheTTL,
diff --git a/server/jsonrpc_service.go b/server/jsonrpc_service.go
index 90f20ca..9c29ef4 100644
--- a/server/jsonrpc_service.go
+++ b/server/jsonrpc_service.go
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ func (s *Server) StartJsonRPC() error {
 	defer s.sessionManager.stop()
 
 	// Set up the pure JSONRPC server with persistent connections/sessions.
-	for s.Args.JSONRPCPort != nil {
-		port := ":" + strconv.FormatUint(uint64(*s.Args.JSONRPCPort), 10)
+	for s.Args.JSONRPCPort != 0 {
+		port := ":" + strconv.FormatUint(uint64(s.Args.JSONRPCPort), 10)
 		laddr, err := net.ResolveTCPAddr("tcp", port)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Errorf("ResoveIPAddr: %v\n", err)
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ func (s *Server) StartJsonRPC() error {
 			log.Errorf("ListenTCP: %v\n", err)
 			break
 		}
+		log.Infof("JSONRPC server listening on %s", listener.Addr().String())
 		acceptConnections := func(listener net.Listener) {
 			for {
 				conn, err := listener.Accept()
@@ -83,7 +84,7 @@ func (s *Server) StartJsonRPC() error {
 	}
 
 	// Set up the JSONRPC over HTTP server.
-	for s.Args.JSONRPCHTTPPort != nil {
+	for s.Args.JSONRPCHTTPPort != 0 {
 		s1 := gorilla_rpc.NewServer() // Create a new RPC server
 		// Register the type of data requested as JSON, with custom codec.
 		s1.RegisterCodec(&gorillaRpcCodec{gorilla_json.NewCodec()}, "application/json")
@@ -112,7 +113,8 @@ func (s *Server) StartJsonRPC() error {
 
 		r := gorilla_mux.NewRouter()
 		r.Handle("/rpc", s1)
-		port := ":" + strconv.FormatUint(uint64(*s.Args.JSONRPCHTTPPort), 10)
+		port := ":" + strconv.FormatUint(uint64(s.Args.JSONRPCHTTPPort), 10)
+		log.Infof("HTTP JSONRPC server listening on %s", port)
 		log.Fatal(http.ListenAndServe(port, r))
 		break
 	}