diff --git a/packages/next/cli/next-dev.ts b/packages/next/cli/next-dev.ts
index 9048fd028aed..f0c0cd25e3d5 100755
--- a/packages/next/cli/next-dev.ts
+++ b/packages/next/cli/next-dev.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import arg from 'next/dist/compiled/arg/index.js'
 import { existsSync, watchFile } from 'fs'
 import { startServer } from '../server/lib/start-server'
-import { printAndExit } from '../server/lib/utils'
+import { getPort, printAndExit } from '../server/lib/utils'
 import * as Log from '../build/output/log'
 import { startedDevelopmentServer } from '../build/output'
 import { cliCommand } from '../lib/commands'
@@ -75,16 +75,10 @@ const nextDev: cliCommand = (argv) => {
       )
     }
   }
-  const allowRetry = !args['--port']
-  let port: number =
-    args['--port'] || (process.env.PORT && parseInt(process.env.PORT)) || 3000
 
-  // we allow the server to use a random port while testing
-  // instead of attempting to find a random port and then hope
-  // it doesn't become occupied before we leverage it
-  if (process.env.__NEXT_FORCED_PORT) {
-    port = parseInt(process.env.__NEXT_FORCED_PORT, 10) || 0
-  }
+  const port = getPort(args)
+  // If neither --port nor PORT were specified, it's okay to retry new ports.
+  const allowRetry = args['--port'] === null && process.env.PORT === null
 
   // We do not set a default host value here to prevent breaking
   // some set-ups that rely on listening on other interfaces
diff --git a/packages/next/cli/next-start.ts b/packages/next/cli/next-start.ts
index fc7cfe39369b..4f6ddf84e656 100755
--- a/packages/next/cli/next-start.ts
+++ b/packages/next/cli/next-start.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 import arg from 'next/dist/compiled/arg/index.js'
 import { startServer } from '../server/lib/start-server'
-import { printAndExit } from '../server/lib/utils'
+import { getPort, printAndExit } from '../server/lib/utils'
 import * as Log from '../build/output/log'
 import isError from '../lib/is-error'
 import { getProjectDir } from '../lib/get-project-dir'
@@ -52,13 +52,8 @@ const nextStart: cliCommand = (argv) => {
   }
 
   const dir = getProjectDir(args._[0])
-  let port: number =
-    args['--port'] || (process.env.PORT && parseInt(process.env.PORT)) || 3000
   const host = args['--hostname'] || '0.0.0.0'
-
-  if (process.env.__NEXT_FORCED_PORT) {
-    port = parseInt(process.env.__NEXT_FORCED_PORT, 10) || 0
-  }
+  const port = getPort(args)
 
   const keepAliveTimeoutArg: number | undefined = args['--keepAliveTimeout']
   if (
diff --git a/packages/next/server/lib/utils.ts b/packages/next/server/lib/utils.ts
index 578992683c8e..10f8ec20165f 100644
--- a/packages/next/server/lib/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/next/server/lib/utils.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import type arg from 'next/dist/compiled/arg/index.js'
+
 export function printAndExit(message: string, code = 1) {
   if (code === 0) {
     console.log(message)
@@ -12,3 +14,16 @@ export function getNodeOptionsWithoutInspect() {
   const NODE_INSPECT_RE = /--inspect(-brk)?(=\S+)?( |$)/
   return (process.env.NODE_OPTIONS || '').replace(NODE_INSPECT_RE, '')
 }
+
+export function getPort(args: arg.Result<arg.Spec>): number {
+  if (args['--port'] != null) {
+    return args['--port']
+  }
+
+  const parsed = process.env.PORT && parseInt(process.env.PORT, 10)
+  if (typeof parsed === 'number' && !Number.isNaN(parsed)) {
+    return parsed
+  }
+
+  return 3000
+}
diff --git a/test/integration/cli/test/index.test.js b/test/integration/cli/test/index.test.js
index 6e5aeb0451fd..4d228a31f569 100644
--- a/test/integration/cli/test/index.test.js
+++ b/test/integration/cli/test/index.test.js
@@ -178,6 +178,34 @@ describe('CLI Usage', () => {
       expect(output).toMatch(new RegExp(`http://localhost:${port}`))
     })
 
+    test('--port 0', async () => {
+      const output = await runNextCommandDev([dir, '--port', '0'], true)
+      const matches = /on 0.0.0.0:(\d+)/.exec(output)
+      expect(matches).not.toBe(null)
+
+      const port = parseInt(matches[1])
+      // Regression test: port 0 was interpreted as if no port had been
+      // provided, falling back to 3000.
+      expect(port).not.toBe(3000)
+
+      expect(output).toMatch(new RegExp(`http://localhost:${port}`))
+    })
+
+    test('PORT=0', async () => {
+      const output = await runNextCommandDev([dir], true, {
+        env: { PORT: 0 },
+      })
+      const matches = /on 0.0.0.0:(\d+)/.exec(output)
+      expect(matches).not.toBe(null)
+
+      const port = parseInt(matches[1])
+      // Regression test: port 0 was interpreted as if no port had been
+      // provided, falling back to 3000.
+      expect(port).not.toBe(3000)
+
+      expect(output).toMatch(new RegExp(`http://localhost:${port}`))
+    })
+
     test("NODE_OPTIONS='--inspect'", async () => {
       // this test checks that --inspect works by launching a single debugger for the main Next.js process,
       // not for its subprocesses
diff --git a/test/lib/next-modes/next-dev.ts b/test/lib/next-modes/next-dev.ts
index f7161c7b7a9c..067d8632a08c 100644
--- a/test/lib/next-modes/next-dev.ts
+++ b/test/lib/next-modes/next-dev.ts
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ export class NextDevInstance extends NextInstance {
           ...process.env,
           ...this.env,
           NODE_ENV: '' as any,
+          PORT: this.forcedPort || '0',
           __NEXT_TEST_MODE: '1',
-          __NEXT_FORCED_PORT: this.forcedPort || '0',
           __NEXT_TEST_WITH_DEVTOOL: '1',
         },
       })
diff --git a/test/lib/next-modes/next-start.ts b/test/lib/next-modes/next-start.ts
index 11515fce56ed..51672583a40e 100644
--- a/test/lib/next-modes/next-start.ts
+++ b/test/lib/next-modes/next-start.ts
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ export class NextStartInstance extends NextInstance {
         ...process.env,
         ...this.env,
         NODE_ENV: '' as any,
+        PORT: this.forcedPort || '0',
         __NEXT_TEST_MODE: '1',
-        __NEXT_FORCED_PORT: this.forcedPort || '0',
       },
     }
     let buildArgs = ['yarn', 'next', 'build']