diff --git a/Lib/test/test_asyncore.py b/Lib/test/test_asyncore.py
index aa2d732faf8..f19ff35f9ed 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_asyncore.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_asyncore.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ from test.test_support import TESTFN, run_unittest, unlink
 from StringIO import StringIO
 
 HOST = "127.0.0.1"
-PORT = 54329
+PORT = None
 
 class dummysocket:
     def __init__(self):
@@ -53,12 +53,14 @@ class crashingdummy:
 
 # used when testing senders; just collects what it gets until newline is sent
 def capture_server(evt, buf):
-    serv = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
-    serv.settimeout(3)
-    serv.setsockopt(socket.SOL_SOCKET, socket.SO_REUSEADDR, 1)
-    serv.bind(("", PORT))
-    serv.listen(5)
     try:
+        serv = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
+        serv.settimeout(3)
+        serv.setsockopt(socket.SOL_SOCKET, socket.SO_REUSEADDR, 1)
+        serv.bind(("", 0))
+        global PORT
+        PORT = serv.getsockname()[1]
+        serv.listen(5)
         conn, addr = serv.accept()
     except socket.timeout:
         pass
@@ -78,6 +80,7 @@ def capture_server(evt, buf):
         conn.close()
     finally:
         serv.close()
+        PORT = None
         evt.set()
 
 
@@ -338,12 +341,26 @@ class DispatcherWithSendTests(unittest.TestCase):
         self.evt = threading.Event()
         cap = StringIO()
         threading.Thread(target=capture_server, args=(self.evt,cap)).start()
-        time.sleep(1) # Give server time to initialize
 
-        data = "Suppose there isn't a 16-ton weight?"*5
+        # wait until server thread has assigned a port number
+        n = 1000
+        while PORT is None and n > 0:
+            time.sleep(0.01)
+            n -= 1
+
+        # wait a little longer for the server to initialize (it sometimes
+        # refuses connections on slow machines without this wait)
+        time.sleep(0.2)
+
+        data = "Suppose there isn't a 16-ton weight?"
         d = dispatcherwithsend_noread()
         d.create_socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
         d.connect((HOST, PORT))
+
+        # give time for socket to connect
+        time.sleep(0.1)
+
+        d.send(data)
         d.send(data)
         d.send('\n')
 
@@ -354,7 +371,7 @@ class DispatcherWithSendTests(unittest.TestCase):
 
         self.evt.wait()
 
-        self.assertEqual(cap.getvalue(), data)
+        self.assertEqual(cap.getvalue(), data*2)
 
 
 class DispatcherWithSendTests_UsePoll(DispatcherWithSendTests):