diff --git a/gms/gossiper.cc b/gms/gossiper.cc
index af38b60a78..6cf618a547 100644
--- a/gms/gossiper.cc
+++ b/gms/gossiper.cc
@@ -313,6 +313,9 @@ void gossiper::init_messaging_service_handler() {
         });
         return messaging_service::no_wait();
     });
+
+    // Start listening messaging_service after gossip message handlers are registered
+    ms().start_listen();
 }
 
 void gossiper::uninit_messaging_service_handler() {
diff --git a/init.cc b/init.cc
index b10b16793f..df56351c08 100644
--- a/init.cc
+++ b/init.cc
@@ -79,7 +79,9 @@ void init_ms_fd_gossiper(sstring listen_address
     }
 
     // Init messaging_service
-    net::get_messaging_service().start(listen, storage_port, ew, ssl_storage_port, creds).get();
+    // Delay listening messaging_service until gossip message handlers are registered
+    bool listen_now = false;
+    net::get_messaging_service().start(listen, storage_port, ew, ssl_storage_port, creds, listen_now).get();
 
     // #293 - do not stop anything
     //engine().at_exit([] { return net::get_messaging_service().stop(); });
diff --git a/message/messaging_service.cc b/message/messaging_service.cc
index 8cf407ff3d..112335e8e2 100644
--- a/message/messaging_service.cc
+++ b/message/messaging_service.cc
@@ -207,8 +207,8 @@ void register_handler(messaging_service* ms, messaging_verb verb, Func&& func) {
     ms->rpc()->register_handler(verb, std::move(func));
 }
 
-messaging_service::messaging_service(gms::inet_address ip, uint16_t port)
-    : messaging_service(std::move(ip), port, encrypt_what::none, 0, nullptr)
+messaging_service::messaging_service(gms::inet_address ip, uint16_t port, bool listen_now)
+    : messaging_service(std::move(ip), port, encrypt_what::none, 0, nullptr, listen_now)
 {}
 
 static
@@ -221,31 +221,41 @@ rpc_resource_limits() {
     return limits;
 }
 
+void messaging_service::start_listen() {
+    if (!_server) {
+        auto addr = ipv4_addr{_listen_address.raw_addr(), _port};
+        _server = std::unique_ptr<rpc_protocol_server_wrapper>(new rpc_protocol_server_wrapper(*_rpc,
+                addr, rpc_resource_limits()));
+    }
+
+    if (!_server_tls) {
+        _server_tls = std::unique_ptr<rpc_protocol_server_wrapper>(
+            [this] () -> std::unique_ptr<rpc_protocol_server_wrapper>{
+                if (_encrypt_what == encrypt_what::none) {
+                    return nullptr;
+                }
+                listen_options lo;
+                lo.reuse_address = true;
+                auto addr = make_ipv4_address(ipv4_addr{_listen_address.raw_addr(), _ssl_port});
+                return std::make_unique<rpc_protocol_server_wrapper>(*_rpc,
+                        seastar::tls::listen(_credentials, addr, lo));
+        }());
+    }
+}
+
 messaging_service::messaging_service(gms::inet_address ip
         , uint16_t port
         , encrypt_what ew
         , uint16_t ssl_port
         , std::shared_ptr<seastar::tls::credentials_builder> credentials
+        , bool listen_now
         )
     : _listen_address(ip)
     , _port(port)
     , _ssl_port(ssl_port)
     , _encrypt_what(ew)
     , _rpc(new rpc_protocol_wrapper(serializer { }))
-    , _server(new rpc_protocol_server_wrapper(*_rpc, ipv4_addr { _listen_address.raw_addr(), _port }, rpc_resource_limits()))
     , _credentials(credentials ? credentials->build_server_credentials() : nullptr)
-    , _server_tls([this]() -> std::unique_ptr<rpc_protocol_server_wrapper>{
-        if (_encrypt_what == encrypt_what::none) {
-            return nullptr;
-        }
-        listen_options lo;
-        lo.reuse_address = true;
-        return std::make_unique<rpc_protocol_server_wrapper>(*_rpc,
-                        seastar::tls::listen(_credentials
-                                        , make_ipv4_address(ipv4_addr {_listen_address.raw_addr(), _ssl_port})
-                                        , lo)
-        );
-    }())
 {
     _rpc->set_logger([] (const sstring& log) {
             rpc_logger.info("{}", log);
@@ -255,6 +265,11 @@ messaging_service::messaging_service(gms::inet_address ip
         ci.attach_auxiliary("src_cpu_id", src_cpu_id);
         return rpc::no_wait;
     });
+
+    if (listen_now) {
+        start_listen();
+    }
+
     // Do this on just cpu 0, to avoid duplicate logs.
     if (engine().cpu_id() == 0) {
         if (_server_tls) {
diff --git a/message/messaging_service.hh b/message/messaging_service.hh
index 8a8d201fc5..eab4052717 100644
--- a/message/messaging_service.hh
+++ b/message/messaging_service.hh
@@ -184,11 +184,14 @@ private:
 public:
     using clock_type = std::chrono::steady_clock;
 public:
-    messaging_service(gms::inet_address ip = gms::inet_address("0.0.0.0"), uint16_t port = 7000);
+    messaging_service(gms::inet_address ip = gms::inet_address("0.0.0.0"),
+            uint16_t port = 7000, bool listen_now = true);
     messaging_service(gms::inet_address ip, uint16_t port, encrypt_what,
-            uint16_t ssl_port, std::shared_ptr<seastar::tls::credentials_builder>);
+            uint16_t ssl_port, std::shared_ptr<seastar::tls::credentials_builder>,
+            bool listen_now = true);
     ~messaging_service();
 public:
+    void start_listen();
     uint16_t port();
     gms::inet_address listen_address();
     future<> stop();