diff --git a/test/fuse_integration/framework_test.go b/test/fuse_integration/framework_test.go
index 9fc3e28e6..0c8b5ab39 100644
--- a/test/fuse_integration/framework_test.go
+++ b/test/fuse_integration/framework_test.go
@@ -86,35 +86,47 @@ func NewFuseTestFramework(t *testing.T, config *TestConfig) *FuseTestFramework {
 	}
 }
 
-// freePort asks the OS for a free TCP port in a range where the gRPC
-// offset (port + 10000) won't collide with well-known ports.
-// Stay below the Linux ephemeral floor (32768) so the kernel does not
-// reuse the chosen port for an outbound connection between close() here
-// and re-bind in the child "weed mini" process.
+// grpcPortOffset mirrors weed's HTTP->gRPC port convention (gRPC = HTTP + offset);
+// "weed mount" derives the filer gRPC port from the filer HTTP address the same way.
+const grpcPortOffset = 10000
+
+// freePort returns a free filer HTTP port whose gRPC sibling (port+grpcPortOffset)
+// is also free. Both must stay below the Linux ephemeral floor (32768): a gRPC port
+// above it can be transiently grabbed by an outbound connection, forcing mini to
+// relocate its filer gRPC port while "weed mount" keeps dialing HTTP+10000 — the
+// mount then never connects and the test times out. Capping HTTP at 22000 keeps the
+// gRPC port at or below 32000.
 func freePort(t *testing.T) int {
 	t.Helper()
 	const (
 		minServicePort = 20000
-		maxServicePort = 32000
+		maxServicePort = 22000
 	)
 
 	portCount := maxServicePort - minServicePort + 1
 	start := minServicePort + int(time.Now().UnixNano()%int64(portCount))
 
-	for attempt := 0; attempt < 512; attempt++ {
+	for attempt := 0; attempt < portCount; attempt++ {
 		port := minServicePort + (start-minServicePort+attempt)%portCount
-		l, err := net.Listen("tcp", net.JoinHostPort("127.0.0.1", strconv.Itoa(port)))
-		if err != nil {
-			continue
+		if portIsFree(port) && portIsFree(port+grpcPortOffset) {
+			return port
 		}
-		l.Close()
-		return port
 	}
 
-	t.Fatalf("failed to allocate port <= %d after repeated attempts", maxServicePort)
+	t.Fatalf("failed to allocate a free HTTP/gRPC port pair in [%d,%d]", minServicePort, maxServicePort)
 	return 0
 }
 
+// portIsFree reports whether a TCP port can currently be bound on 127.0.0.1.
+func portIsFree(port int) bool {
+	l, err := net.Listen("tcp", net.JoinHostPort("127.0.0.1", strconv.Itoa(port)))
+	if err != nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	l.Close()
+	return true
+}
+
 // Setup starts "weed mini" and mounts the FUSE filesystem.
 func (f *FuseTestFramework) Setup(config *TestConfig) error {
 	if f.isSetup {