diff --git a/README.markdown b/README.markdown
index e0b7c69..bfcdcab 100644
--- a/README.markdown
+++ b/README.markdown
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ Clients authenticate by sending an ext parameter `authentication` containing the
 
 ## Configuration and running ##
 
-Install an init script (for debian-based systems) using `initscripts/install.sh`.
+Install an init script (for debian-based systems) using `initscripts/install.sh [port]`. The port defaults to 8080.
 
 To run the server manually, do `mvn -Dfi.helsinki.cs.tmc.comet.configFile=/path/to/file.properties jetty:start`. The configuration file should not be world-readable and must have the following definitions.
 
diff --git a/initscripts/install.sh b/initscripts/install.sh
index 633e604..e6d4cb5 100755
--- a/initscripts/install.sh
+++ b/initscripts/install.sh
@@ -5,15 +5,17 @@ TEMPLATE="$THISDIR/template.txt"
 SCRIPT_NAME=tmc-comet
 TARGET="/etc/init.d/$SCRIPT_NAME"
 RUN_AS=`stat -c '%U' "$BASEDIR"`
+PORT=${1:-8080}
 
 which nc > /dev/null || (echo "Error: 'nc' command missing! Please install netcat."; exit 1)
 
-echo "Installing into $TARGET."
+echo "Installing into $TARGET with port $PORT."
 echo "Configuring it to run as $RUN_AS (the current owner of the directory)."
 cat "$TEMPLATE" |
   sed "s@__BASEDIR__@$BASEDIR@" |
   sed "s@__NAME__@$SCRIPT_NAME@" |
-  sed "s@__USER__@$RUN_AS@" > $TARGET
+  sed "s@__USER__@$RUN_AS@" |
+  sed "s@__PORT__@$PORT@" > $TARGET
 chmod a+x "$TARGET"
 
 echo "Setting to start/stop by default"
diff --git a/initscripts/template.txt b/initscripts/template.txt
index 79f6e87..e67b97b 100644
--- a/initscripts/template.txt
+++ b/initscripts/template.txt
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 BASEDIR=__BASEDIR__
 LOG_FILE="$BASEDIR/daemon.log"
-HTTP_PORT=8080
+HTTP_PORT=__PORT__
 RUN_AS=__USER__
 
 cd "$BASEDIR"
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ start() {
   fi
 
   echo -n "Starting jetty"
-  su -c 'mvn jetty:start >> '"$LOG_FILE"' 2>&1 &' "$RUN_AS"
+  su -c 'mvn -Djetty.port='"$HTTP_PORT"' jetty:start >> '"$LOG_FILE"' 2>&1 &' "$RUN_AS"
   
   # Wait until started
   for i in `seq 1 15`; do
@@ -42,13 +42,13 @@ start() {
   
   echo
   echo "Failed to start in 15 seconds. Check $LOG_FILE"
-  echo "If this is the first startup, it might take a while to download dependencies."
+  echo "If this is the first startup, the server may start after dependencies have been downloaded."
   exit 1
 }
 
 stop() {
   echo "Stopping jetty"
-  su -c 'mvn jetty:stop >> '"$LOG_FILE"' 2>&1' "$RUN_AS"
+  su -c 'mvn -Djetty.port='"$HTTP_PORT"' jetty:stop >> '"$LOG_FILE"' 2>&1' "$RUN_AS"
 }
 
 case "$1" in