diff --git a/quickstart/docker/image/run-with-ziti-cli.sh b/quickstart/docker/image/run-with-ziti-cli.sh
index 13f83d232..e231c9ee5 100755
--- a/quickstart/docker/image/run-with-ziti-cli.sh
+++ b/quickstart/docker/image/run-with-ziti-cli.sh
@@ -29,7 +29,10 @@ if [[ -f "${initFile}" ]]; then
 fi
 
 # give the controller scripts time to start and create the ziti environment file if running in docker compose 
-until $(test -f "${ZITI_HOME}/ziti.env"); do echo "waiting for ziti.env..."; sleep 2; done
+until $(test -f "${ZITI_HOME}/ziti.env"); do echo "waiting for ziti.env..."; sleep 1; done
+
+# Pause shortly to avoid the intermittent error of reading the file before it's completely done being written to.
+sleep 1
 
 . "${ZITI_SCRIPTS}/ziti-cli-functions.sh"
 
diff --git a/quickstart/docker/image/ziti-cli-functions.sh b/quickstart/docker/image/ziti-cli-functions.sh
index fd1e1692e..d8f4ac73e 100755
--- a/quickstart/docker/image/ziti-cli-functions.sh
+++ b/quickstart/docker/image/ziti-cli-functions.sh
@@ -291,10 +291,11 @@ function _portCheck {
   elif [[ -n "$BASH_VERSION" ]]; then
     envVarValue="${!envVar}"
   else
-    echo -e "Unknown/Unsupported shell, cannot check port status"
-    return 1
+    echo -e "$(YELLOW "Unknown/Unsupported shell, cannot verify availability of ${2-}'s intended port, proceed with caution")"
+    return 0
   fi
 
+  echo -e "Checking if ${2-}'s port (${envVarValue}) is available"
   portCheckResult=$(lsof -w -i :"${envVarValue}" 2> /dev/null)
   if [[ "${portCheckResult}" != "" ]]; then # Controller management plane
       echo -e "$(RED " ")"
@@ -510,8 +511,11 @@ function ziti_expressConfiguration {
   returnCnt=$((returnCnt + $?))
   _portCheck "ZITI_CTRL_MGMT_PORT" "Controller Management Plane"
   returnCnt=$((returnCnt + $?))
-  _portCheck "ZITI_EDGE_ROUTER_LISTENER_BIND_PORT" "Router Listener Bind Port"
-  returnCnt=$((returnCnt + $?))
+  if [[ "${ZITI_EDGE_ROUTER_LISTENER_BIND_PORT-}" != "" ]]; then
+    # This port can be explicitly set but is not always, only check if set
+    _portCheck "ZITI_EDGE_ROUTER_LISTENER_BIND_PORT" "Router Listener Bind Port"
+    returnCnt=$((returnCnt + $?))
+  fi
   if [[ "returnCnt" -gt "0" ]]; then return 1; fi
 
   #checkHostsFile
diff --git a/ziti/cmd/ziti/cmd/create_config_router_edge_test.go b/ziti/cmd/ziti/cmd/create_config_router_edge_test.go
index 2340771ab..98dc1eda2 100644
--- a/ziti/cmd/ziti/cmd/create_config_router_edge_test.go
+++ b/ziti/cmd/ziti/cmd/create_config_router_edge_test.go
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ func TestBlankEdgeRouterNameBecomesHostname(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestDefaultZitiEdgeRouterListenerBindPort(t *testing.T) {
-	expectedDefaultPort := "10080"
+	expectedDefaultPort := TEST_ROUTER_LISTENER_PORT
 
 	// Make sure the related env vars are unset
 	_ = os.Unsetenv("ZITI_EDGE_ROUTER_LISTENER_BIND_PORT")
diff --git a/ziti/cmd/ziti/cmd/create_config_router_fabric_test.go b/ziti/cmd/ziti/cmd/create_config_router_fabric_test.go
index 6f5fb47fb..5b7805092 100644
--- a/ziti/cmd/ziti/cmd/create_config_router_fabric_test.go
+++ b/ziti/cmd/ziti/cmd/create_config_router_fabric_test.go
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
+var TEST_ROUTER_LISTENER_PORT = 10080
+
 func TestExecuteCreateConfigRouterFabricHasNonBlankTemplateValues(t *testing.T) {
 	routerName := "MyFabricRouter"
 	expectedNonEmptyStringFields := []string{".Router.Listener.BindPort", ".ZitiHome", ".Hostname", ".Router.Name", ".Router.IdentityCert", ".Router.IdentityServerCert", ".Router.IdentityKey", ".Router.IdentityCA", ".Router.Edge.Hostname", ".Router.Edge.Port"}
@@ -112,7 +114,7 @@ func TestFabricRouterOutputPathDoesNotExist(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestDefaultZitiFabricRouterListenerBindPort(t *testing.T) {
-	expectedDefaultPort := "10080"
+	expectedDefaultPort := TEST_ROUTER_LISTENER_PORT
 
 	// Make sure the related env vars are unset
 	_ = os.Unsetenv("ZITI_EDGE_ROUTER_LISTENER_BIND_PORT")