diff --git a/src/commands/local.mjs b/src/commands/local.mjs
index 95b9cfab..fb6c763b 100644
--- a/src/commands/local.mjs
+++ b/src/commands/local.mjs
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ async function startLocal(argv) {
   await ensureContainerRunning({
     imageName: argv.image,
     containerName: argv.name,
+    hostIp: argv.hostIp,
     hostPort: argv.hostPort,
     containerPort: argv.containerPort,
     pull: argv.pull,
@@ -38,6 +39,11 @@ function buildLocalCommand(yargs) {
         type: "number",
         default: 8443,
       },
+      hostIp: {
+        describe: `The IP address to bind the container's exposed port on the host.`,
+        type: "string",
+        default: "0.0.0.0",
+      },
       interval: {
         describe:
           "The interval (in milliseconds) between health check attempts. Determines how often the CLI checks if the Fauna container is ready.",
diff --git a/src/config/setup-container.mjs b/src/config/setup-container.mjs
index 2ec113e8..e9d14a60 100644
--- a/src/config/setup-container.mjs
+++ b/src/config/setup-container.mjs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import fs from "node:fs";
 import * as fsp from "node:fs/promises";
+import net from "node:net";
 import os from "node:os";
 import path from "node:path";
 import { exit } from "node:process";
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ export const injectables = {
   fetch: awilix.asValue(fetchWrapper),
   fs: awilix.asValue(fs),
   fsp: awilix.asValue(fsp),
+  net: awilix.asValue(net),
   dirname: awilix.asValue(path.dirname),
   normalize: awilix.asValue(path.normalize),
   homedir: awilix.asValue(os.homedir),
diff --git a/src/config/setup-test-container.mjs b/src/config/setup-test-container.mjs
index 95f26151..426863bf 100644
--- a/src/config/setup-test-container.mjs
+++ b/src/config/setup-test-container.mjs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import fs from "node:fs";
+import net from "node:net";
 import path from "node:path";
 import { PassThrough } from "node:stream";
 
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ export function setupTestContainer() {
 
   const thingsToManuallyMock = automock(container);
   const customfs = stub({ ...fs });
+  const customNet = stub({ ...net });
   // this is a mock used by the default profile behavior
   customfs.readdirSync.withArgs(process.cwd()).returns([]);
 
@@ -58,6 +60,7 @@ export function setupTestContainer() {
     // real implementation
     parseYargs: awilix.asValue(spy(parseYargs)),
     fs: awilix.asValue(customfs),
+    net: awilix.asValue(customNet),
     homedir: awilix.asValue(
       stub().returns(path.join(__dirname, "../../test/test-homedir")),
     ),
diff --git a/src/lib/docker-containers.mjs b/src/lib/docker-containers.mjs
index 51416086..e1777e6b 100644
--- a/src/lib/docker-containers.mjs
+++ b/src/lib/docker-containers.mjs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ const IMAGE_NAME = "fauna/faunadb:latest";
  * Ensures the container is running
  * @param {string} imageName The name of the image to create the container from
  * @param {string} containerName The name of the container to start
+ * @param {string} hostIp The IP address to bind the container's exposed port on the host.
  * @param {number} hostPort The port on the host machine mapped to the container's port
  * @param {number} containerPort The port inside the container Fauna listens on
  * @param {boolean} pull Whether to pull the latest image
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ const IMAGE_NAME = "fauna/faunadb:latest";
  */
 export async function ensureContainerRunning({
   containerName,
+  hostIp,
   hostPort,
   containerPort,
   pull,
@@ -30,6 +32,7 @@ export async function ensureContainerRunning({
   const logStream = await startContainer({
     imageName: IMAGE_NAME,
     containerName,
+    hostIp,
     hostPort,
     containerPort,
   });
@@ -37,7 +40,7 @@ export async function ensureContainerRunning({
     `[StartContainer] Container '${containerName}' started. Monitoring HealthCheck for readiness.`,
   );
   await waitForHealthCheck({
-    url: `http://localhost:${hostPort}`,
+    url: `http://${hostIp}:${hostPort}`,
     logStream,
     interval,
     maxAttempts,
@@ -134,18 +137,45 @@ function writePullProgress(layers, numLines) {
 async function findContainer(containerName) {
   const docker = container.resolve("docker");
   const logger = container.resolve("logger"); // Dependency injection for logger
-  logger.stderr(
-    `[GetContainerState] Checking state for container '${containerName}'...`,
-  );
+  logger.stderr(`[FindContainer] Looking for container '${containerName}'...`);
   const filters = JSON.stringify({ name: [containerName] });
   const containers = await docker.listContainers({ all: true, filters });
   return containers.length > 0 ? containers[0] : null;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Checks if a port is occupied.
+ * @param {number} hostPort The port to check
+ * @param {string} hostIp The IP address to bind the container's exposed port on the host.
+ * @returns {Promise<boolean>} a promise that resolves to true if the port is occupied, false otherwise.
+ */
+async function isPortOccupied({ hostPort, hostIp }) {
+  const net = container.resolve("net");
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    const server = net.createServer();
+    server.once("error", (err) => {
+      if (err.code === "EADDRINUSE") {
+        resolve(true); // Port is occupied
+      } else {
+        reject(err); // Some other error occurred
+      }
+    });
+
+    server.on("listening", () => {
+      server.close(() => {
+        resolve(false); // Port is free
+      });
+    });
+
+    server.listen(hostPort, hostIp);
+  });
+}
+
 /**
  * Creates a container
  * @param {string} imageName The name of the image to create the container from
  * @param {string} containerName The name of the container to start
+ * @param {string} hostIp The IP address to bind the container's exposed port on the host.
  * @param {number} hostPort The port on the host machine mapped to the container's port
  * @param {number} containerPort The port inside the container Fauna listens on
  * @returns {Promise<Object>} The container object
@@ -153,16 +183,29 @@ async function findContainer(containerName) {
 async function createContainer({
   imageName,
   containerName,
+  hostIp,
   hostPort,
   containerPort,
 }) {
   const docker = container.resolve("docker");
+  if (await isPortOccupied({ hostIp, hostPort })) {
+    throw new CommandError(
+      `The hostPort '${hostPort}' on IP '${hostIp}' is already occupied. \
+Please pass a --hostPort other than '${hostPort}'.`,
+      { hideHelp: false },
+    );
+  }
   const dockerContainer = await docker.createContainer({
     Image: imageName,
     name: containerName,
     HostConfig: {
       PortBindings: {
-        [`${containerPort}/tcp`]: [{ HostPort: `${hostPort}` }],
+        [`${containerPort}/tcp`]: [
+          {
+            HostPort: `${hostPort}`,
+            HostIp: hostIp,
+          },
+        ],
       },
       AutoRemove: true,
     },
@@ -177,6 +220,7 @@ async function createContainer({
  * Starts a container and returns a log stream if the container is not yet running.
  * @param {string} imageName The name of the image to create the container from
  * @param {string} containerName The name of the container to start
+ * @param {string} hostIp The IP address to bind the container's exposed port on the host.
  * @param {number} hostPort The port on the host machine mapped to the container's port
  * @param {number} containerPort The port inside the container Fauna listens on
  * @returns {Promise<Object>} The log stream
@@ -184,6 +228,7 @@ async function createContainer({
 async function startContainer({
   imageName,
   containerName,
+  hostIp,
   hostPort,
   containerPort,
 }) {
@@ -226,6 +271,7 @@ async function startContainer({
     const dockerContainer = await createContainer({
       imageName,
       containerName,
+      hostIp,
       hostPort,
       containerPort,
     });
diff --git a/test/local.mjs b/test/local.mjs
index 53c61558..879e6d01 100644
--- a/test/local.mjs
+++ b/test/local.mjs
@@ -7,13 +7,14 @@ import { run } from "../src/cli.mjs";
 import { setupTestContainer } from "../src/config/setup-test-container.mjs";
 import { f } from "./helpers.mjs";
 
-describe("ensureContainerRunning", () => {
+describe.only("ensureContainerRunning", () => {
   let container,
     fetch,
     logger,
     stderrStream,
     docker,
     logsStub,
+    serverMock,
     startStub,
     unpauseStub;
 
@@ -26,6 +27,21 @@ describe("ensureContainerRunning", () => {
     logsStub = stub();
     startStub = stub();
     unpauseStub = stub();
+    // Requested port is free
+    serverMock = {
+      close: sinon.stub(),
+      once: sinon.stub(),
+      on: sinon.stub(),
+      listen: sinon.stub(),
+    };
+    serverMock.on.withArgs("listening").callsFake((event, callback) => {
+      callback();
+    });
+    serverMock.close.callsFake((callback) => {
+      if (callback) callback();
+    });
+    const net = container.resolve("net");
+    net.createServer.returns(serverMock);
   });
 
   it("Creates and starts a container when none exists", async () => {
@@ -58,7 +74,12 @@ describe("ensureContainerRunning", () => {
       name: "faunadb",
       HostConfig: {
         PortBindings: {
-          "8443/tcp": [{ HostPort: "8443" }],
+          "8443/tcp": [
+            {
+              HostPort: "8443",
+              HostIp: "0.0.0.0",
+            },
+          ],
         },
         AutoRemove: true,
       },
@@ -71,7 +92,7 @@ describe("ensureContainerRunning", () => {
     );
   });
 
-  it("The user can control the hostPort and containerPort", async () => {
+  it("The user can control the hostIp, hostPort, containerPort, and name", async () => {
     docker.pull.onCall(0).resolves();
     docker.modem.followProgress.callsFake((stream, onFinished) => {
       onFinished();
@@ -87,13 +108,21 @@ describe("ensureContainerRunning", () => {
       logs: logsStub,
       unpause: unpauseStub,
     });
-    await run("local --hostPort 10 --containerPort 11", container);
+    await run(
+      "local --hostPort 10 --containerPort 11 --name Taco --hostIp 127.0.0.1",
+      container,
+    );
     expect(docker.createContainer).to.have.been.calledWith({
       Image: "fauna/faunadb:latest",
-      name: "faunadb",
+      name: "Taco",
       HostConfig: {
         PortBindings: {
-          "11/tcp": [{ HostPort: "10" }],
+          "11/tcp": [
+            {
+              HostPort: "10",
+              HostIp: "127.0.0.1",
+            },
+          ],
         },
         AutoRemove: true,
       },
@@ -185,7 +214,7 @@ https://support.fauna.com/hc/en-us/requests/new`,
     expect(written).to.contain("with HTTP status: '503'");
     expect(written).to.contain("with error:");
     expect(written).to.contain(
-      "[HealthCheck] Fauna at http://localhost:8443 is not ready after 3 attempts. Consider increasing --interval or --maxAttempts.",
+      "[HealthCheck] Fauna at http://0.0.0.0:8443 is not ready after 3 attempts. Consider increasing --interval or --maxAttempts.",
     );
     expect(written).not.to.contain("An unexpected");
     expect(written).not.to.contain("fauna local"); // help text
@@ -341,10 +370,10 @@ https://support.fauna.com/hc/en-us/requests/new`,
         "[StartContainer] Container 'faunadb' started. Monitoring HealthCheck for readiness.",
       );
       expect(logger.stderr).to.have.been.calledWith(
-        "[HealthCheck] Waiting for Fauna to be ready at http://localhost:8443...",
+        "[HealthCheck] Waiting for Fauna to be ready at http://0.0.0.0:8443...",
       );
       expect(logger.stderr).to.have.been.calledWith(
-        "[HealthCheck] Fauna is ready at http://localhost:8443",
+        "[HealthCheck] Fauna is ready at http://0.0.0.0:8443",
       );
       expect(logger.stderr).to.have.been.calledWith(
         "[ContainerReady] Container 'faunadb' is up and healthy.",