diff --git a/src/webserver/WebServer.jl b/src/webserver/WebServer.jl
index a016fcadad..911a325704 100644
--- a/src/webserver/WebServer.jl
+++ b/src/webserver/WebServer.jl
@@ -103,12 +103,43 @@ function port_serversocket(hostIP::Sockets.IPAddr, favourite_port, port_hint)
     return port, serversocket
 end
 
+struct RunningPlutoServer
+    http_server
+    initial_registry_update_task::Task
+end
+
+function Base.close(ssc::RunningPlutoServer)
+    close(ssc.http_server)
+    wait(ssc.http_server)
+    wait(ssc.initial_registry_update_task)
+end
+
+function Base.wait(ssc::RunningPlutoServer)
+    try
+        # create blocking call and switch the scheduler back to the server task, so that interrupts land there
+        while isopen(ssc.http_server)
+            sleep(.1)
+        end
+    catch e
+        println()
+        println()
+        Base.close(ssc)
+        (e isa InterruptException) || rethrow(e)
+    end
+    
+    nothing
+end
+
 """
     run(session::ServerSession)
 
 Specifiy the [`Pluto.ServerSession`](@ref) to run the web server on, which includes the configuration. Passing a session as argument allows you to start the web server with some notebooks already running. See [`SessionActions`](@ref) to learn more about manipulating a `ServerSession`.
 """
 function run(session::ServerSession)
+    Base.wait(run!(session))
+end
+
+function run!(session::ServerSession)
     if is_first_run[]
         is_first_run[] = false
         @info "Loading..."
@@ -293,21 +324,7 @@ function run(session::ServerSession)
         will_update && println("    Updating registry done ✓")
     end
 
-    try
-        # create blocking call and switch the scheduler back to the server task, so that interrupts land there
-        while isopen(server)
-            sleep(.1)
-        end
-    catch e
-        println()
-        println()
-        close(server)
-        wait(server)
-        wait(initial_registry_update_task)
-        (e isa InterruptException) || rethrow(e)
-    end
-    
-    nothing
+    return RunningPlutoServer(server, initial_registry_update_task)
 end
 precompile(run, (ServerSession, HTTP.Handlers.Router{Symbol("##001")}))
 
diff --git a/test/Configuration.jl b/test/Configuration.jl
index 0507f688ea..4d2d6c2f54 100644
--- a/test/Configuration.jl
+++ b/test/Configuration.jl
@@ -64,8 +64,7 @@ end
     host = 🍭.options.server.host
     secret = 🍭.secret
     println("Launching test server...")
-    server_task = @async Pluto.run(🍭)
-    sleep(2)
+    server = Pluto.run!(🍭)
 
     local_url(suffix) = "http://$host:$port/$suffix"
     withsecret(url) = occursin('?', url) ? "$url&secret=$secret" : "$url?secret=$secret"
@@ -123,7 +122,7 @@ end
         @test requeststatus(url, method) ∈ 200:399 # 3xx are redirects
     end
 
-    @async schedule(server_task, InterruptException(); error=true)
+    close(server)
 end
 
 @testset "disable mimetype via workspace_custom_startup_expr" begin
diff --git a/test/webserver.jl b/test/webserver.jl
index 0d94e1887c..009ff34631 100644
--- a/test/webserver.jl
+++ b/test/webserver.jl
@@ -32,25 +32,21 @@ using Pluto.WorkspaceManager: WorkspaceManager, poll
         base_url,
     )
     🍭 = Pluto.ServerSession(; options)
-    server_task = @async Pluto.run(🍭)
+    server = Pluto.run!(🍭)
 
-    # FYI, you should normally use a PlutoEvent for things we do in this test instead of polling! Don't use this as an example.
-    @test poll(10) do
-        server_running()
-    end
+    @test server_running()
 
-    sleep(20)
-    @test HTTP.get("http://$host:$port/edit"; status_exception=false).status == 404
+    sleep(3)
+    @test poll(20) do
+        # should not exist because of the base url setting
+        HTTP.get("http://$host:$port/edit"; status_exception=false).status == 404
+    end
 
     for notebook in values(🍭.notebooks)
         SessionActions.shutdown(🍭, notebook; keep_in_session=false)
     end
 
-    schedule(server_task, InterruptException(); error=true)
-
-    # wait for the server task to finish
-    # normally this `wait` would rethrow the above InterruptException, but Pluto.run should catch for InterruptExceptions and not bubble them up.
-    wait(server_task)
+    close(server)
 end
 
 @testset "Exports" begin
@@ -69,14 +65,16 @@ end
 
 
     # without notebook at startup
-    options = Pluto.Configuration.from_flat_kwargs(; port, launch_browser=false, workspace_use_distributed=true, require_secret_for_access=false, require_secret_for_open_links=false)
+    options = Pluto.Configuration.from_flat_kwargs(; 
+        port, launch_browser=false, 
+        workspace_use_distributed=true, 
+        require_secret_for_access=false, 
+        require_secret_for_open_links=false
+    )
     🍭 = Pluto.ServerSession(; options)
-    server_task = @async Pluto.run(🍭)
+    server = Pluto.run!(🍭)
     
-    # FYI, you should normally use a PlutoEvent for things we do in this test instead of polling! Don't use this as an example.
-    @test poll(10) do
-        server_running()
-    end
+    @test server_running()
     
     @test isempty(🍭.notebooks)
     
@@ -112,10 +110,7 @@ end
         SessionActions.shutdown(🍭, notebook; keep_in_session=false)
     end
     
-    schedule(server_task, InterruptException(); error=true)
-    # wait for the server task to finish
-    # normally this `wait` would rethrow the above InterruptException, but Pluto.run should catch for InterruptExceptions and not bubble them up.
-    wait(server_task)
+    close(server)
 end
 
 end # testset