diff --git a/red/red.js b/red/red.js
index 5ca42050a..7aec5750a 100644
--- a/red/red.js
+++ b/red/red.js
@@ -69,13 +69,21 @@ module.exports = {
             runtime.init(userSettings,api);
             api.init(httpServer,runtime);
             apiEnabled = true;
+            server = runtime.adminApi.server;
+            runtime.server = runtime.adminApi.server;
         } else {
             runtime.init(userSettings);
             apiEnabled = false;
+            if (httpServer){
+                server = httpServer;
+                runtime.server = httpServer;
+            } else {
+                server = runtime.adminApi.server;
+                runtime.server = runtime.adminApi.server; // useless at this point, but at least harmless.
+            }
         }
         adminApp = runtime.adminApi.adminApp;
         nodeApp = runtime.nodeApp;
-        server = runtime.adminApi.server;
         return;
     },
     start: function() {
diff --git a/red/runtime/nodes/registry/loader.js b/red/runtime/nodes/registry/loader.js
index 817b18668..805821a6d 100644
--- a/red/runtime/nodes/registry/loader.js
+++ b/red/runtime/nodes/registry/loader.js
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ function createNodeApi(node) {
         red.auth = runtime.adminApi.auth;
         red.httpAdmin = runtime.adminApi.adminApp;
         red.httpNode = runtime.nodeApp;
-        red.server = runtime.adminApi.server;
+        red.server = runtime.server;
     } else {
         //TODO: runtime.adminApi is always stubbed if not enabled, so this block
         // is unused - but may be needed for the unit tests