diff --git a/src/Drivers/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Driver.Historian.Wonderware/Ipc/TcpFrameServer.cs b/src/Drivers/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Driver.Historian.Wonderware/Ipc/TcpFrameServer.cs
index a4c0c217..78161047 100644
--- a/src/Drivers/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Driver.Historian.Wonderware/Ipc/TcpFrameServer.cs
+++ b/src/Drivers/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Driver.Historian.Wonderware/Ipc/TcpFrameServer.cs
@@ -48,8 +48,16 @@ public sealed class TcpFrameServer : IDisposable
     private void EnsureListening()
     {
         if (_listener is not null) return;
-        _listener = new TcpListener(_bind, _port);
-        _listener.Start();
+
+        // Assign _listener ONLY after Start() succeeds. If Start() throws (e.g. the port is in
+        // a Windows excluded/reserved range → WSAEACCES "access forbidden", or already in use),
+        // _listener must stay null so the next RunAsync iteration retries the full create+Start.
+        // Assigning before Start() leaves a non-null-but-unstarted listener that the
+        // `if (_listener is not null) return` guard would never re-Start, turning a one-time
+        // bind error into a permanent misleading "Not listening" crash loop.
+        var listener = new TcpListener(_bind, _port);
+        listener.Start();
+        _listener = listener;
     }
 
     /// <summary>
diff --git a/tests/Drivers/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Driver.Historian.Wonderware.Tests/Ipc/TcpRoundTripTests.cs b/tests/Drivers/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Driver.Historian.Wonderware.Tests/Ipc/TcpRoundTripTests.cs
index c405c01b..141e48b7 100644
--- a/tests/Drivers/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Driver.Historian.Wonderware.Tests/Ipc/TcpRoundTripTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Drivers/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Driver.Historian.Wonderware.Tests/Ipc/TcpRoundTripTests.cs
@@ -264,4 +264,34 @@ public sealed class TcpRoundTripTests
         cts.Cancel();
         try { await serverLoop; } catch (OperationCanceledException) { /* expected */ }
     }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task BindFailure_SurfacesBindError_NotPermanentNotListening()
+    {
+        // Regression (live-caught 2026-06-12): when TcpFrameServer's listener bind fails (port in a
+        // Windows excluded range → WSAEACCES, or already in use), the failure must surface as the
+        // bind SocketException on EVERY accept attempt — NOT a one-time bind error followed by a
+        // permanent InvalidOperationException "Not listening". The latter is the assign-before-Start
+        // wedge: a non-null-but-unstarted listener that EnsureListening's guard never re-Starts,
+        // which crash-looped the live sidecar on the reserved port 32569.
+        using var cts = new CancellationTokenSource(Timeout);
+
+        // Occupy a loopback port exclusively so the server's Start() bind is forbidden.
+        var blocker = new TcpListener(IPAddress.Loopback, 0) { ExclusiveAddressUse = true };
+        blocker.Start();
+        try
+        {
+            var takenPort = ((IPEndPoint)blocker.LocalEndpoint).Port;
+            using var server = new TcpFrameServer(IPAddress.Loopback, takenPort, "shh", tlsCert: null, Quiet);
+
+            // First accept attempt: the bind fails with a SocketException.
+            await Should.ThrowAsync<SocketException>(() => server.RunOneConnectionAsync(new EchoHandler(), cts.Token));
+
+            // Second attempt MUST also be the bind SocketException — not InvalidOperationException
+            // "Not listening". This is the assertion that fails against the assign-before-Start bug.
+            var second = await Should.ThrowAsync<Exception>(() => server.RunOneConnectionAsync(new EchoHandler(), cts.Token));
+            second.ShouldBeOfType<SocketException>();
+        }
+        finally { blocker.Stop(); }
+    }
 }