diff --git a/include/maxscale/listener.hh b/include/maxscale/listener.hh
index 9cfa62f83..fba50b719 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/listener.hh
+++ b/include/maxscale/listener.hh
@@ -319,6 +319,19 @@ SListener listener_find(const std::string& name);
  */
 std::vector<SListener> listener_find_by_service(const SERVICE* service);
 
+/**
+ * Find listener by configuration
+ *
+ * @param socket  Optional path to a socket file
+ * @param address Address where the listener listens
+ * @param port    The port on which the listener listens
+ *
+ * @return The matching listener if one was found
+ */
+SListener listener_find_by_config(const std::string& socket,
+                                  const std::string& address,
+                                  unsigned short port);
+
 int  listener_set_ssl_version(SSL_LISTENER* ssl_listener, const char* version);
 void listener_set_certificates(SSL_LISTENER* ssl_listener, const std::string& cert,
                                const std::string& key, const std::string& ca_cert);
diff --git a/server/core/config.cc b/server/core/config.cc
index 0620d0dd2..61a350af9 100644
--- a/server/core/config.cc
+++ b/server/core/config.cc
@@ -4087,7 +4087,7 @@ int create_new_listener(CONFIG_CONTEXT* obj)
             address = "";
         }
 
-        if (auto l = service_find_listener(service, socket, address, port))
+        if (auto l = listener_find_by_config(socket, address, port))
         {
             string socket_type = socket_defined ? "socket" : "port";
             string socket_definition = socket_defined ? socket : obj->m_parameters.get_string(CN_PORT);
diff --git a/server/core/config_runtime.cc b/server/core/config_runtime.cc
index db1bda249..58b52ccdf 100644
--- a/server/core/config_runtime.cc
+++ b/server/core/config_runtime.cc
@@ -1154,7 +1154,7 @@ bool runtime_create_listener(Service* service,
     {
         config_runtime_error("Listener '%s' already exists", name);
     }
-    else if (SListener l = service_find_listener(service, "", addr, u_port))
+    else if (SListener l = listener_find_by_config("", addr, u_port))
     {
         config_runtime_error("Listener '%s' already listens on [%s]:%u", l->name(), addr, u_port);
     }
diff --git a/server/core/listener.cc b/server/core/listener.cc
index 049b2677d..0572a313a 100644
--- a/server/core/listener.cc
+++ b/server/core/listener.cc
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <mutex>
 #include <sstream>
 #include <string>
+#include <unordered_set>
 
 #include <maxscale/paths.h>
 #include <maxscale/ssl.hh>
@@ -275,6 +276,33 @@ std::vector<SListener> listener_find_by_service(const SERVICE* service)
     return rval;
 }
 
+static bool is_all_iface(const std::string& a, const std::string& b)
+{
+    std::unordered_set<std::string> addresses {"::", "0.0.0.0"};
+    return addresses.count(a) || addresses.count(b);
+}
+
+SListener listener_find_by_config(const std::string& socket,
+                                  const std::string& address,
+                                  unsigned short port)
+{
+    SListener rval;
+    std::lock_guard<std::mutex> guard(listener_lock);
+
+    for (const auto& listener : all_listeners)
+    {
+        if (port == listener->port()
+            && (listener->address() == address || listener->address() == socket
+                || is_all_iface(listener->address(), address)))
+        {
+            rval = listener;
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return rval;
+}
+
 /**
  * Set the maximum SSL/TLS version the listener will support
  * @param ssl_listener Listener data to configure