diff --git a/src/bitcoin-cli.cpp b/src/bitcoin-cli.cpp
index 84e4c0846..367355419 100644
--- a/src/bitcoin-cli.cpp
+++ b/src/bitcoin-cli.cpp
@@ -257,14 +257,18 @@ UniValue CallRPC(const std::string& strMethod, const UniValue& params)
     event_base_dispatch(base.get());
 
     if (response.status == 0) {
+        // Report the port we ACTUALLY dialled. ASSETCHAINS_RPCPORT is a separate global that is
+        // initialised to the mainnet default at the top of this file and never assigned here, so
+        // using it made every failure claim port 21769 no matter what -rpcport was given -- which
+        // reads as "your -rpcport was ignored" and sends you chasing a config bug that isn't there.
         throw CConnectionFailed(strprintf("couldn't connect to server at port %d : %s (code %d)\n(make sure server is running and you are connecting to the correct RPC port)", 
-            ASSETCHAINS_RPCPORT, http_errorstring(response.error), response.error));
+            port, http_errorstring(response.error), response.error));
     } else if (response.status == HTTP_UNAUTHORIZED) {
         throw std::runtime_error("incorrect rpcuser or rpcpassword (authorization failed)");
     } else if (response.status >= 400 && response.status != HTTP_BAD_REQUEST && response.status != HTTP_NOT_FOUND && response.status != HTTP_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR) {
         throw std::runtime_error(strprintf("server returned HTTP error %d", response.status));
     } else if (response.body.empty()) {
-        throw std::runtime_error(strprintf("no response from server at port %d", ASSETCHAINS_RPCPORT ));
+        throw std::runtime_error(strprintf("no response from server at port %d", port));
     }
 
     // Parse reply