diff --git a/Libraries/SPTarkov.Server.Core/Helpers/HttpServerHelper.cs b/Libraries/SPTarkov.Server.Core/Helpers/HttpServerHelper.cs
index ad844256..ceabd17a 100644
--- a/Libraries/SPTarkov.Server.Core/Helpers/HttpServerHelper.cs
+++ b/Libraries/SPTarkov.Server.Core/Helpers/HttpServerHelper.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-using SPTarkov.DI.Annotations;
+using System.Net;
+using System.Net.Sockets;
+using SPTarkov.DI.Annotations;
 using SPTarkov.Server.Core.Models.Spt.Config;
 using SPTarkov.Server.Core.Servers;
 
@@ -58,22 +60,24 @@ public class HttpServerHelper(ConfigServer configServer)
     /// Method to determine if another version of the server is already running
     /// </summary>
     /// <returns>bool isAlreadyRunning</returns>
-    public async Task<bool> IsAlreadyRunning()
+    public bool IsAlreadyRunning()
     {
+        TcpListener? listener = null;
+
         try
         {
-            var handler = new HttpClientHandler()
-            {
-                ServerCertificateCustomValidationCallback = HttpClientHandler.DangerousAcceptAnyServerCertificateValidator
-            };
-            var http = new HttpClient(handler);
-            var res = await http.PostAsync($"{GetBackendUrl()}/launcher/ping", null);
-            return res.IsSuccessStatusCode;
-        }
-        catch (Exception )
-        {
+            listener = new(IPAddress.Parse(_httpConfig.Ip), _httpConfig.Port);
+            listener.Start();
             return false;
         }
+        catch (Exception)
+        {
+            return true;
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            listener?.Stop();
+        }
     }
 
     public void SendTextJson(HttpResponse resp, object output)
diff --git a/Libraries/SPTarkov.Server.Core/Utils/App.cs b/Libraries/SPTarkov.Server.Core/Utils/App.cs
index f20e56cd..c0686642 100644
--- a/Libraries/SPTarkov.Server.Core/Utils/App.cs
+++ b/Libraries/SPTarkov.Server.Core/Utils/App.cs
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ public class App
         // execute onLoad callbacks
         _logger.Info(_localisationService.GetText("executing_startup_callbacks"));
 
-        var isAlreadyRunning = await _httpServerHelper.IsAlreadyRunning();
+        var isAlreadyRunning = _httpServerHelper.IsAlreadyRunning();
         if (isAlreadyRunning)
         {
             _logger.Critical(_localisationService.GetText("webserver_already_running"));