diff --git a/docs/src/test-api/class-testconfig.md b/docs/src/test-api/class-testconfig.md
index 69c10560b4..404c987a19 100644
--- a/docs/src/test-api/class-testconfig.md
+++ b/docs/src/test-api/class-testconfig.md
@@ -584,8 +584,8 @@ export default defineConfig({
 * since: v1.10
 - type: ?<[Object]|[Array]<[Object]>>
   - `command` <[string]> Shell command to start. For example `npm run start`..
-  - `port` ?<[int]> The port that your http server is expected to appear on. It does wait until it accepts connections. Exactly one of `port` or `url` is required.
-  - `url` ?<[string]> The url on your http server that is expected to return a 2xx, 3xx, 400, 401, 402, or 403 status code when the server is ready to accept connections. Redirects (3xx status codes) are being followed and the new location is checked. Exactly one of `port` or `url` is required.
+  - `port` ?<[int]> The port that your http server is expected to appear on. It does wait until it accepts connections. Either `port` or `url` should be specified.
+  - `url` ?<[string]> The url on your http server that is expected to return a 2xx, 3xx, 400, 401, 402, or 403 status code when the server is ready to accept connections. Redirects (3xx status codes) are being followed and the new location is checked. Either `port` or `url` should be specified.
   - `ignoreHTTPSErrors` ?<[boolean]> Whether to ignore HTTPS errors when fetching the `url`. Defaults to `false`.
   - `timeout` ?<[int]> How long to wait for the process to start up and be available in milliseconds. Defaults to 60000.
   - `reuseExistingServer` ?<[boolean]> If true, it will re-use an existing server on the `port` or `url` when available. If no server is running on that `port` or `url`, it will run the command to start a new server. If `false`, it will throw if an existing process is listening on the `port` or `url`. This should be commonly set to `!process.env.CI` to allow the local dev server when running tests locally.
diff --git a/packages/playwright-test/src/plugins/webServerPlugin.ts b/packages/playwright-test/src/plugins/webServerPlugin.ts
index 5443ff9736..6a518d9f98 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-test/src/plugins/webServerPlugin.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-test/src/plugins/webServerPlugin.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import type { ReporterV2 } from '../reporters/reporterV2';
 
 export type WebServerPluginOptions = {
   command: string;
-  url: string;
+  url?: string;
   ignoreHTTPSErrors?: boolean;
   timeout?: number;
   reuseExistingServer?: boolean;
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ const DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLES = {
 const debugWebServer = debug('pw:webserver');
 
 export class WebServerPlugin implements TestRunnerPlugin {
-  private _isAvailable?: () => Promise<boolean>;
+  private _isAvailableCallback?: () => Promise<boolean>;
   private _killProcess?: () => Promise<void>;
   private _processExitedPromise!: Promise<any>;
   private _options: WebServerPluginOptions;
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ export class WebServerPlugin implements TestRunnerPlugin {
 
   public async setup(config: FullConfig, configDir: string, reporter: ReporterV2) {
     this._reporter = reporter;
-    this._isAvailable = getIsAvailableFunction(this._options.url, this._checkPortOnly, !!this._options.ignoreHTTPSErrors, this._reporter.onStdErr?.bind(this._reporter));
+    this._isAvailableCallback = this._options.url ? getIsAvailableFunction(this._options.url, this._checkPortOnly, !!this._options.ignoreHTTPSErrors, this._reporter.onStdErr?.bind(this._reporter)) : undefined;
     this._options.cwd = this._options.cwd ? path.resolve(configDir, this._options.cwd) : configDir;
     try {
       await this._startProcess();
@@ -79,12 +79,12 @@ export class WebServerPlugin implements TestRunnerPlugin {
     let processExitedReject = (error: Error) => { };
     this._processExitedPromise = new Promise((_, reject) => processExitedReject = reject);
 
-    const isAlreadyAvailable = await this._isAvailable!();
+    const isAlreadyAvailable = await this._isAvailableCallback?.();
     if (isAlreadyAvailable) {
       debugWebServer(`WebServer is already available`);
       if (this._options.reuseExistingServer)
         return;
-      const port = new URL(this._options.url);
+      const port = new URL(this._options.url!).port;
       throw new Error(`${this._options.url ?? `http://localhost${port ? ':' + port : ''}`} is already used, make sure that nothing is running on the port/url or set reuseExistingServer:true in config.webServer.`);
     }
 
@@ -121,21 +121,21 @@ export class WebServerPlugin implements TestRunnerPlugin {
   }
 
   private async _waitForProcess() {
+    if (!this._isAvailableCallback) {
+      this._processExitedPromise.catch(() => {});
+      return;
+    }
     debugWebServer(`Waiting for availability...`);
-    await this._waitForAvailability();
-    debugWebServer(`WebServer available`);
-  }
-
-  private async _waitForAvailability() {
     const launchTimeout = this._options.timeout || 60 * 1000;
     const cancellationToken = { canceled: false };
     const { timedOut } = (await Promise.race([
-      raceAgainstDeadline(() => waitFor(this._isAvailable!, cancellationToken), monotonicTime() + launchTimeout),
+      raceAgainstDeadline(() => waitFor(this._isAvailableCallback!, cancellationToken), monotonicTime() + launchTimeout),
       this._processExitedPromise,
     ]));
     cancellationToken.canceled = true;
     if (timedOut)
       throw new Error(`Timed out waiting ${launchTimeout}ms from config.webServer.`);
+    debugWebServer(`WebServer available`);
   }
 }
 
@@ -214,15 +214,17 @@ export const webServerPluginsForConfig = (config: FullConfigInternal): TestRunne
   const shouldSetBaseUrl = !!config.config.webServer;
   const webServerPlugins = [];
   for (const webServerConfig of config.webServers) {
-    if ((!webServerConfig.port && !webServerConfig.url) || (webServerConfig.port && webServerConfig.url))
-      throw new Error(`Exactly one of 'port' or 'url' is required in config.webServer.`);
+    if (webServerConfig.port && webServerConfig.url)
+      throw new Error(`Either 'port' or 'url' should be specified in config.webServer.`);
 
-    const url = webServerConfig.url || `http://localhost:${webServerConfig.port}`;
-
-    // We only set base url when only the port is given. That's a legacy mode we have regrets about.
-    if (shouldSetBaseUrl && !webServerConfig.url)
-      process.env.PLAYWRIGHT_TEST_BASE_URL = url;
+    let url: string | undefined;
+    if (webServerConfig.port || webServerConfig.url) {
+      url = webServerConfig.url || `http://localhost:${webServerConfig.port}`;
 
+      // We only set base url when only the port is given. That's a legacy mode we have regrets about.
+      if (shouldSetBaseUrl && !webServerConfig.url)
+        process.env.PLAYWRIGHT_TEST_BASE_URL = url;
+    }
     webServerPlugins.push(new WebServerPlugin({ ...webServerConfig,  url }, webServerConfig.port !== undefined));
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/playwright-test/types/test.d.ts b/packages/playwright-test/types/test.d.ts
index 5c24dd1c33..a46e570539 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-test/types/test.d.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-test/types/test.d.ts
@@ -6735,15 +6735,15 @@ interface TestConfigWebServer {
   command: string;
 
   /**
-   * The port that your http server is expected to appear on. It does wait until it accepts connections. Exactly one of
-   * `port` or `url` is required.
+   * The port that your http server is expected to appear on. It does wait until it accepts connections. Either `port`
+   * or `url` should be specified.
    */
   port?: number;
 
   /**
    * The url on your http server that is expected to return a 2xx, 3xx, 400, 401, 402, or 403 status code when the
    * server is ready to accept connections. Redirects (3xx status codes) are being followed and the new location is
-   * checked. Exactly one of `port` or `url` is required.
+   * checked. Either `port` or `url` should be specified.
    */
   url?: string;