diff --git a/test/fetch/client-node-max-header-size.js b/test/fetch/client-node-max-header-size.js
index 9906c7e8b81..65d9251dc03 100644
--- a/test/fetch/client-node-max-header-size.js
+++ b/test/fetch/client-node-max-header-size.js
@@ -2,24 +2,44 @@
 
 const { tspl } = require('@matteo.collina/tspl')
 const { exec } = require('node:child_process')
-const { test } = require('node:test')
+const { once } = require('node:events')
+const { createServer } = require('node:http')
+const { test, describe, before, after } = require('node:test')
 
-const command = 'node -e "require(\'./undici-fetch.js\').fetch(\'https://httpbin.org/get\')"'
+describe('fetch respects --max-http-header-size', () => {
+  let server
 
-test("respect Node.js' --max-http-header-size", async (t) => {
-  t = tspl(t, { plan: 6 })
+  before(async () => {
+    server = createServer((req, res) => {
+      res.writeHead(200, 'OK', {
+        'Content-Length': 2
+      })
+      res.write('OK')
+      res.end()
+    }).listen(0)
 
-  exec(`${command} --max-http-header-size=1`, { stdio: 'pipe' }, (err, stdout, stderr) => {
-    t.strictEqual(err.code, 1)
-    t.strictEqual(stdout, '')
-    t.match(stderr, /UND_ERR_HEADERS_OVERFLOW/, '--max-http-header-size=1 should throw')
+    await once(server, 'listening')
   })
 
-  exec(command, { stdio: 'pipe' }, (err, stdout, stderr) => {
-    t.ifError(err)
-    t.strictEqual(stdout, '')
-    t.strictEqual(stderr, '', 'default max-http-header-size should not throw')
-  })
+  after(() => server.close())
+
+  test("respect Node.js' --max-http-header-size", async (t) => {
+    t = tspl(t, { plan: 6 })
+
+    const command = 'node -e "require(\'./undici-fetch.js\').fetch(\'http://localhost:' + server.address().port + '\')"'
 
-  await t.completed
+    exec(`${command} --max-http-header-size=1`, { stdio: 'pipe' }, (err, stdout, stderr) => {
+      t.strictEqual(err.code, 1)
+      t.strictEqual(stdout, '')
+      t.match(stderr, /UND_ERR_HEADERS_OVERFLOW/, '--max-http-header-size=1 should throw')
+    })
+
+    exec(command, { stdio: 'pipe' }, (err, stdout, stderr) => {
+      t.ifError(err)
+      t.strictEqual(stdout, '')
+      t.strictEqual(stderr, '', 'default max-http-header-size should not throw')
+    })
+
+    await t.completed
+  })
 })