diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b981ced6d..9aac612ff 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -102,6 +102,8 @@ functionality:
 - `DEPLOY_KERNEL_URL` and `DEPLOY_RAMDISK_URL` provide the default IPA kernel
   and initramfs images. If they're not set, the images from IPA downloader are
   used (if present).
+- `IRONIC_JSON_RPC_PORT` - port used by the ironic json-rpc service (default to
+  6189).
 
 The following mountpoints can be passed in to customize run-time
 functionality:
diff --git a/ironic-config/ironic.conf.j2 b/ironic-config/ironic.conf.j2
index 7a0a728f6..d9947e6bf 100644
--- a/ironic-config/ironic.conf.j2
+++ b/ironic-config/ironic.conf.j2
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ cipher_suite_versions = 3,17
 auth_strategy = http_basic
 http_basic_auth_user_file = {{ env.IRONIC_RPC_HTPASSWD_FILE }}
 host_ip = {% if env.LISTEN_ALL_INTERFACES | lower == "true" %}::{% else %}{{ env.IRONIC_IP }}{% endif %}
+port = {{ env.IRONIC_JSON_RPC_PORT }}
 {% if env.IRONIC_TLS_SETUP == "true" %}
 use_ssl = true
 cafile = {{ env.IRONIC_CACERT_FILE }}
diff --git a/scripts/ironic-common.sh b/scripts/ironic-common.sh
index 6349a366f..bf0ccf59f 100644
--- a/scripts/ironic-common.sh
+++ b/scripts/ironic-common.sh
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ export IRONIC_TMP_DATA_DIR="${CUSTOM_DATA_DIR}/tmp"
 export PROBE_CONF_DIR="${CUSTOM_CONFIG_DIR}/probes"
 
 export HTTP_PORT=${HTTP_PORT:-80}
+# NOTE(elfosardo): the default port for json_rpc in ironic is 8089, but
+# we need to use a different port to avoid conflicts with other services
+export IRONIC_JSON_RPC_PORT=${IRONIC_JSON_RPC_PORT:-6189}
 
 mkdir -p "${IRONIC_CONF_DIR}" "${PROBE_CONF_DIR}" "${HTTPD_CONF_DIR}" \
     "${HTTPD_CONF_DIR_D}" "${DNSMASQ_CONF_DIR}" "${DNSMASQ_TEMP_DIR}" \