diff --git a/cmd/soft/serve/server.go b/cmd/soft/serve/server.go
index 33679091f..69d5db5a8 100644
--- a/cmd/soft/serve/server.go
+++ b/cmd/soft/serve/server.go
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ func (s *Server) Start() error {
 	errg, _ := errgroup.WithContext(s.ctx)
 	errg.Go(func() error {
 		s.logger.Print("Starting Git daemon", "addr", s.Config.Git.ListenAddr)
-		if err := s.GitDaemon.Start(); !errors.Is(err, daemon.ErrServerClosed) {
+		if err := s.GitDaemon.ListenAndServe(); !errors.Is(err, daemon.ErrServerClosed) {
 			return err
 		}
 		return nil
diff --git a/pkg/daemon/daemon.go b/pkg/daemon/daemon.go
index 9eaa7661e..104499017 100644
--- a/pkg/daemon/daemon.go
+++ b/pkg/daemon/daemon.go
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ var ErrServerClosed = fmt.Errorf("git: %w", net.ErrClosed)
 // GitDaemon represents a Git daemon.
 type GitDaemon struct {
 	ctx      context.Context
-	listener net.Listener
 	addr     string
 	finished chan struct{}
 	conns    connections
@@ -52,6 +51,7 @@ type GitDaemon struct {
 	wg       sync.WaitGroup
 	once     sync.Once
 	logger   *log.Logger
+	done     bool // indicates if the server has been closed
 }
 
 // NewDaemon returns a new Git daemon.
@@ -70,26 +70,31 @@ func NewGitDaemon(ctx context.Context) (*GitDaemon, error) {
 	return d, nil
 }
 
-// Start starts the Git TCP daemon.
-func (d *GitDaemon) Start() error {
-	// listen on the socket
-	{
-		listener, err := net.Listen("tcp", d.addr)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		d.listener = listener
+// ListenAndServe starts the Git TCP daemon.
+func (d *GitDaemon) ListenAndServe() error {
+	if d.done {
+		return ErrServerClosed
+	}
+	listener, err := net.Listen("tcp", d.addr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
+	return d.Serve(listener)
+}
 
-	// close eventual connections to the socket
-	defer d.listener.Close() // nolint: errcheck
+// Serve listens on the TCP network address and serves Git requests.
+func (d *GitDaemon) Serve(listener net.Listener) error {
+	if d.done {
+		return ErrServerClosed
+	}
 
 	d.wg.Add(1)
 	defer d.wg.Done()
+	defer listener.Close() //nolint:errcheck
 
 	var tempDelay time.Duration
 	for {
-		conn, err := d.listener.Accept()
+		conn, err := listener.Accept()
 		if err != nil {
 			select {
 			case <-d.finished:
@@ -311,19 +316,21 @@ func (d *GitDaemon) Close() error {
 }
 
 // closeListener closes the listener and the finished channel.
-func (d *GitDaemon) closeListener() (err error) {
+func (d *GitDaemon) closeListener() error {
+	if d.done {
+		return ErrServerClosed
+	}
 	d.once.Do(func() {
 		close(d.finished)
-		err = d.listener.Close()
+		d.done = true
 	})
-	return
+	return nil
 }
 
 // Shutdown gracefully shuts down the daemon.
 func (d *GitDaemon) Shutdown(ctx context.Context) error {
-	// in the case when git daemon was never started
-	if d.listener == nil {
-		return nil
+	if d.done {
+		return ErrServerClosed
 	}
 
 	err := d.closeListener()
diff --git a/pkg/daemon/daemon_test.go b/pkg/daemon/daemon_test.go
index 88b4fdec7..f67dad17e 100644
--- a/pkg/daemon/daemon_test.go
+++ b/pkg/daemon/daemon_test.go
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 	}
 	testDaemon = d
 	go func() {
-		if err := d.Start(); err != ErrServerClosed {
+		if err := d.ListenAndServe(); err != ErrServerClosed {
 			log.Fatal(err)
 		}
 	}()