diff --git a/desktop/app/src/init.tsx b/desktop/app/src/init.tsx
index 9c7ad9c30fa..002ba502782 100644
--- a/desktop/app/src/init.tsx
+++ b/desktop/app/src/init.tsx
@@ -107,15 +107,20 @@ async function getFlipperServer(
   const settings = await loadSettings();
 
   const socketPath = await makeSocketPath();
-  const serverRunning = await checkSocketInUse(socketPath);
+  let serverRunning = await checkSocketInUse(socketPath);
+
+  if (serverRunning) {
+    console.info(
+      'flipper-server: currently running/listening, attempt to shutdown',
+    );
+    const server = await getExternalServer(socketPath);
+    await server.exec('shutdown').catch(() => {
+      /** shutdown will ultimately make this request fail, ignore error. */
+    });
+    serverRunning = false;
+  }
 
   const getEmbeddedServer = async () => {
-    if (serverRunning) {
-      const server = await getExternalServer(socketPath);
-      await server.exec('shutdown').catch(() => {
-        /** shutdown will ultimately make this request fail, ignore error. */
-      });
-    }
     const server = new FlipperServerImpl(
       {
         environmentInfo,