From 1f6a898e1fb482c215a1bf5abf3a0d1ff9f30716 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Norbert de Langen <ndelangen@me.com>
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2026 11:42:29 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 1/3] detect free port when running dev during initiate, to
 ensure the server starts without asking

---
 code/lib/create-storybook/src/initiate.ts | 13 ++++++++++++-
 1 file changed, 12 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/code/lib/create-storybook/src/initiate.ts b/code/lib/create-storybook/src/initiate.ts
index 25780e25a4f5..253643b12225 100644
--- a/code/lib/create-storybook/src/initiate.ts
+++ b/code/lib/create-storybook/src/initiate.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import { withTelemetry } from 'storybook/internal/core-server';
 import { logTracker, logger } from 'storybook/internal/node-logger';
 import { ErrorCollector } from 'storybook/internal/telemetry';
 
+import detectFreePort from 'detect-port';
+
 import {
   executeAddonConfiguration,
   executeDependencyInstallation,
@@ -183,6 +185,15 @@ async function runStorybookDev(result: {
       flags.push('--silent');
     }
 
+    // Check if default port 6006 is available
+    const defaultPort = 6006;
+    const availablePort = await detectFreePort(defaultPort);
+    const useAlternativePort = availablePort !== defaultPort;
+
+    if (useAlternativePort) {
+      flags.push(`--port=${availablePort}`);
+    }
+
     // npm needs extra -- to pass flags to the command
     // in the case of Angular, we are calling `ng run` which doesn't need the extra `--`
     const doesNeedExtraDash =
@@ -203,7 +214,7 @@ async function runStorybookDev(result: {
     // executed directly in the user's project directory. This avoid potential issues
     // with packages running in npxs' node_modules
     const [command, ...args] = [...storybookCommand.split(' '), ...flags];
-    executeCommand({
+    await executeCommand({
       command: command,
       args,
       stdio: 'inherit',

From f91b2e0cd0585bc021563f7188a698639656c5d3 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Norbert de Langen <ndelangen@me.com>
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2026 11:58:53 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 2/3] re-use logic from core

---
 code/core/src/core-server/index.ts        | 2 ++
 code/lib/create-storybook/src/initiate.ts | 7 ++-----
 2 files changed, 4 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/code/core/src/core-server/index.ts b/code/core/src/core-server/index.ts
index 5877ab6dab9f..f475fa6166ca 100644
--- a/code/core/src/core-server/index.ts
+++ b/code/core/src/core-server/index.ts
@@ -30,3 +30,5 @@ export {
   fullTestProviderStore as internal_fullTestProviderStore,
   universalTestProviderStore as internal_universalTestProviderStore,
 } from './stores/test-provider';
+
+export { getServerPort } from './utils/server-address';
diff --git a/code/lib/create-storybook/src/initiate.ts b/code/lib/create-storybook/src/initiate.ts
index 253643b12225..03db782644c3 100644
--- a/code/lib/create-storybook/src/initiate.ts
+++ b/code/lib/create-storybook/src/initiate.ts
@@ -4,11 +4,8 @@ import {
   PackageManagerName,
   executeCommand,
 } from 'storybook/internal/common';
-import { withTelemetry } from 'storybook/internal/core-server';
+import { getServerPort, withTelemetry } from 'storybook/internal/core-server';
 import { logTracker, logger } from 'storybook/internal/node-logger';
-import { ErrorCollector } from 'storybook/internal/telemetry';
-
-import detectFreePort from 'detect-port';
 
 import {
   executeAddonConfiguration,
@@ -187,7 +184,7 @@ async function runStorybookDev(result: {
 
     // Check if default port 6006 is available
     const defaultPort = 6006;
-    const availablePort = await detectFreePort(defaultPort);
+    const availablePort = await getServerPort(defaultPort);
     const useAlternativePort = availablePort !== defaultPort;
 
     if (useAlternativePort) {

From 7781dea1d3bb6a2b2987c8b2ccbed8313afdf2cb Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Norbert de Langen <ndelangen@me.com>
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2026 12:10:25 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 3/3] append after possible double dash

---
 code/lib/create-storybook/src/initiate.ts | 18 +++++++++---------
 1 file changed, 9 insertions(+), 9 deletions(-)

diff --git a/code/lib/create-storybook/src/initiate.ts b/code/lib/create-storybook/src/initiate.ts
index 03db782644c3..3377dc488495 100644
--- a/code/lib/create-storybook/src/initiate.ts
+++ b/code/lib/create-storybook/src/initiate.ts
@@ -182,15 +182,6 @@ async function runStorybookDev(result: {
       flags.push('--silent');
     }
 
-    // Check if default port 6006 is available
-    const defaultPort = 6006;
-    const availablePort = await getServerPort(defaultPort);
-    const useAlternativePort = availablePort !== defaultPort;
-
-    if (useAlternativePort) {
-      flags.push(`--port=${availablePort}`);
-    }
-
     // npm needs extra -- to pass flags to the command
     // in the case of Angular, we are calling `ng run` which doesn't need the extra `--`
     const doesNeedExtraDash =
@@ -205,6 +196,15 @@ async function runStorybookDev(result: {
       flags.push('--initial-path=/onboarding');
     }
 
+    // Check if default port 6006 is available
+    const defaultPort = 6006;
+    const availablePort = await getServerPort(defaultPort);
+    const useAlternativePort = availablePort !== defaultPort;
+
+    if (useAlternativePort) {
+      flags.push(`--port=${availablePort}`);
+    }
+
     flags.push('--quiet');
 
     // instead of calling 'dev' automatically, we spawn a subprocess so that it gets