diff --git a/rust/Cargo.lock b/rust/Cargo.lock
index c5f2e89..809808b 100644
--- a/rust/Cargo.lock
+++ b/rust/Cargo.lock
@@ -465,8 +465,10 @@ dependencies = [
  "clap",
  "crossterm",
  "env_logger",
+ "lazy_static",
  "log",
  "sea_battle_backend",
+ "tokio",
  "tui",
 ]
 
@@ -925,6 +927,12 @@ version = "0.3.2"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "d4345964bb142484797b161f473a503a434de77149dd8c7427788c6e13379388"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "lazy_static"
+version = "1.4.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "e2abad23fbc42b3700f2f279844dc832adb2b2eb069b2df918f455c4e18cc646"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "libc"
 version = "0.2.134"
diff --git a/rust/cli_player/Cargo.toml b/rust/cli_player/Cargo.toml
index e5ec10c..81d3d61 100644
--- a/rust/cli_player/Cargo.toml
+++ b/rust/cli_player/Cargo.toml
@@ -11,4 +11,6 @@ clap = { version = "3.2.17", features = ["derive"] }
 log = "0.4.17"
 env_logger = "0.9.0"
 tui = "0.19.0"
-crossterm = "0.25.0"
\ No newline at end of file
+crossterm = "0.25.0"
+lazy_static = "1.4.0"
+tokio = "1.21.2"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/rust/cli_player/src/cli_args.rs b/rust/cli_player/src/cli_args.rs
index 736b025..2427eb8 100644
--- a/rust/cli_player/src/cli_args.rs
+++ b/rust/cli_player/src/cli_args.rs
@@ -10,5 +10,32 @@ pub struct CliArgs {
         value_parser,
         default_value = "https://fixme.communiquons.org"
     )]
-    server_uri: String,
+    pub server_uri: String,
+
+    /// Local server listen address
+    #[clap(short, long, default_value = "127.0.0.1:5679")]
+    pub listen_address: String,
+}
+
+impl CliArgs {
+    /// Get local listen port
+    pub fn listen_port(&self) -> u16 {
+        self.listen_address
+            .rsplit(':')
+            .next()
+            .expect("Failed to split listen address!")
+            .parse::<u16>()
+            .expect("Failed to parse listen port!")
+    }
+}
+
+lazy_static::lazy_static! {
+    static ref ARGS: CliArgs = {
+        CliArgs::parse()
+    };
+}
+
+/// Get parsed command line arguments
+pub fn cli_args() -> &'static CliArgs {
+    &ARGS
 }
diff --git a/rust/cli_player/src/lib.rs b/rust/cli_player/src/lib.rs
index 14ea756..0a9c1b1 100644
--- a/rust/cli_player/src/lib.rs
+++ b/rust/cli_player/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 pub mod cli_args;
+pub mod server;
 pub mod ui_screens;
diff --git a/rust/cli_player/src/main.rs b/rust/cli_player/src/main.rs
index fdde1ef..8931974 100644
--- a/rust/cli_player/src/main.rs
+++ b/rust/cli_player/src/main.rs
@@ -12,9 +12,13 @@ use crossterm::terminal::{disable_raw_mode, enable_raw_mode};
 use env_logger::Env;
 use tui::backend::CrosstermBackend;
 use tui::Terminal;
+use cli_player::server::start_server_if_missing;
 
-pub fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
-    env_logger::Builder::from_env(Env::default().default_filter_or("info")).init();
+#[tokio::main]
+pub async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
+    env_logger::Builder::from_env(Env::default()).init();
+
+    start_server_if_missing().await;
 
     // setup terminal
     enable_raw_mode()?;
diff --git a/rust/cli_player/src/server.rs b/rust/cli_player/src/server.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2ae5560
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rust/cli_player/src/server.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+use tokio::runtime::Builder;
+use tokio::task;
+
+use sea_battle_backend::args::Args;
+use sea_battle_backend::utils::network_utils;
+
+use crate::cli_args::cli_args;
+
+pub async fn start_server_if_missing() {
+    if !network_utils::is_port_open(cli_args().listen_port()).await {
+        log::info!(
+            "Local server will start on {}...",
+            cli_args().listen_address
+        );
+        std::thread::spawn(move || {
+            let rt = Builder::new_current_thread().enable_all().build().unwrap();
+
+            let local_set = task::LocalSet::new();
+
+            rt.block_on(local_set.run_until(async move {
+                sea_battle_backend::server::start_server(Args {
+                    listen_address: cli_args().listen_address.clone(),
+                    cors: None,
+                })
+                .await
+                .expect("Failed to run local server!")
+            }));
+        });
+    }
+}
diff --git a/rust/sea_battle_backend/Cargo.toml b/rust/sea_battle_backend/Cargo.toml
index 4003717..b9e3a21 100644
--- a/rust/sea_battle_backend/Cargo.toml
+++ b/rust/sea_battle_backend/Cargo.toml
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@ actix-rt = "2.7.0"
 uuid = { version = "1.1.2", features = ["v4"] }
 rand = "0.8.5"
 serde_with = "2.0.1"
+tokio = { version = "1", features = ["full"] }
 
 [dev-dependencies]
-tokio = { version = "1", features = ["full"] }
 #reqwest = { version = "0.11.11", default-features = false, features = ["json", "rustls-tls"] }
 tokio-tungstenite = "0.17.2"
 serde_urlencoded = "0.7.1"
diff --git a/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/dispatcher_actor.rs b/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/dispatcher_actor.rs
index 790d501..bcdfb6f 100644
--- a/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/dispatcher_actor.rs
+++ b/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/dispatcher_actor.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ use crate::consts::INVITE_CODE_LENGTH;
 use crate::data::GameRules;
 use crate::game::Game;
 use crate::human_player_ws::{CloseConnection, HumanPlayerWS, ServerMessage, SetGame};
-use crate::utils::rand_str;
+use crate::utils::string_utils::rand_str;
 
 /// How often garbage collector is run
 const HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL: Duration = Duration::from_secs(60);
diff --git a/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/bot_intermediate_play.rs b/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/bot_intermediate_play.rs
index 8188967..2d0b019 100644
--- a/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/bot_intermediate_play.rs
+++ b/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/bot_intermediate_play.rs
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ use crate::data::{BotType, CurrentGameStatus, GameRules};
 use crate::human_player_ws::ServerMessage;
 use crate::server::start_server;
 use crate::test::bot_client::ClientEndResult;
-use crate::test::network_utils::wait_for_port;
 use crate::test::{bot_client, TestPort};
+use crate::utils::network_utils::wait_for_port;
 
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn full_game() {
diff --git a/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/bot_linear_play.rs b/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/bot_linear_play.rs
index 77e87b9..99b0cc0 100644
--- a/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/bot_linear_play.rs
+++ b/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/bot_linear_play.rs
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@ use crate::data::{BoatsLayout, BotType, Coordinates, GameRules};
 use crate::human_player_ws::ServerMessage;
 use crate::server::start_server;
 use crate::test::bot_client::ClientEndResult;
-use crate::test::network_utils::wait_for_port;
 use crate::test::play_utils::check_no_replay_on_hit;
 use crate::test::{bot_client, TestPort};
+use crate::utils::network_utils::wait_for_port;
 
 fn check_strikes_are_linear(msg: &ServerMessage) {
     if let ServerMessage::RequestFire { status } = msg {
diff --git a/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/bot_random_play.rs b/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/bot_random_play.rs
index 0344605..6acf5d2 100644
--- a/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/bot_random_play.rs
+++ b/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/bot_random_play.rs
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@ use crate::data::{BoatsLayout, GameRules};
 use crate::server::start_server;
 use crate::test::bot_client;
 use crate::test::bot_client::ClientEndResult;
-use crate::test::network_utils::wait_for_port;
 use crate::test::play_utils::check_no_replay_on_hit;
 use crate::test::TestPort;
+use crate::utils::network_utils::wait_for_port;
 
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn invalid_port() {
diff --git a/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/bot_smart_play.rs b/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/bot_smart_play.rs
index ad9ce1b..c4386d2 100644
--- a/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/bot_smart_play.rs
+++ b/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/bot_smart_play.rs
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ use crate::data::{BotType, CurrentGameStatus, GameRules};
 use crate::human_player_ws::ServerMessage;
 use crate::server::start_server;
 use crate::test::bot_client::ClientEndResult;
-use crate::test::network_utils::wait_for_port;
 use crate::test::{bot_client, TestPort};
+use crate::utils::network_utils::wait_for_port;
 
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn full_game() {
diff --git a/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/invite_mode.rs b/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/invite_mode.rs
index a8612ab..f7a8508 100644
--- a/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/invite_mode.rs
+++ b/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/invite_mode.rs
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ use crate::data::BotType;
 use crate::human_player_ws::ServerMessage;
 use crate::server::start_server;
 use crate::test::bot_client::{ClientEndResult, RunMode};
-use crate::test::network_utils::wait_for_port;
 use crate::test::{bot_client, TestPort};
+use crate::utils::network_utils::wait_for_port;
 
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn invalid_accept_code() {
diff --git a/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/mod.rs b/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/mod.rs
index 6282283..f89c97b 100644
--- a/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/mod.rs
+++ b/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/mod.rs
@@ -46,6 +46,5 @@ mod bot_linear_play;
 mod bot_random_play;
 mod bot_smart_play;
 mod invite_mode;
-mod network_utils;
 mod play_utils;
 mod random_mode;
diff --git a/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/random_mode.rs b/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/random_mode.rs
index f0a98a9..72858ee 100644
--- a/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/random_mode.rs
+++ b/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/random_mode.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 use crate::args::Args;
 use crate::server::start_server;
 use crate::test::bot_client::{ClientEndResult, RunMode};
-use crate::test::network_utils::wait_for_port;
 use crate::test::{bot_client, TestPort};
+use crate::utils::network_utils::wait_for_port;
 use std::error::Error;
 use tokio::task;
 
diff --git a/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/utils/mod.rs b/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/utils/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3e5d5a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/utils/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+pub mod network_utils;
+pub mod string_utils;
diff --git a/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/network_utils.rs b/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/utils/network_utils.rs
similarity index 81%
rename from rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/network_utils.rs
rename to rust/sea_battle_backend/src/utils/network_utils.rs
index 922abf9..f13346a 100644
--- a/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/test/network_utils.rs
+++ b/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/utils/network_utils.rs
@@ -5,10 +5,7 @@ use tokio::time;
 
 /// Check whether a given port is open or not
 pub async fn is_port_open(port: u16) -> bool {
-    match TcpStream::connect(("127.0.0.1", port)).await {
-        Ok(_) => true,
-        Err(_) => false,
-    }
+    TcpStream::connect(("127.0.0.1", port)).await.is_ok()
 }
 
 /// Wait for a port to become available
diff --git a/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/utils.rs b/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/utils/string_utils.rs
similarity index 90%
rename from rust/sea_battle_backend/src/utils.rs
rename to rust/sea_battle_backend/src/utils/string_utils.rs
index aa34d9e..9994226 100644
--- a/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/utils.rs
+++ b/rust/sea_battle_backend/src/utils/string_utils.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ pub fn rand_str(len: usize) -> String {
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
-    use crate::utils::rand_str;
+    use crate::utils::string_utils::rand_str;
 
     #[test]
     fn test_rand_str() {