diff --git a/django/core/management/commands/test.py b/django/core/management/commands/test.py
index 0d084e1e91..ad54994d74 100644
--- a/django/core/management/commands/test.py
+++ b/django/core/management/commands/test.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
             action='store', dest='liveserver', default=None,
             help='Overrides the default address where the live server (used '
                  'with LiveServerTestCase) is expected to run from. The '
-                 'default value is localhost:8081.'),
+                 'default value is localhost:8081-8179.'),
 
         test_runner_class = get_runner(settings, self.test_runner)
         if hasattr(test_runner_class, 'option_list'):
diff --git a/django/test/testcases.py b/django/test/testcases.py
index 0c704ad951..fd93ba5bad 100644
--- a/django/test/testcases.py
+++ b/django/test/testcases.py
@@ -1318,7 +1318,7 @@ class LiveServerTestCase(TransactionTestCase):
 
         # Launch the live server's thread
         specified_address = os.environ.get(
-            'DJANGO_LIVE_TEST_SERVER_ADDRESS', 'localhost:8081')
+            'DJANGO_LIVE_TEST_SERVER_ADDRESS', 'localhost:8081-8179')
 
         # The specified ports may be of the form '8000-8010,8080,9200-9300'
         # i.e. a comma-separated list of ports or ranges of ports, so we break
diff --git a/docs/ref/django-admin.txt b/docs/ref/django-admin.txt
index 3dd4cf3a6d..a98b60b45f 100644
--- a/docs/ref/django-admin.txt
+++ b/docs/ref/django-admin.txt
@@ -1227,7 +1227,11 @@ provided by the :setting:`TEST_RUNNER` setting.
 
 The ``--liveserver`` option can be used to override the default address where
 the live server (used with :class:`~django.test.LiveServerTestCase`) is
-expected to run from. The default value is ``localhost:8081``.
+expected to run from. The default value is ``localhost:8081-8179``.
+
+.. versionchanged:: 1.9
+
+    In earlier versions, the default value was ``localhost:8081``.
 
 .. django-admin-option:: --keepdb
 
diff --git a/docs/releases/1.9.txt b/docs/releases/1.9.txt
index f1d59fce16..99b6e44bc3 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.9.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/1.9.txt
@@ -1055,6 +1055,9 @@ Miscellaneous
   changed. They used to be ``(old_names, mirrors)`` tuples. Now they're just
   the first item, ``old_names``.
 
+* By default :class:`~django.test.LiveServerTestCase` attempts to find an
+  available port in the 8081-8179 range instead of just trying port 8081.
+
 .. _deprecated-features-1.9:
 
 Features deprecated in 1.9
diff --git a/docs/topics/testing/tools.txt b/docs/topics/testing/tools.txt
index 28a4921198..52a00b7ded 100644
--- a/docs/topics/testing/tools.txt
+++ b/docs/topics/testing/tools.txt
@@ -812,11 +812,18 @@ This allows the use of automated test clients other than the
 client, to execute a series of functional tests inside a browser and simulate a
 real user's actions.
 
-By default the live server's address is ``'localhost:8081'`` and the full URL
-can be accessed during the tests with ``self.live_server_url``. If you'd like
-to change the default address (in the case, for example, where the 8081 port is
-already taken) then you may pass a different one to the :djadmin:`test` command
-via the :djadminopt:`--liveserver` option, for example:
+By default the live server listens on ``localhost`` and picks the first
+available port in the ``8081-8179`` range. Its full URL can be accessed with
+``self.live_server_url`` during the tests.
+
+.. versionchanged:: 1.9
+
+    In earlier versions, the live server's default address was always
+    ``'localhost:8081'``.
+
+If you'd like to select another address then you may pass a different one to
+the :djadmin:`test` command via the :djadminopt:`--liveserver` option, for
+example:
 
 .. code-block:: console
 
diff --git a/tests/runtests.py b/tests/runtests.py
index 58181a0e92..0577737a5f 100755
--- a/tests/runtests.py
+++ b/tests/runtests.py
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     parser.add_argument('--liveserver',
         help='Overrides the default address where the live server (used with '
              'LiveServerTestCase) is expected to run from. The default value '
-             'is localhost:8081.')
+             'is localhost:8081-8179.')
     parser.add_argument(
         '--selenium', action='store_true', dest='selenium', default=False,
         help='Run the Selenium tests as well (if Selenium is installed).')