diff --git a/src/packages/core/src/server.ts b/src/packages/core/src/server.ts
index 45effb1b90..58df1e04c2 100644
--- a/src/packages/core/src/server.ts
+++ b/src/packages/core/src/server.ts
@@ -245,7 +245,9 @@ export class Server<
             `listen EADDRINUSE: address already in use ${
               host || DEFAULT_HOST
             }:${portNumber}.`
-          );
+          ) as NodeJS.ErrnoException;
+          // emulate part of node's EADDRINUSE error:
+          err.code = "EADDRINUSE";
           throw err;
         }
       })
diff --git a/src/packages/core/tests/server.test.ts b/src/packages/core/tests/server.test.ts
index 09cab25b13..b1921ff7b4 100644
--- a/src/packages/core/tests/server.test.ts
+++ b/src/packages/core/tests/server.test.ts
@@ -493,10 +493,10 @@ describe("server", () => {
       server.listen(port);
 
       try {
-        await assert.rejects(
-          setup(),
-          `Error: listen EADDRINUSE: address already in use 127.0.0.1:${port}.`
-        );
+        await assert.rejects(setup(), {
+          message: `listen EADDRINUSE: address already in use 127.0.0.1:${port}.`,
+          code: "EADDRINUSE"
+        });
       } finally {
         await Promise.all([
           teardown(),
@@ -517,7 +517,8 @@ describe("server", () => {
         const s = Ganache.server();
         const listen = promisify(s.listen.bind(s));
         await assert.rejects(listen(port), {
-          message: `listen EADDRINUSE: address already in use 127.0.0.1:${port}.`
+          message: `listen EADDRINUSE: address already in use 127.0.0.1:${port}.`,
+          code: "EADDRINUSE"
         });
       } finally {
         await Promise.all([