diff --git a/include/grpc++/impl/codegen/server_interface.h b/include/grpc++/impl/codegen/server_interface.h
index bd1b36e8839..31d55529efc 100644
--- a/include/grpc++/impl/codegen/server_interface.h
+++ b/include/grpc++/impl/codegen/server_interface.h
@@ -122,9 +122,7 @@ class ServerInterface : public CallHook {
   /// caller is required to keep all completion queues live until the server is
   /// destroyed.
   /// \param num_cqs How many completion queues does \a cqs hold.
-  ///
-  /// \return true on a successful shutdown.
-  virtual bool Start(ServerCompletionQueue** cqs, size_t num_cqs) = 0;
+  virtual void Start(ServerCompletionQueue** cqs, size_t num_cqs) = 0;
 
   virtual void ShutdownInternal(gpr_timespec deadline) = 0;
 
diff --git a/include/grpc++/server.h b/include/grpc++/server.h
index 489937712ec..6d5f89d360a 100644
--- a/include/grpc++/server.h
+++ b/include/grpc++/server.h
@@ -177,9 +177,7 @@ class Server final : public ServerInterface, private GrpcLibraryCodegen {
   /// caller is required to keep all completion queues live until the server is
   /// destroyed.
   /// \param num_cqs How many completion queues does \a cqs hold.
-  ///
-  /// \return true on a successful shutdown.
-  bool Start(ServerCompletionQueue** cqs, size_t num_cqs) override;
+  void Start(ServerCompletionQueue** cqs, size_t num_cqs) override;
 
   void PerformOpsOnCall(CallOpSetInterface* ops, Call* call) override;
 
diff --git a/src/core/lib/surface/server.c b/src/core/lib/surface/server.c
index 9496f90390d..38800ea37b3 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/surface/server.c
+++ b/src/core/lib/surface/server.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 
 #include "src/core/lib/channel/channel_args.h"
 #include "src/core/lib/channel/connected_channel.h"
+#include "src/core/lib/iomgr/executor.h"
 #include "src/core/lib/iomgr/iomgr.h"
 #include "src/core/lib/slice/slice_internal.h"
 #include "src/core/lib/support/stack_lockfree.h"
@@ -211,6 +212,11 @@ struct grpc_server {
   gpr_mu mu_global; /* mutex for server and channel state */
   gpr_mu mu_call;   /* mutex for call-specific state */
 
+  /* startup synchronization: flag is protected by mu_global, signals whether
+     we are doing the listener start routine or not */
+  bool starting;
+  gpr_cv starting_cv;
+
   registered_method *registered_methods;
   /** one request matcher for unregistered methods */
   request_matcher unregistered_request_matcher;
@@ -388,6 +394,7 @@ static void server_delete(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, grpc_server *server) {
   grpc_channel_args_destroy(exec_ctx, server->channel_args);
   gpr_mu_destroy(&server->mu_global);
   gpr_mu_destroy(&server->mu_call);
+  gpr_cv_destroy(&server->starting_cv);
   while ((rm = server->registered_methods) != NULL) {
     server->registered_methods = rm->next;
     if (server->started) {
@@ -1030,6 +1037,7 @@ grpc_server *grpc_server_create(const grpc_channel_args *args, void *reserved) {
 
   gpr_mu_init(&server->mu_global);
   gpr_mu_init(&server->mu_call);
+  gpr_cv_init(&server->starting_cv);
 
   /* decremented by grpc_server_destroy */
   gpr_ref_init(&server->internal_refcount, 1);
@@ -1086,8 +1094,22 @@ void *grpc_server_register_method(
   return m;
 }
 
+static void start_listeners(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *s,
+                            grpc_error *error) {
+  grpc_server *server = s;
+  for (listener *l = server->listeners; l; l = l->next) {
+    l->start(exec_ctx, server, l->arg, server->pollsets, server->pollset_count);
+  }
+
+  gpr_mu_lock(&server->mu_global);
+  server->starting = false;
+  gpr_cv_signal(&server->starting_cv);
+  gpr_mu_unlock(&server->mu_global);
+
+  server_unref(exec_ctx, server);
+}
+
 void grpc_server_start(grpc_server *server) {
-  listener *l;
   size_t i;
   grpc_exec_ctx exec_ctx = GRPC_EXEC_CTX_INIT;
 
@@ -1121,10 +1143,11 @@ void grpc_server_start(grpc_server *server) {
                          (size_t)server->max_requested_calls_per_cq, server);
   }
 
-  for (l = server->listeners; l; l = l->next) {
-    l->start(&exec_ctx, server, l->arg, server->pollsets,
-             server->pollset_count);
-  }
+  server_ref(server);
+  server->starting = true;
+  grpc_closure_sched(&exec_ctx, grpc_closure_create(start_listeners, server,
+                                                    grpc_executor_scheduler),
+                     GRPC_ERROR_NONE);
 
   grpc_exec_ctx_finish(&exec_ctx);
 }
@@ -1258,8 +1281,14 @@ void grpc_server_shutdown_and_notify(grpc_server *server,
   GRPC_API_TRACE("grpc_server_shutdown_and_notify(server=%p, cq=%p, tag=%p)", 3,
                  (server, cq, tag));
 
-  /* lock, and gather up some stuff to do */
+  /* wait for startup to be finished: locks mu_global */
   gpr_mu_lock(&server->mu_global);
+  while (server->starting) {
+    gpr_cv_wait(&server->starting_cv, &server->mu_global,
+                gpr_inf_future(GPR_CLOCK_REALTIME));
+  }
+
+  /* stay locked, and gather up some stuff to do */
   grpc_cq_begin_op(cq, tag);
   if (server->shutdown_published) {
     grpc_cq_end_op(&exec_ctx, cq, tag, GRPC_ERROR_NONE, done_published_shutdown,
diff --git a/src/cpp/server/server_builder.cc b/src/cpp/server/server_builder.cc
index 4eb4b5a1b21..3a15afc49e5 100644
--- a/src/cpp/server/server_builder.cc
+++ b/src/cpp/server/server_builder.cc
@@ -337,10 +337,7 @@ std::unique_ptr<Server> ServerBuilder::BuildAndStart() {
   }
 
   auto cqs_data = cqs_.empty() ? nullptr : &cqs_[0];
-  if (!server->Start(cqs_data, cqs_.size())) {
-    if (added_port) server->Shutdown();
-    return nullptr;
-  }
+  server->Start(cqs_data, cqs_.size());
 
   for (auto plugin = plugins_.begin(); plugin != plugins_.end(); plugin++) {
     (*plugin)->Finish(initializer);
diff --git a/src/cpp/server/server_cc.cc b/src/cpp/server/server_cc.cc
index bee359a7923..75610d69cd3 100644
--- a/src/cpp/server/server_cc.cc
+++ b/src/cpp/server/server_cc.cc
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ int Server::AddListeningPort(const grpc::string& addr,
   return port;
 }
 
-bool Server::Start(ServerCompletionQueue** cqs, size_t num_cqs) {
+void Server::Start(ServerCompletionQueue** cqs, size_t num_cqs) {
   GPR_ASSERT(!started_);
   global_callbacks_->PreServerStart(this);
   started_ = true;
@@ -543,8 +543,6 @@ bool Server::Start(ServerCompletionQueue** cqs, size_t num_cqs) {
   for (auto it = sync_req_mgrs_.begin(); it != sync_req_mgrs_.end(); it++) {
     (*it)->Start();
   }
-
-  return true;
 }
 
 void Server::ShutdownInternal(gpr_timespec deadline) {