diff --git a/src/ezmsg/core/backend.py b/src/ezmsg/core/backend.py
index 8b150798..084282ec 100644
--- a/src/ezmsg/core/backend.py
+++ b/src/ezmsg/core/backend.py
@@ -321,9 +321,10 @@ def __init__(
         graph_address: AddressType | None = None,
         force_single_process: bool = False,
         profiler_log_name: str | None = None,
+        auto_start: bool | None = None,
         **components_kwargs: Component,
     ) -> None:
-            
+
         components = either_dict_or_kwargs(components, components_kwargs, "GraphRunner")
         if components is None:
             raise ValueError("Must supply at least one component to run")
@@ -336,6 +337,7 @@ def __init__(
         self._graph_address = graph_address
         self._force_single_process = force_single_process
         self._profiler_log_name = profiler_log_name
+        self._auto_start = auto_start
 
         self._execution_context = None
         self._graph_context = None
@@ -690,7 +692,9 @@ def _initialize(self, force_single_process: bool, wait_for_ready: bool) -> bool:
         try:
 
             async def create_graph_context() -> GraphContext:
-                return await GraphContext(self._graph_address).__aenter__()
+                return await GraphContext(
+                    self._graph_address, auto_start=self._auto_start
+                ).__aenter__()
 
             graph_context = asyncio.run_coroutine_threadsafe(
                 create_graph_context(), self._loop
@@ -912,6 +916,7 @@ def run(
     graph_address: AddressType | None = None,
     force_single_process: bool = False,
     profiler_log_name: str | None = None,
+    auto_start: bool | None = None,
     **components_kwargs: Component,
 ) -> None:
     """
@@ -942,6 +947,11 @@ def run(
     :type graph_address: AddressType | None
     :param force_single_process: Whether to force all components into a single process
     :type force_single_process: bool
+    :param auto_start: Whether to spawn a GraphServer if none is reachable at ``graph_address``.
+        If ``None`` (default), a server is auto-started only when no explicit ``graph_address``
+        is provided and no environment override is set. Pass ``True`` to force auto-start when
+        binding to a specific address (e.g. an ephemeral port chosen by the parent process).
+    :type auto_start: bool | None
     :param components_kwargs: Additional components specified as keyword arguments
     :type components_kwargs: Component
 
@@ -968,6 +978,7 @@ def run(
         graph_address=graph_address,
         force_single_process=force_single_process,
         profiler_log_name=profiler_log_name,
+        auto_start=auto_start,
     )
     
     runner.run_blocking()
diff --git a/tests/test_run.py b/tests/test_run.py
index 323bc4ba..6923c4ab 100644
--- a/tests/test_run.py
+++ b/tests/test_run.py
@@ -129,3 +129,27 @@ def test_run_collection(passthrough_settings, num_messages):
             for line in lines:
                 results.append(json.loads(line))
         assert len(results) == num_messages
+
+
+def test_run_auto_start_with_explicit_address(unused_tcp_port):
+    # When ``graph_address`` is provided, GraphContext defaults to ``auto_start=False``
+    # and refuses to spawn a server. ``auto_start=True`` overrides that, which lets a
+    # parent process pick an ephemeral port and hand it to a child that owns the graph.
+    num_messages = 3
+    with get_test_fn() as test_filename:
+        comps = {
+            "SIMPLE_PUB": MessageGenerator(num_msgs=num_messages),
+            "SIMPLE_SUB": MessageReceiver(num_msgs=num_messages, output_fn=test_filename),
+        }
+        conns = ((comps["SIMPLE_PUB"].OUTPUT, comps["SIMPLE_SUB"].INPUT),)
+
+        ez.run(
+            components=comps,
+            connections=conns,
+            graph_address=("127.0.0.1", unused_tcp_port),
+            auto_start=True,
+        )
+
+        with open(test_filename, "r") as file:
+            results = [json.loads(line) for line in file.readlines()]
+        assert len(results) == num_messages