diff --git a/crates/cli/src/config.rs b/crates/cli/src/config.rs
index eb559199daf..5c0989af58f 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/config.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/config.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ use toml_edit::ArrayOfTables;
 const DEFAULT_SERVER_KEY: &str = "default_server";
 const WEB_SESSION_TOKEN_KEY: &str = "web_session_token";
 const SPACETIMEDB_TOKEN_KEY: &str = "spacetimedb_token";
+const LISTEN_ADDR_KEY: &str = "listen_addr";
 const SERVER_CONFIGS_KEY: &str = "server_configs";
 const NICKNAME_KEY: &str = "nickname";
 const HOST_KEY: &str = "host";
@@ -124,6 +125,7 @@ pub struct RawConfig {
     // TODO: Move these IDs/tokens out of config so we're no longer storing sensitive tokens in a human-edited file.
     web_session_token: Option<String>,
     spacetimedb_token: Option<String>,
+    listen_addr: Option<String>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
@@ -173,6 +175,7 @@ impl RawConfig {
             server_configs: vec![maincloud, local],
             web_session_token: None,
             spacetimedb_token: None,
+            listen_addr: None,
         }
     }
 
@@ -461,6 +464,7 @@ impl TryFrom<&toml_edit::DocumentMut> for RawConfig {
         let default_server = read_opt_str(value, DEFAULT_SERVER_KEY)?;
         let web_session_token = read_opt_str(value, WEB_SESSION_TOKEN_KEY)?;
         let spacetimedb_token = read_opt_str(value, SPACETIMEDB_TOKEN_KEY)?;
+        let listen_addr = read_opt_str(value, LISTEN_ADDR_KEY)?;
 
         let mut server_configs = Vec::new();
         if let Some(arr) = read_table(value, SERVER_CONFIGS_KEY)? {
@@ -474,6 +478,7 @@ impl TryFrom<&toml_edit::DocumentMut> for RawConfig {
             server_configs,
             web_session_token,
             spacetimedb_token,
+            listen_addr,
         })
     }
 }
@@ -483,6 +488,10 @@ impl Config {
         self.home.default_server.as_deref()
     }
 
+    pub fn start_listen_addr(&self) -> Option<&str> {
+        self.home.listen_addr.as_deref()
+    }
+
     /// Add a `ServerConfig` to the home configuration.
     ///
     /// Returns an `Err` on name conflict,
@@ -654,11 +663,13 @@ impl Config {
             server_configs: old_server_configs,
             web_session_token,
             spacetimedb_token,
+            listen_addr,
         } = &self.home;
 
         set_value(DEFAULT_SERVER_KEY, default_server.as_deref());
         set_value(WEB_SESSION_TOKEN_KEY, web_session_token.as_deref());
         set_value(SPACETIMEDB_TOKEN_KEY, spacetimedb_token.as_deref());
+        set_value(LISTEN_ADDR_KEY, listen_addr.as_deref());
 
         // Short-circuit if there are no servers.
         if old_server_configs.is_empty() {
@@ -929,6 +940,10 @@ protocol = "https"
 "#;
     const CONFIG_EMPTY: &str = r#"
 # Comment end
+"#;
+    const CONFIG_LISTEN_ADDR: &str = r#"listen_addr = "0.0.0.0:4000"
+
+# Comment end
 "#;
     const CONFIG_INVALID_START: &str = r#"
 this="not a valid key"
@@ -992,6 +1007,10 @@ default_server = "local"
     fn test_config_adds() -> ResultTest<()> {
         check_config(CONFIG_FULL, CONFIG_FULL, |_| Ok(()))?;
         check_config(CONFIG_EMPTY, CONFIG_EMPTY, |_| Ok(()))?;
+        check_config(CONFIG_EMPTY, CONFIG_LISTEN_ADDR, |config| {
+            config.home.listen_addr = Some("0.0.0.0:4000".to_string());
+            Ok(())
+        })?;
 
         check_config(CONFIG_EMPTY, CONFIG_FULL_NO_COMMENT, |config| {
             config.home.default_server = Some("local".to_string());
@@ -1057,6 +1076,14 @@ default_server = "local"
                 found: Box::new(toml_edit::value(1)),
             },
         )?;
+        check_invalid(
+            r#"listen_addr =1"#,
+            CliError::ConfigType {
+                key: "listen_addr".to_string(),
+                kind: "string",
+                found: Box::new(toml_edit::value(1)),
+            },
+        )?;
         check_invalid(
             r#"
 [server_configs]
diff --git a/crates/cli/src/lib.rs b/crates/cli/src/lib.rs
index 48b67d5f149..c44b3d2a41e 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/lib.rs
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ pub async fn exec_subcommand(
         "build" => build::exec(config, args).await.map(drop),
         "server" => server::exec(config, paths, args).await,
         "subscribe" => subscribe::exec(config, args).await,
-        "start" => return start::exec(paths, args).await,
+        "start" => return start::exec(config, paths, args).await,
         "login" => login::exec(config, args).await,
         "logout" => logout::exec(config, args).await,
         "version" => return subcommands::version::exec(paths, root_dir, args).await,
diff --git a/crates/cli/src/subcommands/start.rs b/crates/cli/src/subcommands/start.rs
index 859bd86094d..5a84964b163 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/subcommands/start.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/subcommands/start.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use clap::{Arg, ArgMatches};
 use spacetimedb_paths::SpacetimePaths;
 
 use crate::util::resolve_sibling_binary;
+use crate::Config;
 
 pub fn cli() -> clap::Command {
     clap::Command::new("start")
@@ -15,6 +16,11 @@ pub fn cli() -> clap::Command {
             "\
 Start a local SpacetimeDB instance
 
+Set a persistent default listen address in cli.toml with:
+    listen_addr = \"0.0.0.0:4000\"
+
+When present, `listen_addr` is used unless `--listen-addr` is passed explicitly.
+
 Run `spacetime start --help` to see all options.",
         )
         .disable_help_flag(true)
@@ -40,9 +46,9 @@ enum Edition {
     Cloud,
 }
 
-pub async fn exec(paths: &SpacetimePaths, args: &ArgMatches) -> anyhow::Result<ExitCode> {
+pub async fn exec(config: Config, paths: &SpacetimePaths, args: &ArgMatches) -> anyhow::Result<ExitCode> {
     let edition = args.get_one::<Edition>("edition").unwrap();
-    let args = args.get_many::<OsString>("args").unwrap_or_default();
+    let forwarded_args: Vec<OsString> = args.get_many::<OsString>("args").unwrap_or_default().cloned().collect();
     let bin_name = match edition {
         Edition::Standalone => "spacetimedb-standalone",
         Edition::Cloud => "spacetimedb-cloud",
@@ -53,8 +59,15 @@ pub async fn exec(paths: &SpacetimePaths, args: &ArgMatches) -> anyhow::Result<E
         .arg("--data-dir")
         .arg(&paths.data_dir)
         .arg("--jwt-key-dir")
-        .arg(&paths.cli_config_dir)
-        .args(args);
+        .arg(&paths.cli_config_dir);
+
+    if let Some(config_addr) = config.start_listen_addr() {
+        // Prepend the config default; standalone takes the last --listen-addr value,
+        // so an explicit flag in forwarded_args wins.
+        cmd.arg("--listen-addr").arg(config_addr);
+    }
+
+    cmd.args(&forwarded_args);
 
     exec_replace(&mut cmd).with_context(|| format!("exec failed for {}", bin_path.display()))
 }
diff --git a/docs/docs/00300-resources/00200-reference/00100-cli-reference/00100-cli-reference.md b/docs/docs/00300-resources/00200-reference/00100-cli-reference/00100-cli-reference.md
index 70b33a489e8..1bfcf0960b3 100644
--- a/docs/docs/00300-resources/00200-reference/00100-cli-reference/00100-cli-reference.md
+++ b/docs/docs/00300-resources/00200-reference/00100-cli-reference/00100-cli-reference.md
@@ -599,6 +599,14 @@ Subscribe to SQL queries on the database. WARNING: This command is UNSTABLE and
 
 Start a local SpacetimeDB instance
 
+Set a persistent default listen address in `cli.toml` with:
+
+```toml
+listen_addr = "0.0.0.0:4000"
+```
+
+When present, `listen_addr` is used unless `--listen-addr` is passed explicitly. Precedence is: explicit CLI flag, then `cli.toml`, then the standalone default `0.0.0.0:3000`.
+
 Run `spacetime start --help` to see all options.
 
 **Usage:** `spacetime start [OPTIONS] [args]...`