diff --git a/packages/angular-cli/blueprints/ng2/files/angular-cli.json b/packages/angular-cli/blueprints/ng2/files/angular-cli.json
index 4fd88b98c1cf..bee97bda2438 100644
--- a/packages/angular-cli/blueprints/ng2/files/angular-cli.json
+++ b/packages/angular-cli/blueprints/ng2/files/angular-cli.json
@@ -54,6 +54,11 @@
       "module": false,
       "pipe": true,
       "service": true
+    },
+    "serve": {
+      "port": 4200,
+      "liveReloadPort": 49152,
+      "host": "localhost"
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/angular-cli/commands/serve.ts b/packages/angular-cli/commands/serve.ts
index a9ce848d13ae..f68d3e6527d5 100644
--- a/packages/angular-cli/commands/serve.ts
+++ b/packages/angular-cli/commands/serve.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
 const PortFinder = require('portfinder');
 const Command = require('../ember-cli/lib/models/command');
+import { CliConfig } from '../models/config';
 
-PortFinder.basePort = 49152;
+const config = CliConfig.fromProject();
 
-const defaultPort = process.env.PORT || 4200;
+const defaultLiveReloadPort = config.get('defaults.serve.liveReloadPort') || 49152;
+const defaultPort = process.env.PORT || config.get('defaults.serve.port');
+const defaultHost = config.get('defaults.serve.host') || 'localhost';
+
+PortFinder.basePort = defaultLiveReloadPort;
 
 export interface ServeTaskOptions {
   port?: number;
@@ -42,9 +47,9 @@ const ServeCommand = Command.extend({
     {
       name: 'host',
       type: String,
-      default: 'localhost',
+      default: defaultHost,
       aliases: ['H'],
-      description: 'Listens only on localhost by default'
+      description: `Listens only on ${defaultHost} by default`
     },
     { name: 'proxy-config',         type: 'Path',                          aliases: ['pc'] },
     { name: 'watcher',              type: String,  default: 'events',      aliases: ['w'] },
@@ -65,7 +70,7 @@ const ServeCommand = Command.extend({
       name: 'live-reload-port',
       type: Number,
       aliases: ['lrp'],
-      description: '(Defaults to port number within [49152...65535])'
+      description: `Finds the first open port number within [${defaultLiveReloadPort}...65535]`
     },
     {
       name: 'live-reload-live-css',
@@ -103,7 +108,7 @@ const ServeCommand = Command.extend({
     },
     { name: 'i18n-file',       type: String, default: null },
     { name: 'i18n-format',     type: String, default: null },
-    { name: 'locale',         type: String, default: null }
+    { name: 'locale',          type: String, default: null }
   ],
 
   run: function(commandOptions: ServeTaskOptions) {
diff --git a/packages/angular-cli/lib/config/schema.d.ts b/packages/angular-cli/lib/config/schema.d.ts
index d323223b5f36..abe1e5ecdc1b 100644
--- a/packages/angular-cli/lib/config/schema.d.ts
+++ b/packages/angular-cli/lib/config/schema.d.ts
@@ -1,79 +1,84 @@
 export interface CliConfig {
+  /**
+   * The global configuration of the project.
+   */
+  project?: {
+    version?: string;
+    name?: string;
+  };
+  /**
+   * Properties of the different applications in this project.
+   */
+  apps?: {
+    root?: string;
+    outDir?: string;
+    assets?: string;
+    deployUrl?: string;
+    index?: string;
+    main?: string;
+    test?: string;
+    tsconfig?: string;
+    prefix?: string;
+    mobile?: boolean;
     /**
-     * The global configuration of the project.
+     * Global styles to be included in the build.
      */
-    project?: {
-        version?: string;
-        name?: string;
-    };
-    /**
-     * Properties of the different applications in this project.
-     */
-    apps?: {
-        root?: string;
-        outDir?: string;
-        assets?: string;
-        deployUrl?: string;
-        index?: string;
-        main?: string;
-        test?: string;
-        tsconfig?: string;
-        prefix?: string;
-        mobile?: boolean;
-        /**
-         * Global styles to be included in the build.
-         */
-        styles?: string[];
-        /**
-         * Global scripts to be included in the build.
-         */
-        scripts?: string[];
-        /**
-         * Name and corresponding file for environment config.
-         */
-        environments?: {
-            [name: string]: any;
-        };
-    }[];
+    styles?: string[];
     /**
-     * Configuration reserved for installed third party addons.
+     * Global scripts to be included in the build.
      */
-    addons?: {
-        [name: string]: any;
-    }[];
+    scripts?: string[];
     /**
-     * Configuration reserved for installed third party packages.
+     * Name and corresponding file for environment config.
      */
-    packages?: {
-        [name: string]: any;
-    }[];
-    e2e?: {
-        protractor?: {
-            config?: string;
-        };
+    environments?: {
+      [name: string]: any;
+    };
+  }[];
+  /**
+   * Configuration reserved for installed third party addons.
+   */
+  addons?: {
+    [name: string]: any;
+  }[];
+  /**
+   * Configuration reserved for installed third party packages.
+   */
+  packages?: {
+    [name: string]: any;
+  }[];
+  e2e?: {
+    protractor?: {
+      config?: string;
+    };
+  };
+  test?: {
+    karma?: {
+      config?: string;
     };
-    test?: {
-        karma?: {
-            config?: string;
-        };
+  };
+  defaults?: {
+    styleExt?: string;
+    prefixInterfaces?: boolean;
+    poll?: number;
+    viewEncapsulation?: string;
+    changeDetection?: string;
+    inline?: {
+      style?: boolean;
+      template?: boolean;
     };
-    defaults?: {
-        styleExt?: string;
-        prefixInterfaces?: boolean;
-        poll?: number;
-        viewEncapsulation?: string;
-        changeDetection?: string;
-        inline?: {
-            style?: boolean;
-            template?: boolean;
-        };
-        spec?: {
-            class?: boolean;
-            component?: boolean;
-            directive?: boolean;
-            module?: boolean;
-            pipe?: boolean;
-            service?: boolean;
-        };
+    spec?: {
+      class?: boolean;
+      component?: boolean;
+      directive?: boolean;
+      module?: boolean;
+      pipe?: boolean;
+      service?: boolean;
     };
+    serve?: {
+      port: number;
+      liveReloadPort: number;
+      host: string;
+    }
+  };
 }
diff --git a/packages/angular-cli/lib/config/schema.json b/packages/angular-cli/lib/config/schema.json
index 3a2a1f02fcc9..5b8183a54da4 100644
--- a/packages/angular-cli/lib/config/schema.json
+++ b/packages/angular-cli/lib/config/schema.json
@@ -227,6 +227,23 @@
               "default": true
             }
           }
+        },
+        "serve": {
+          "type": "object",
+          "properties": {
+            "port": {
+              "type": "number",
+              "default": 4200
+            },
+            "liveReloadPort": {
+              "type": "number",
+              "default": 49152
+            },
+            "host": {
+              "type": "string",
+              "default": "localhost"
+            }
+          }
         }
       },
       "additionalProperties": false
diff --git a/tests/e2e/tests/misc/default-port.ts b/tests/e2e/tests/misc/default-port.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..5f92d1d67cb8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/e2e/tests/misc/default-port.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import { request } from '../../utils/http';
+import { killAllProcesses } from '../../utils/process';
+import { ngServe } from '../../utils/project';
+import { updateJsonFile } from '../../utils/project';
+
+export default function() {
+  return Promise.resolve()
+    .then(() => updateJsonFile('angular-cli.json', configJson => {
+      const app = configJson['defaults']['serve'];
+      app['port'] = 4201;
+    }))
+    .then(() => ngServe())
+    .then(() => request('http://localhost:4201/'))
+    .then(body => {
+      if (!body.match(/<app-root>Loading...<\/app-root>/)) {
+        throw new Error('Response does not match expected value.');
+      }
+    })
+    .then(() => killAllProcesses(), (err) => { killAllProcesses(); throw err; });
+}