diff --git a/.github/workflows/server-sanitize.yml b/.github/workflows/server-sanitize.yml
index a0ffc70c12..77549ee871 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/server-sanitize.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/server-sanitize.yml
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ jobs:
           source .venv/bin/activate
           cd tools/server/tests
           export ${{ matrix.extra_args }}
-          ./tests.sh
+          PYTEST_WORKERS=1 ./tests.sh
 
       - name: Slow tests
         id: server_integration_tests_slow
@@ -112,4 +112,4 @@ jobs:
           source .venv/bin/activate
           cd tools/server/tests
           export ${{ matrix.extra_args }}
-          SLOW_TESTS=1 ./tests.sh
+          PYTEST_WORKERS=1 SLOW_TESTS=1 ./tests.sh
diff --git a/tools/server/tests/conftest.py b/tools/server/tests/conftest.py
index 5dfde40796..69c4fd687f 100644
--- a/tools/server/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tools/server/tests/conftest.py
@@ -1,7 +1,17 @@
+import os
 import pytest
+from filelock import FileLock
 from utils import *
 
 
+@pytest.fixture(scope="session", autouse=True)
+def configure_worker_port(request):
+    worker_id = getattr(request.config, "workerinput", {}).get("workerid", "master")
+    if worker_id != "master":
+        worker_num = int(worker_id[2:])
+        os.environ["PORT"] = str(8080 + worker_num * 10)
+
+
 # ref: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/22627659/run-code-before-and-after-each-test-in-py-test
 @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
 def stop_server_after_each_test():
@@ -16,6 +26,10 @@ def stop_server_after_each_test():
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope="session", autouse=True)
-def load_server_presets():
+def load_server_presets(configure_worker_port, tmp_path_factory):
     # this will be run once per test session, before any tests
-    ServerPreset.load_all()
+
+    # serialize model downloads across parallel workers.
+    root_tmp_dir = tmp_path_factory.getbasetemp().parent
+    with FileLock(str(root_tmp_dir / "load_all.lock")):
+        ServerPreset.load_all()
diff --git a/tools/server/tests/requirements.txt b/tools/server/tests/requirements.txt
index ca7a0281fa..6c256f67d8 100644
--- a/tools/server/tests/requirements.txt
+++ b/tools/server/tests/requirements.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 aiohttp~=3.9.3
 pytest~=8.3.3
+pytest-xdist~=3.6
+filelock~=3.16
 numpy~=1.26.4
 openai~=2.14.0
 prometheus-client~=0.20.0
diff --git a/tools/server/tests/tests.sh b/tools/server/tests/tests.sh
index 433dc99828..1d1415663b 100755
--- a/tools/server/tests/tests.sh
+++ b/tools/server/tests/tests.sh
@@ -6,13 +6,15 @@ cd $SCRIPT_DIR
 
 set -eu
 
+WORKERS="${PYTEST_WORKERS:-auto}"
+
 if [ $# -lt 1 ]
 then
     if [[ "${SLOW_TESTS:-0}" == 1 ]]; then
-        pytest --durations=30 -v -x
+        pytest --durations=30 -v -x -n "${WORKERS}" --dist=worksteal
     else
-        pytest --durations=30 -v -x -m "not slow"
+        pytest --durations=30 -v -x -n "${WORKERS}" --dist=worksteal -m "not slow"
     fi
 else
-    pytest --durations=30 "$@"
+    pytest --durations=30 -n "${WORKERS}" --dist=worksteal "$@"
 fi
diff --git a/tools/server/tests/unit/test_compat_anthropic.py b/tools/server/tests/unit/test_compat_anthropic.py
index e23947cdde..d292f83cf0 100644
--- a/tools/server/tests/unit/test_compat_anthropic.py
+++ b/tools/server/tests/unit/test_compat_anthropic.py
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ def create_server():
     global server
     server = ServerPreset.tinyllama2()
     server.model_alias = "tinyllama-2-anthropic"
-    server.server_port = 8082
     server.n_slots = 1
     server.n_ctx = 8192
     server.n_batch = 2048
@@ -34,7 +33,6 @@ def vision_server():
     server = ServerPreset.tinygemma3()
     server.offline = False  # Allow downloading the model
     server.model_alias = "tinygemma3-anthropic"
-    server.server_port = 8083  # Different port to avoid conflicts
     server.n_slots = 1
     return server
 
@@ -1015,7 +1013,6 @@ def test_anthropic_thinking_with_reasoning_model(stream):
     server.jinja = True
     server.n_ctx = 8192
     server.n_predict = 1024
-    server.server_port = 8084
     server.start(timeout_seconds=600)  # large model needs time to download
 
     if stream:
diff --git a/tools/server/tests/unit/test_mcp_servers.py b/tools/server/tests/unit/test_mcp_servers.py
index 9ad2241bd0..877b732a53 100644
--- a/tools/server/tests/unit/test_mcp_servers.py
+++ b/tools/server/tests/unit/test_mcp_servers.py
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ def _start_server_with_mcp(mcp_json: str, **kwargs) -> ServerProcess:
     srv = ServerPreset.router()
     srv.server_tools = "all"
     srv.no_ui = True
-    srv.server_port = 8085  # avoid conflict with load_all() which uses 8080
     srv.mcp_servers_json = mcp_json
     for k, v in kwargs.items():
         setattr(srv, k, v)
@@ -183,7 +182,6 @@ def test_mcp_tools_not_listed_when_not_configured():
     server = ServerPreset.router()
     server.server_tools = "all"
     server.no_ui = True
-    server.server_port = 8085
     server.start()
 
     try:
@@ -250,7 +248,6 @@ def test_mcp_tools_via_json_config_file():
         server = ServerPreset.router()
         server.server_tools = "all"
         server.no_ui = True
-        server.server_port = 8085
         server.mcp_servers_config = config_path
         server.start()
 
@@ -468,7 +465,6 @@ def test_mcp_config_file_errors():
     server = ServerPreset.router()
     server.server_tools = "all"
     server.no_ui = True
-    server.server_port = 8085
     server.mcp_servers_json = "not valid json"
     try:
         server.start()
@@ -480,7 +476,6 @@ def test_mcp_config_file_errors():
     server = ServerPreset.router()
     server.server_tools = "all"
     server.no_ui = True
-    server.server_port = 8085
     server.mcp_servers_config = "/nonexistent/path.json"
     try:
         server.start()
diff --git a/tools/server/tests/unit/test_slot_save.py b/tools/server/tests/unit/test_slot_save.py
index 5af61d70d0..5eca46cb29 100644
--- a/tools/server/tests/unit/test_slot_save.py
+++ b/tools/server/tests/unit/test_slot_save.py
@@ -10,10 +10,10 @@ STATE_FILE_HEADER_SIZE = 12
 server = ServerPreset.tinyllama2()
 
 @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
-def create_server():
+def create_server(tmp_path):
     global server
     server = ServerPreset.tinyllama2()
-    server.slot_save_path = "./tmp"
+    server.slot_save_path = str(tmp_path)
     server.temperature = 0.0
 
 
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ def test_slot_restore_legacy_token_list():
     assert res.body["n_saved"] == 84
 
     # rewrite the token payload into a plain token list, as written by servers that predate the packed server_tokens format
-    path = os.path.join("tmp", "slot_legacy.bin")
+    path = os.path.join(server.slot_save_path, "slot_legacy.bin")
     with open(path, "rb") as f:
         data = bytearray(f.read())
 
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ def test_slot_save_restore_image_payload_larger_than_context(mmproj_server):
     })
     assert res.status_code == 200
 
-    path = os.path.join("tmp", "mm_slot_large_payload.bin")
+    path = os.path.join(server.slot_save_path, "mm_slot_large_payload.bin")
     with open(path, "rb") as f:
         data = bytearray(f.read())
     payload_size = struct.unpack_from("=I", data, STATE_FILE_HEADER_SIZE - 4)[0]
diff --git a/tools/server/tests/unit/test_tool_call.py b/tools/server/tests/unit/test_tool_call.py
index 9fa84d165e..87c4ad166c 100755
--- a/tools/server/tests/unit/test_tool_call.py
+++ b/tools/server/tests/unit/test_tool_call.py
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ def create_server():
     global server
     server = ServerPreset.tinyllama2()
     server.model_alias = "tinyllama-2-tool-call"
-    server.server_port = 8081
     server.n_slots = 1
     server.n_ctx = 8192
     server.n_batch = 2048
diff --git a/tools/server/tests/unit/test_tools_builtin.py b/tools/server/tests/unit/test_tools_builtin.py
index a69052c6d7..d4ebd28d10 100755
--- a/tools/server/tests/unit/test_tools_builtin.py
+++ b/tools/server/tests/unit/test_tools_builtin.py
@@ -64,11 +64,11 @@ def test_tools_builtin_read_file():
     assert "def test_tools_builtin_read_file" in text
 
 
-def test_tools_builtin_write_then_edit_file():
+def test_tools_builtin_write_then_edit_file(tmp_path):
     global server
     server.start()
 
-    log_path = os.path.join(PROJECT_ROOT, "test.log")
+    log_path = str(tmp_path / "test.log")
     try:
         write_res = call_tool("write_file", {"path": log_path, "content": "line1\nline2\nline3\n"})
         assert write_res["result"] == "file written successfully"
@@ -93,11 +93,11 @@ def test_tools_builtin_write_then_edit_file():
             os.remove(log_path)
 
 
-def test_tools_builtin_edit_file_rejects_non_unique_old_text():
+def test_tools_builtin_edit_file_rejects_non_unique_old_text(tmp_path):
     global server
     server.start()
 
-    log_path = os.path.join(PROJECT_ROOT, "test.log")
+    log_path = str(tmp_path / "test.log")
     try:
         call_tool("write_file", {"path": log_path, "content": "dup\ndup\n"})
         err = call_tool_expect_error("edit_file", {
@@ -275,11 +275,11 @@ def test_tools_builtin_docker_runtime_cleans_up_spawned_container():
     assert leftover.returncode != 0, f"container {container_id} was not cleaned up after server exit"
 
 
-def test_tools_builtin_edit_file_rejects_overlapping_edits():
+def test_tools_builtin_edit_file_rejects_overlapping_edits(tmp_path):
     global server
     server.start()
 
-    log_path = os.path.join(PROJECT_ROOT, "test.log")
+    log_path = str(tmp_path / "test.log")
     try:
         call_tool("write_file", {"path": log_path, "content": "line1\nline2\n"})
         err = call_tool_expect_error("edit_file", {
diff --git a/tools/server/tests/utils.py b/tools/server/tests/utils.py
index 5a4f31a53e..826aef2d5b 100644
--- a/tools/server/tests/utils.py
+++ b/tools/server/tests/utils.py
@@ -294,6 +294,7 @@ class ServerProcess:
             server_args.append("--backend_sampling")
         if self.gcp_compat:
             env["AIP_MODE"] = "PREDICTION"
+            env["AIP_HTTP_PORT"] = str(self.server_port)
 
         args = [str(arg) for arg in [server_path, *server_args]]
         print(f"tests: starting server with: {' '.join(args)}")