diff --git a/src/recommendationservice/Dockerfile b/src/recommendationservice/Dockerfile
index a4a8b57..e3ba5f4 100644
--- a/src/recommendationservice/Dockerfile
+++ b/src/recommendationservice/Dockerfile
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 FROM grpc/python:1.0
 
-
 # show python logs as they occur
 ENV PYTHONUNBUFFERED=0
 
@@ -8,4 +7,7 @@ ENV PYTHONUNBUFFERED=0
 ADD ./*.py /home/
 WORKDIR /home
 
-ENTRYPOINT python /home/recommendation_server.py
+# set listen port
+ENV PORT=8080
+
+ENTRYPOINT python /home/recommendation_server.py $PORT
diff --git a/src/recommendationservice/client.py b/src/recommendationservice/client.py
index b59198c..70492fd 100644
--- a/src/recommendationservice/client.py
+++ b/src/recommendationservice/client.py
@@ -1,12 +1,22 @@
 import grpc
 import demo_pb2
 import demo_pb2_grpc
+import sys
 
-channel = grpc.insecure_channel('localhost:8081')
-stub = demo_pb2_grpc.RecommendationServiceStub(channel)
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    # get port
+    if len(sys.argv) > 1:
+        port = sys.argv[1]
+    else:
+        port = "8080"
 
-request = demo_pb2.ListRecommendationsRequest(user_id="test", product_ids=["test"])
+    # set up server stub
+    channel = grpc.insecure_channel('localhost:'+port)
+    stub = demo_pb2_grpc.RecommendationServiceStub(channel)
 
-response = stub.ListRecommendations(request)
+    # form request
+    request = demo_pb2.ListRecommendationsRequest(user_id="test", product_ids=["test"])
 
-print(response)
+    # make call to server
+    response = stub.ListRecommendations(request)
+    print(response)
diff --git a/src/recommendationservice/recommendation_server.py b/src/recommendationservice/recommendation_server.py
index b96bd28..bffc519 100644
--- a/src/recommendationservice/recommendation_server.py
+++ b/src/recommendationservice/recommendation_server.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import demo_pb2
 import demo_pb2_grpc
 from concurrent import futures
 import time
+import sys
 
 class RecommendationService(demo_pb2_grpc.RecommendationServiceServicer):
     def ListRecommendations(self, request, context):
@@ -22,6 +23,12 @@ class RecommendationService(demo_pb2_grpc.RecommendationServiceServicer):
         return response
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
+    # get port
+    if len(sys.argv) > 1:
+        port = sys.argv[1]
+    else:
+        port = "8080"
+
     # create gRPC server
     server = grpc.server(futures.ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=10))
 
@@ -29,8 +36,8 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     demo_pb2_grpc.add_RecommendationServiceServicer_to_server(RecommendationService(), server)
 
     # start server
-    print("Listening on port 8081")
-    server.add_insecure_port('[::]:8081')
+    print("Listening on port " + port)
+    server.add_insecure_port('[::]:'+port)
     server.start()
 
     # keep alive