diff --git a/src/allmydata/test/test_tor_provider.py b/src/allmydata/test/test_tor_provider.py
index 0a1f589bf..21bc5878e 100644
--- a/src/allmydata/test/test_tor_provider.py
+++ b/src/allmydata/test/test_tor_provider.py
@@ -408,8 +408,13 @@ class ProviderListener(unittest.TestCase):
             p = tor_provider.Provider("basedir",
                                       FakeConfig(**{"onion.local_port": "321"}),
                                       reactor)
+        fake_ep = object()
+        with mock.patch("allmydata.util.tor_provider.TCP4ServerEndpoint",
+                        return_value=fake_ep) as e:
             endpoint_or_description = p.get_listener()
-        self.assertEqual(endpoint_or_description, "tcp:321:interface=127.0.0.1")
+        self.assertIs(endpoint_or_description, fake_ep)
+        self.assertEqual(e.mock_calls, [mock.call(reactor, 321,
+                                                  interface="127.0.0.1")])
 
 class Provider_CheckOnionConfig(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_default(self):
diff --git a/src/allmydata/util/tor_provider.py b/src/allmydata/util/tor_provider.py
index aa79b56d2..ccb963775 100644
--- a/src/allmydata/util/tor_provider.py
+++ b/src/allmydata/util/tor_provider.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ from __future__ import absolute_import, print_function, with_statement
 import os
 
 from twisted.internet.defer import inlineCallbacks, returnValue
-from twisted.internet.endpoints import clientFromString
+from twisted.internet.endpoints import clientFromString, TCP4ServerEndpoint
 from twisted.internet.error import ConnectionRefusedError, ConnectError
 from twisted.application import service
 
@@ -217,9 +217,9 @@ class Provider(service.MultiService):
         return self._node_for_config.get_config("tor", *args, **kwargs)
 
     def get_listener(self):
-        local_port = self._get_tor_config("onion.local_port")
-        tor_port = "tcp:%s:interface=127.0.0.1" % local_port
-        return tor_port
+        local_port = int(self._get_tor_config("onion.local_port"))
+        ep = TCP4ServerEndpoint(self._reactor, local_port, interface="127.0.0.1")
+        return ep
 
     def get_tor_handler(self):
         enabled = self._get_tor_config("enabled", True, boolean=True)