diff --git a/striptls/striptls.py b/striptls/striptls.py
index 89c4383..134ec87 100644
--- a/striptls/striptls.py
+++ b/striptls/striptls.py
@@ -1357,11 +1357,21 @@ def main():
     if not options.remote:
         parser.error("mandatory option: remote")
     else:
-        options.remote = options.remote.strip().split(":")
-        options.remote = (options.remote[0], int(options.remote[1]))
+        if ":" not in options.remote and ":" in options.listen:
+            # no port in remote, but there is one in listen. use this one
+            options.remote = (options.remote.strip(), int(options.listen.strip().split(":")[1]))
+            logger.warning("no remote port specified - falling back to %s:%d (listen port)"%options.remote)
+        elif ":" in options.remote:
+            options.remote = options.remote.strip().split(":")
+            options.remote = (options.remote[0], int(options.remote[1]))
+        else:
+            parser.error("neither remote nor listen is in the format <host>:<port>")
     if not options.listen:
-        logger.warning("no listen port specified - falling back to 0.0.0.0:%d"%options.remote[1])
+        logger.warning("no listen port specified - falling back to 0.0.0.0:%d (remote port)"%options.remote[1])
         options.listen = ("0.0.0.0",options.remote[1])
+    elif ":" not in options.listen:
+        options.listen = (options.listen.strip(), options.remote[1])
+        logger.warning("no listen port specified - falling back to %s:%d (remote port)"%options.listen)
     else:
         options.listen = options.listen.strip().split(":")
         options.listen = (options.listen[0], int(options.listen[1]))