diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cli/RunExampleTool.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cli/RunExampleTool.java
index 66828271c060..3b5f5195f056 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cli/RunExampleTool.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cli/RunExampleTool.java
@@ -872,6 +872,11 @@ void runCloudExample(CloudExampleParams params) throws Exception {
                 Locale.ROOT, "Please enter the port for node%d [%d]: ", (n + 1), cloudPorts[n]);
         int port = promptForPort(readInput, n + 1, promptMsg, cloudPorts[n]);
         while (!isPortAvailable(port)) {
+          if (usingScriptInputs) {
+            // a retry would consume the next scripted answer as the port
+            throw new IllegalStateException(
+                "Port " + port + " from --script-inputs is already being used by another process.");
+          }
           port =
               promptForPort(
                   readInput,
diff --git a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cli/TestSolrCLIRunExample.java b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cli/TestSolrCLIRunExample.java
index b9957e993cc1..b2ef966034f7 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cli/TestSolrCLIRunExample.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cli/TestSolrCLIRunExample.java
@@ -570,7 +570,8 @@ public void testSolrCloudExampleWithScriptInputs() throws Exception {
 
     RunExampleTool tool = new RunExampleTool(executor, System.in, runtime);
     try {
-      runTool(tool, toolArgs);
+      int status = runTool(tool, toolArgs);
+      assertEquals("tool output: " + runtime.getOutput(), 0, status);
     } catch (Exception e) {
       System.err.println(
           "RunExampleTool failed due to: "
@@ -635,6 +636,32 @@ public void testSolrCloudExampleWithScriptInputs() throws Exception {
     executor.execute(CommandLine.parse("bin/solr stop -p " + bindPort));
   }
 
+  /** A scripted port that is already in use fails fast instead of consuming later answers. */
+  @Test
+  public void testScriptInputsPortInUse() throws Exception {
+    Path solrHomeDir = ExternalPaths.SERVER_HOME;
+    if (!Files.isDirectory(solrHomeDir))
+      fail(solrHomeDir + " not found and is required to run this test!");
+
+    try (ServerSocket busy = new ServerSocket(0)) {
+      String[] toolArgs =
+          new String[] {
+            "--example",
+            "cloud",
+            "--server-dir",
+            solrHomeDir.getParent().toString(),
+            "--example-dir",
+            createTempDir().toString(),
+            "--script-inputs",
+            "1," + busy.getLocalPort() + ",\"coll\",2,2,_default"
+          };
+      RunExampleTool tool =
+          new RunExampleTool(
+              new RunExampleExecutor(), System.in, new CLITestHelper.TestingRuntime(true));
+      assertEquals(1, runTool(tool, toolArgs));
+    }
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testFailExecuteScript() throws Exception {
     Path solrHomeDir = ExternalPaths.SERVER_HOME;