diff --git a/src/node/hooks/express.js b/src/node/hooks/express.js
index d520ee6eb..50cb8657e 100644
--- a/src/node/hooks/express.js
+++ b/src/node/hooks/express.js
@@ -17,6 +17,14 @@ let serverName;
 
 exports.server = null;
 
+const closeServer = async () => {
+  if (exports.server == null) return;
+  logger.info('Closing HTTP server...');
+  await util.promisify(exports.server.close.bind(exports.server))();
+  exports.server = null;
+  logger.info('HTTP server closed');
+};
+
 exports.createServer = async () => {
   console.log('Report bugs at https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite/issues');
 
@@ -50,10 +58,7 @@ exports.createServer = async () => {
 };
 
 exports.restartServer = async () => {
-  if (exports.server) {
-    console.log('Restarting express server');
-    await util.promisify(exports.server.close).bind(exports.server)();
-  }
+  await closeServer();
 
   const app = express(); // New syntax for express v3
 
@@ -181,6 +186,5 @@ exports.restartServer = async () => {
 };
 
 exports.shutdown = async (hookName, context) => {
-  if (!exports.server) return;
-  await util.promisify(exports.server.close).bind(exports.server)();
+  await closeServer();
 };