diff --git a/net.c b/net.c
index c34474f..60e7b35 100644
--- a/net.c
+++ b/net.c
@@ -190,6 +190,32 @@ static ssize_t qemu_deliver_packet_iov(VLANClientState *sender,
                                        int iovcnt,
                                        void *opaque);
 
+VLANClientState *qemu_lookup_net_client(VLANState *vlan,
+                                        const char *name)
+{
+    VLANClientState *vc = NULL;
+
+    if (vlan) {
+        QTAILQ_FOREACH(vc, &vlan->clients, next) {
+            if (!strcmp(vc->name, name)) {
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+    } else {
+        QTAILQ_FOREACH(vc, &non_vlan_clients, next) {
+            if (!strcmp(vc->name, name)) {
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (!vc) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    return vc;
+}
+
 VLANClientState *qemu_new_net_client(NetClientInfo *info,
                                      VLANState *vlan,
                                      VLANClientState *peer,
diff --git a/net.h b/net.h
index 75a8c15..7f73160 100644
--- a/net.h
+++ b/net.h
@@ -90,6 +90,8 @@ struct VLANState {
 
 VLANState *qemu_find_vlan(int id, int allocate);
 VLANClientState *qemu_find_netdev(const char *id);
+VLANClientState *qemu_lookup_net_client(VLANState *vlan,
+                                        const char *name);
 VLANClientState *qemu_new_net_client(NetClientInfo *info,
                                      VLANState *vlan,
                                      VLANClientState *peer,
diff --git a/net/socket.c b/net/socket.c
index d4c2002..3ecee59 100644
--- a/net/socket.c
+++ b/net/socket.c
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ typedef struct NetSocketState {
 } NetSocketState;
 
 typedef struct NetSocketListenState {
+    VLANClientState *nc;
     VLANState *vlan;
     char *model;
     char *name;
@@ -247,7 +248,8 @@ static NetClientInfo net_dgram_socket_info = {
 static NetSocketState *net_socket_fd_init_dgram(VLANState *vlan,
                                                 const char *model,
                                                 const char *name,
-                                                int fd, int is_connected)
+                                                int fd, int is_connected,
+                                                int is_listen)
 {
     struct sockaddr_in saddr;
     int newfd;
@@ -286,15 +288,28 @@ static NetSocketState *net_socket_fd_init_dgram(VLANState *vlan,
         }
     }
 
-    nc = qemu_new_net_client(&net_dgram_socket_info, vlan, NULL, model, name);
+
+    if (!is_listen || (is_listen && !is_connected)) {
+        nc = qemu_new_net_client(&net_dgram_socket_info,
+                                 vlan, NULL, model, name);
+    } else {
+        nc = qemu_lookup_net_client(vlan, name);
+        if (!nc) {
+            goto err;
+        }
+    }
+
+    s = DO_UPCAST(NetSocketState, nc, nc);
+
+    if (is_listen && !is_connected) {
+        return s;
+    }
 
     snprintf(nc->info_str, sizeof(nc->info_str),
             "socket: fd=%d (%s mcast=%s:%d)",
             fd, is_connected ? "cloned" : "",
             inet_ntoa(saddr.sin_addr), ntohs(saddr.sin_port));
 
-    s = DO_UPCAST(NetSocketState, nc, nc);
-
     s->fd = fd;
 
     qemu_set_fd_handler(s->fd, net_socket_send_dgram, NULL, s);
@@ -325,16 +340,29 @@ static NetClientInfo net_socket_info = {
 static NetSocketState *net_socket_fd_init_stream(VLANState *vlan,
                                                  const char *model,
                                                  const char *name,
-                                                 int fd, int is_connected)
+                                                 int fd, int is_connected,
+                                                 int is_listen)
 {
     VLANClientState *nc;
     NetSocketState *s;
 
-    nc = qemu_new_net_client(&net_socket_info, vlan, NULL, model, name);
+    if (!is_listen || (is_listen && !is_connected)) {
+        nc = qemu_new_net_client(&net_socket_info, vlan, NULL, model, name);
+    } else {
+        nc = qemu_lookup_net_client(vlan, name);
+        if (!nc) {
+            return NULL;
+        }
+    }
+
+    s = DO_UPCAST(NetSocketState, nc, nc);
+
+    if (is_listen && !is_connected) {
+        return s;
+    }
 
     snprintf(nc->info_str, sizeof(nc->info_str), "socket: fd=%d", fd);
 
-    s = DO_UPCAST(NetSocketState, nc, nc);
 
     s->fd = fd;
 
@@ -348,7 +376,8 @@ static NetSocketState *net_socket_fd_init_stream(VLANState *vlan,
 
 static NetSocketState *net_socket_fd_init(VLANState *vlan,
                                           const char *model, const char *name,
-                                          int fd, int is_connected)
+                                          int fd, int is_connected,
+                                          int is_listen)
 {
     int so_type = -1, optlen=sizeof(so_type);
 
@@ -361,13 +390,16 @@ static NetSocketState *net_socket_fd_init(VLANState *vlan,
     }
     switch(so_type) {
     case SOCK_DGRAM:
-        return net_socket_fd_init_dgram(vlan, model, name, fd, is_connected);
+        return net_socket_fd_init_dgram(vlan, model,
+                                        name, fd, is_connected, is_listen);
     case SOCK_STREAM:
-        return net_socket_fd_init_stream(vlan, model, name, fd, is_connected);
+        return net_socket_fd_init_stream(vlan, model,
+                                         name, fd, is_connected, is_listen);
     default:
         /* who knows ... this could be a eg. a pty, do warn and continue as stream */
         fprintf(stderr, "qemu: warning: socket type=%d for fd=%d is not SOCK_DGRAM or SOCK_STREAM\n", so_type, fd);
-        return net_socket_fd_init_stream(vlan, model, name, fd, is_connected);
+        return net_socket_fd_init_stream(vlan, model,
+                                         name, fd, is_connected, is_listen);
     }
     return NULL;
 }
@@ -389,14 +421,17 @@ static void net_socket_accept(void *opaque)
             break;
         }
     }
-    s1 = net_socket_fd_init(s->vlan, s->model, s->name, fd, 1);
+
+    s1 = net_socket_fd_init(s->vlan, s->model, s->name, fd, 1, 1);
     if (s1) {
         snprintf(s1->nc.info_str, sizeof(s1->nc.info_str),
                  "socket: connection from %s:%d",
                  inet_ntoa(saddr.sin_addr), ntohs(saddr.sin_port));
+        s1->nc.link_down = false;
     }
 }
 
+
 static int net_socket_listen_init(VLANState *vlan,
                                   const char *model,
                                   const char *name,
@@ -405,6 +440,7 @@ static int net_socket_listen_init(VLANState *vlan,
     NetSocketListenState *s;
     int fd, val, ret;
     struct sockaddr_in saddr;
+    NetSocketState *ns;
 
     if (parse_host_port(&saddr, host_str) < 0)
         return -1;
@@ -441,6 +477,10 @@ static int net_socket_listen_init(VLANState *vlan,
     s->model = g_strdup(model);
     s->name = name ? g_strdup(name) : NULL;
     s->fd = fd;
+
+    ns = net_socket_fd_init(s->vlan, s->model, s->name, fd, 0, 1);
+    ns->nc.link_down = true;
+
     qemu_set_fd_handler(fd, net_socket_accept, NULL, s);
     return 0;
 }
@@ -486,7 +526,7 @@ static int net_socket_connect_init(VLANState *vlan,
             break;
         }
     }
-    s = net_socket_fd_init(vlan, model, name, fd, connected);
+    s = net_socket_fd_init(vlan, model, name, fd, connected, 0);
     if (!s)
         return -1;
     snprintf(s->nc.info_str, sizeof(s->nc.info_str),
@@ -521,7 +561,7 @@ static int net_socket_mcast_init(VLANState *vlan,
     if (fd < 0)
         return -1;
 
-    s = net_socket_fd_init(vlan, model, name, fd, 0);
+    s = net_socket_fd_init(vlan, model, name, fd, 0, 0);
     if (!s)
         return -1;
 
@@ -572,7 +612,7 @@ static int net_socket_udp_init(VLANState *vlan,
         return -1;
     }
 
-    s = net_socket_fd_init(vlan, model, name, fd, 0);
+    s = net_socket_fd_init(vlan, model, name, fd, 0, 0);
     if (!s) {
         return -1;
     }
@@ -606,7 +646,7 @@ int net_init_socket(QemuOpts *opts,
             return -1;
         }
 
-        if (!net_socket_fd_init(vlan, "socket", name, fd, 1)) {
+        if (!net_socket_fd_init(vlan, "socket", name, fd, 1, 0)) {
             return -1;
         }
     } else if (qemu_opt_get(opts, "listen")) {
