diff --git a/ports/src/noux/child.h b/ports/src/noux/child.h
index f04a8bdb93..aefac5a1b3 100644
--- a/ports/src/noux/child.h
+++ b/ports/src/noux/child.h
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
 #include <cpu_session_component.h>
 #include <child_policy.h>
 
+extern void (*cleanup_socket_descriptors)();
+
 namespace Noux {
 
 	/**
@@ -338,6 +340,10 @@ namespace Noux {
 
 			~Child()
 			{
+				/* short-cut to close all remaining open sd's if the child exits */
+				if (cleanup_socket_descriptors)
+					cleanup_socket_descriptors();
+
 				_sig_rec->dissolve(&_execve_cleanup_dispatcher);
 				_sig_rec->dissolve(&_exit_dispatcher);
 
diff --git a/ports/src/noux/minimal/dummy_net.cc b/ports/src/noux/minimal/dummy_net.cc
index 4a6869a0e8..9d1780f3cc 100644
--- a/ports/src/noux/minimal/dummy_net.cc
+++ b/ports/src/noux/minimal/dummy_net.cc
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 
 void (*close_socket)(int) = 0;
 
+void (*cleanup_socket_descriptors)() = 0;
+
 void init_network() { }
 
 bool Noux::Child::_syscall_net(Noux::Session::Syscall sc) { return false; }
diff --git a/ports/src/noux/net/net.cc b/ports/src/noux/net/net.cc
index 482ab55069..d76786fc88 100644
--- a/ports/src/noux/net/net.cc
+++ b/ports/src/noux/net/net.cc
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ using namespace Noux;
 
 void (*libc_select_notify)();
 void (*close_socket)(int);
+void (*cleanup_socket_descriptors)();
 
 /* set select() timeout to lwip's lowest possible value */
 struct timeval timeout = { 0, 10000 };
@@ -95,7 +96,15 @@ static void select_notify()
 
 static void _close_socket(int sd)
 {
-	Socket_descriptor_registry<Socket_io_channel>::instance()->remove_io_channel(sd);
+	if (Socket_descriptor_registry<Socket_io_channel>::instance()->sd_in_use(sd)) {
+		Socket_descriptor_registry<Socket_io_channel>::instance()->remove_io_channel(sd);
+	}
+}
+
+
+static void _cleanup_socket_descriptors()
+{
+	Socket_descriptor_registry<Socket_io_channel>::instance()->reset_all();
 }
 
 
@@ -121,6 +130,9 @@ void init_network()
 
 	if (!close_socket)
 		close_socket = _close_socket;
+
+	if (!cleanup_socket_descriptors)
+		cleanup_socket_descriptors = _cleanup_socket_descriptors;
 }
 
 /*********************************