diff --git a/monitor.c b/monitor.c
index 65bd368c..6c48ecf9 100644
--- a/monitor.c
+++ b/monitor.c
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ monitor_setup_sockets(void) {
   /* ignore SIGPIPE so that we don't explode */
   signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_IGN);
 
-  if ((monitor_named_socket = socket_bind(confValueGet("monitor.socket", DEFAULT_MONITOR_SOCKET_NAME))) == -1) {
+  if ((monitor_named_socket = socket_bind(confValueGet("monitor.socket", DEFAULT_MONITOR_SOCKET_NAME), 0)) == -1) {
     WHY_perror("bind");
     goto error;
   }
diff --git a/overlay_mdp.c b/overlay_mdp.c
index 32a77a1e..e4093bd9 100644
--- a/overlay_mdp.c
+++ b/overlay_mdp.c
@@ -21,27 +21,16 @@ Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 
 int mdp_socket = -1;
-int overlay_mdp_setup_sockets()
-{
-  struct sockaddr_un	name;
-  socklen_t		len;
-  int			reuseP, send_buffer_size;
+int
+overlay_mdp_setup_sockets(void) {
+  int			send_buffer_size;
   
   if (mdp_socket != -1)
       return 0;
 
-  socket_setname(&name, confValueGet("mdp.socket", DEFAULT_MDP_SOCKET_NAME), &len);
-  
-  mdp_socket = socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_DGRAM, 0);
-  reuseP = 1;
-  if(setsockopt(mdp_socket, SOL_SOCKET, SO_REUSEADDR, 
-		&reuseP, sizeof(reuseP)) < 0) {
-	  WARN_perror("setsockopt");
-	  goto error;
-  }
-  if (bind(mdp_socket, (struct sockaddr *)&name, len) == -1) {
-      WARN_perror("bind");
-      goto error;
+  if ((mdp_socket = socket_bind(confValueGet("mdp.socket", DEFAULT_MDP_SOCKET_NAME), 1)) == -1) {
+    WHY_perror("socket_bind");
+    goto error;
   }
   
   send_buffer_size = 64 * 1024;    
diff --git a/socket.c b/socket.c
index 13ca5c79..f9086a40 100644
--- a/socket.c
+++ b/socket.c
@@ -39,14 +39,23 @@
  * more than one servald on a given system.
 */
 int
-socket_bind(const char *name) {
-  int			s, oerrno;
+socket_bind(const char *name, int reuse) {
+    int			s, oerrno, reuseP;
   struct sockaddr_un	sockname;
   socklen_t		len;
   
   if ((s = socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0)) == -1)
     return -1;
 
+  if (reuse) {
+      reuseP = 1;
+      if (setsockopt(s, SOL_SOCKET, SO_REUSEADDR, 
+		    &reuseP, sizeof(reuseP)) < 0) {
+	  close(s);
+	  return -1;
+      }
+  }
+      
   socket_setname(&sockname, name, &len);
   unlink(sockname.sun_path);
 
diff --git a/socket.h b/socket.h
index df18259b..0b86e70d 100644
--- a/socket.h
+++ b/socket.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-int	socket_bind(const char *name);
+int	socket_bind(const char *name, int reuse);
 void	socket_setname(struct sockaddr_un *sockname, const char *name, socklen_t *len);
 void	socket_done(const char *name);