diff --git a/include/qemu/sockets.h b/include/qemu/sockets.h
index 1bd9218..3a1a887 100644
--- a/include/qemu/sockets.h
+++ b/include/qemu/sockets.h
@@ -110,4 +110,18 @@ SocketAddress *socket_remote_address(int fd, Error **errp);
 void qapi_copy_SocketAddress(SocketAddress **p_dest,
                              SocketAddress *src);
 
-#endif /* QEMU_SOCKET_H */
+/**
+ * socket_address_to_string:
+ * @addr: the socket address struct
+ * @errp: pointer to uninitialized error object
+ *
+ * Get the string representation of the socket
+ * address. A pointer to the char array containing
+ * string format will be returned, the caller is
+ * required to release the returned value when no
+ * longer required with g_free.
+ *
+ * Returns: the socket address in string format, or NULL on error
+ */
+char *socket_address_to_string(struct SocketAddress *addr, Error **errp);
+#endif /* QEMU_SOCKET_H */
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/net/socket.c b/net/socket.c
index 333fb9e..ae6f921 100644
--- a/net/socket.c
+++ b/net/socket.c
@@ -489,41 +489,30 @@ static int net_socket_listen_init(NetClientState *peer,
 {
     NetClientState *nc;
     NetSocketState *s;
-    struct sockaddr_in saddr;
-    int fd, ret;
+    SocketAddress *saddr;
+    int ret;
+    Error *local_error = NULL;
 
-    if (parse_host_port(&saddr, host_str) < 0)
-        return -1;
-
-    fd = qemu_socket(PF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
-    if (fd < 0) {
-        perror("socket");
+    saddr = socket_parse(host_str, &local_error);
+    if (saddr == NULL) {
+        error_report_err(local_error);
         return -1;
     }
-    qemu_set_nonblock(fd);
 
-    socket_set_fast_reuse(fd);
-
-    ret = bind(fd, (struct sockaddr *)&saddr, sizeof(saddr));
+    ret = socket_listen(saddr, &local_error);
     if (ret < 0) {
-        perror("bind");
-        closesocket(fd);
-        return -1;
-    }
-    ret = listen(fd, 0);
-    if (ret < 0) {
-        perror("listen");
-        closesocket(fd);
+        error_report_err(local_error);
         return -1;
     }
 
     nc = qemu_new_net_client(&net_socket_info, peer, model, name);
     s = DO_UPCAST(NetSocketState, nc, nc);
     s->fd = -1;
-    s->listen_fd = fd;
+    s->listen_fd = ret;
     s->nc.link_down = true;
 
     qemu_set_fd_handler(s->listen_fd, net_socket_accept, NULL, s);
+    qapi_free_SocketAddress(saddr);
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -534,10 +523,15 @@ static int net_socket_connect_init(NetClientState *peer,
 {
     NetSocketState *s;
     int fd, connected, ret;
-    struct sockaddr_in saddr;
+    char *addr_str;
+    SocketAddress *saddr;
+    Error *local_error = NULL;
 
-    if (parse_host_port(&saddr, host_str) < 0)
+    saddr = socket_parse(host_str, &local_error);
+    if (saddr == NULL) {
+        error_report_err(local_error);
         return -1;
+    }
 
     fd = qemu_socket(PF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
     if (fd < 0) {
@@ -545,10 +539,9 @@ static int net_socket_connect_init(NetClientState *peer,
         return -1;
     }
     qemu_set_nonblock(fd);
-
     connected = 0;
     for(;;) {
-        ret = connect(fd, (struct sockaddr *)&saddr, sizeof(saddr));
+        ret = socket_connect(saddr, &local_error, NULL, NULL);
         if (ret < 0) {
             if (errno == EINTR || errno == EWOULDBLOCK) {
                 /* continue */
@@ -557,7 +550,7 @@ static int net_socket_connect_init(NetClientState *peer,
                        errno == EINVAL) {
                 break;
             } else {
-                perror("connect");
+                error_report_err(local_error);
                 closesocket(fd);
                 return -1;
             }
@@ -569,9 +562,15 @@ static int net_socket_connect_init(NetClientState *peer,
     s = net_socket_fd_init(peer, model, name, fd, connected);
     if (!s)
         return -1;
+
+    addr_str = socket_address_to_string(saddr, &local_error);
+    if (addr_str == NULL)
+        return -1;
+
     snprintf(s->nc.info_str, sizeof(s->nc.info_str),
-             "socket: connect to %s:%d",
-             inet_ntoa(saddr.sin_addr), ntohs(saddr.sin_port));
+             "socket: connect to %s", addr_str);
+    qapi_free_SocketAddress(saddr);
+    g_free(addr_str);
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/util/qemu-sockets.c b/util/qemu-sockets.c
index 0d6cd1f..771b7db 100644
--- a/util/qemu-sockets.c
+++ b/util/qemu-sockets.c
@@ -1151,3 +1151,39 @@ void qapi_copy_SocketAddress(SocketAddress **p_dest,
     qmp_input_visitor_cleanup(qiv);
     qobject_decref(obj);
 }
+
+char *socket_address_to_string(struct SocketAddress *addr, Error **errp)
+{
+    char *buf;
+    InetSocketAddress *inet;
+    char host_port[INET6_ADDRSTRLEN + 5 + 4];
+
+    switch (addr->type) {
+    case SOCKET_ADDRESS_KIND_INET:
+        inet = addr->u.inet.data;
+        if (strchr(inet->host, ':') == NULL) {
+            snprintf(host_port, sizeof(host_port), "%s:%s", inet->host,
+                    inet->port);
+            buf = g_strdup(host_port);
+        } else {
+            snprintf(host_port, sizeof(host_port), "[%s]:%s", inet->host,
+                    inet->port);
+            buf = g_strdup(host_port);
+        }
+        break;
+
+    case SOCKET_ADDRESS_KIND_UNIX:
+        buf = g_strdup(addr->u.q_unix.data->path);
+        break;
+
+    case SOCKET_ADDRESS_KIND_FD:
+        buf = g_strdup(addr->u.fd.data->str);
+        break;
+
+    default:
+        error_setg(errp, "socket family %d unsupported",
+                   addr->type);
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    return buf;
+}
