diff --git a/unix-socket.c b/unix-socket.c
index 19ed48b..69f81d6 100644
--- a/unix-socket.c
+++ b/unix-socket.c
@@ -1,14 +1,6 @@
 #include "cache.h"
 #include "unix-socket.h"
 
-static int unix_stream_socket(void)
-{
-	int fd = socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
-	if (fd < 0)
-		die_errno("unable to create socket");
-	return fd;
-}
-
 static int chdir_len(const char *orig, int len)
 {
 	char *path = xmemdupz(orig, len);
@@ -73,13 +65,16 @@ static int unix_sockaddr_init(struct sockaddr_un *sa, const char *path,
 
 int unix_stream_connect(const char *path)
 {
-	int fd, saved_errno;
+	int fd = -1, saved_errno;
 	struct sockaddr_un sa;
 	struct unix_sockaddr_context ctx;
 
 	if (unix_sockaddr_init(&sa, path, &ctx) < 0)
 		return -1;
-	fd = unix_stream_socket();
+	fd = socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
+	if (fd < 0)
+		goto fail;
+
 	if (connect(fd, (struct sockaddr *)&sa, sizeof(sa)) < 0)
 		goto fail;
 	unix_sockaddr_cleanup(&ctx);
@@ -87,15 +82,16 @@ int unix_stream_connect(const char *path)
 
 fail:
 	saved_errno = errno;
+	if (fd != -1)
+		close(fd);
 	unix_sockaddr_cleanup(&ctx);
-	close(fd);
 	errno = saved_errno;
 	return -1;
 }
 
 int unix_stream_listen(const char *path)
 {
-	int fd, saved_errno;
+	int fd = -1, saved_errno;
 	struct sockaddr_un sa;
 	struct unix_sockaddr_context ctx;
 
@@ -103,7 +99,9 @@ int unix_stream_listen(const char *path)
 
 	if (unix_sockaddr_init(&sa, path, &ctx) < 0)
 		return -1;
-	fd = unix_stream_socket();
+	fd = socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
+	if (fd < 0)
+		goto fail;
 
 	if (bind(fd, (struct sockaddr *)&sa, sizeof(sa)) < 0)
 		goto fail;
@@ -116,8 +114,9 @@ int unix_stream_listen(const char *path)
 
 fail:
 	saved_errno = errno;
+	if (fd != -1)
+		close(fd);
 	unix_sockaddr_cleanup(&ctx);
-	close(fd);
 	errno = saved_errno;
 	return -1;
 }