diff --git a/libbb/Makefile.in b/libbb/Makefile.in
index de511fc..c699783 100644
--- a/libbb/Makefile.in
+++ b/libbb/Makefile.in
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 	trim.c u_signal_names.c vdprintf.c verror_msg.c \
 	vherror_msg.c vperror_msg.c wfopen.c xconnect.c xgetcwd.c xstat.c \
 	xgethostbyname.c xgethostbyname2.c xreadlink.c xregcomp.c xgetlarg.c \
+	bb_xsocket.c \
 	get_terminal_width_height.c fclose_nonstdin.c fflush_stdout_and_exit.c \
 	getopt_ulflags.c default_error_retval.c wfopen_input.c speed_table.c \
 	perror_nomsg_and_die.c perror_nomsg.c skip_whitespace.c bb_askpass.c \
diff --git a/libbb/bb_xsocket.c b/libbb/bb_xsocket.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..839309a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libbb/bb_xsocket.c
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+/* vi: set sw=4 ts=4: */
+/*
+ * bb_xsocket.c - a socket() which dies on failure with error message
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2006 Denis Vlasenko
+ *
+ * Licensed under LGPL, see file docs/lesser.txt in this tarball for details.
+ */
+#include <sys/socket.h>
+#include "libbb.h"
+
+int bb_xsocket(int domain, int type, int protocol)
+{
+	int r = socket(domain, type, protocol);
+	if (r < 0)
+		bb_perror_msg_and_die("socket");
+	return r;
+}
diff --git a/libbb/xconnect.c b/libbb/xconnect.c
index ec99c58..39052b8 100644
--- a/libbb/xconnect.c
+++ b/libbb/xconnect.c
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
 
 int xconnect(struct sockaddr_in *s_addr)
 {
-	int s = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
+	int s = bb_xsocket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
 	if (connect(s, (struct sockaddr *)s_addr, sizeof(struct sockaddr_in)) < 0)
 	{
 		if (ENABLE_FEATURE_CLEAN_UP) close(s);