diff --git a/qemu-sockets.c b/qemu-sockets.c
index 778428f..d3bc712 100644
--- a/qemu-sockets.c
+++ b/qemu-sockets.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
+#include "monitor.h"
 #include "qemu_socket.h"
 #include "qemu-common.h" /* for qemu_isdigit */
 
@@ -714,6 +715,104 @@ int unix_connect(const char *path, Error **errp)
 
 #endif
 
+SocketAddress *socket_parse(const char *str, Error **errp)
+{
+    SocketAddress *addr = NULL;
+
+    addr = g_new(SocketAddress, 1);
+    if (strstart(str, "unix:", NULL)) {
+        if (str[5] == '\0') {
+            error_setg(errp, "invalid Unix socket address\n");
+            goto fail;
+        } else {
+            addr->kind = SOCKET_ADDRESS_KIND_UNIX;
+            addr->q_unix = g_new(UnixSocketAddress, 1);
+            addr->q_unix->path = g_strdup(str + 5);
+        }
+    } else if (strstart(str, "fd:", NULL)) {
+        if (str[3] == '\0') {
+            error_setg(errp, "invalid file descriptor address\n");
+            goto fail;
+        } else {
+            addr->kind = SOCKET_ADDRESS_KIND_FD;
+            addr->fd = g_new(String, 1);
+            addr->fd->str = g_strdup(str + 3);
+        }
+    } else {
+        addr->kind = SOCKET_ADDRESS_KIND_INET;
+        addr->inet = g_new(IPSocketAddress, 1);
+        addr->inet = inet_parse(str, errp);
+        if (addr->inet == NULL) {
+            goto fail;
+        }
+    }
+    return addr;
+
+fail:
+    qapi_free_SocketAddress(addr);
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+int socket_connect(SocketAddress *addr, bool block, bool *in_progress, Error **errp)
+{
+    QemuOpts *opts;
+    int fd;
+
+    if (in_progress) {
+        *in_progress = false;
+    }
+
+    opts = qemu_opts_create(&dummy_opts, NULL, 0, NULL);
+    switch (addr->kind) {
+    case SOCKET_ADDRESS_KIND_INET:
+        inet_addr_to_opts(opts, addr->inet);
+        fd = inet_connect_opts(opts, block, in_progress, errp);
+        break;
+
+    case SOCKET_ADDRESS_KIND_UNIX:
+        qemu_opt_set(opts, "path", addr->q_unix->path);
+        fd = unix_connect_opts(opts, block, in_progress, errp);
+        break;
+
+    case SOCKET_ADDRESS_KIND_FD:
+        fd = monitor_get_fd(cur_mon, addr->fd->str, errp);
+        break;
+
+    default:
+        abort();
+    }
+    qemu_opts_del(opts);
+    return fd;
+}
+
+int socket_listen(SocketAddress *addr, Error **errp)
+{
+    QemuOpts *opts;
+    int fd;
+
+    opts = qemu_opts_create(&dummy_opts, NULL, 0, NULL);
+    switch (addr->kind) {
+    case SOCKET_ADDRESS_KIND_INET:
+        inet_addr_to_opts(opts, addr->inet);
+        fd = inet_listen_opts(opts, 0, errp);
+        break;
+
+    case SOCKET_ADDRESS_KIND_UNIX:
+        qemu_opt_set(opts, "path", addr->q_unix->path);
+        fd = unix_listen_opts(opts, errp);
+        break;
+
+    case SOCKET_ADDRESS_KIND_FD:
+        fd = monitor_get_fd(cur_mon, addr->fd->str, errp);
+        break;
+
+    default:
+        abort();
+    }
+    qemu_opts_del(opts);
+    return fd;
+}
+
 #ifdef _WIN32
 static void socket_cleanup(void)
 {
diff --git a/qemu-tool.c b/qemu-tool.c
index 18205ba..7658fde 100644
--- a/qemu-tool.c
+++ b/qemu-tool.c
@@ -42,6 +42,12 @@ int monitor_cur_is_qmp(void)
     return 0;
 }
 
+int monitor_get_fd(Monitor *mon, const char *name, Error **errp)
+{
+    error_setg(errp, "only QEMU supports file descriptor passing");
+    return -1;
+}
+
 void monitor_set_error(Monitor *mon, QError *qerror)
 {
 }
diff --git a/qemu_socket.h b/qemu_socket.h
index 37dcafd..9cd99f2 100644
--- a/qemu_socket.h
+++ b/qemu_socket.h
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@ int unix_listen(const char *path, char *ostr, int olen, Error **errp);
 int unix_connect_opts(QemuOpts *opts, bool block, bool *in_progress, Error **errp);
 int unix_connect(const char *path, Error **errp);
 
+SocketAddress *socket_parse(const char *str, Error **errp);
+int socket_connect(SocketAddress *addr, bool block, bool *in_progress, Error **errp);
+int socket_listen(SocketAddress *addr, Error **errp);
+
 /* Old, ipv4 only bits.  Don't use for new code. */
 int parse_host_port(struct sockaddr_in *saddr, const char *str);
 int socket_init(void);
