diff --git a/nbd.c b/nbd.c
index 6f0db62..f61a288 100644
--- a/nbd.c
+++ b/nbd.c
@@ -230,12 +230,12 @@ int unix_socket_incoming(const char *path)
     char *ostr = NULL;
     int olen = 0;
 
-    return unix_listen(path, ostr, olen);
+    return unix_listen(path, ostr, olen, NULL);
 }
 
 int unix_socket_outgoing(const char *path)
 {
-    return unix_connect(path);
+    return unix_connect(path, NULL);
 }
 
 /* Basic flow for negotiation
diff --git a/qemu-char.c b/qemu-char.c
index b082bae..3cc6cb5 100644
--- a/qemu-char.c
+++ b/qemu-char.c
@@ -2102,7 +2102,7 @@ static CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_udp(QemuOpts *opts)
     chr = g_malloc0(sizeof(CharDriverState));
     s = g_malloc0(sizeof(NetCharDriver));
 
-    fd = inet_dgram_opts(opts);
+    fd = inet_dgram_opts(opts, NULL);
     if (fd < 0) {
         fprintf(stderr, "inet_dgram_opts failed\n");
         goto return_err;
@@ -2448,9 +2448,9 @@ static CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_socket(QemuOpts *opts)
 
     if (is_unix) {
         if (is_listen) {
-            fd = unix_listen_opts(opts);
+            fd = unix_listen_opts(opts, NULL);
         } else {
-            fd = unix_connect_opts(opts);
+            fd = unix_connect_opts(opts, NULL);
         }
     } else {
         if (is_listen) {
diff --git a/qemu-sockets.c b/qemu-sockets.c
index 2b1ed2f..ed062d3 100644
--- a/qemu-sockets.c
+++ b/qemu-sockets.c
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ int inet_connect_opts(QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp,
     return sock;
 }
 
-int inet_dgram_opts(QemuOpts *opts)
+int inet_dgram_opts(QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp)
 {
     struct addrinfo ai, *peer = NULL, *local = NULL;
     const char *addr;
@@ -653,7 +653,7 @@ int inet_nonblocking_connect(const char *str,
 
 #ifndef _WIN32
 
-int unix_listen_opts(QemuOpts *opts)
+int unix_listen_opts(QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp)
 {
     struct sockaddr_un un;
     const char *path = qemu_opt_get(opts, "path");
@@ -701,7 +701,7 @@ err:
     return -1;
 }
 
-int unix_connect_opts(QemuOpts *opts)
+int unix_connect_opts(QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp)
 {
     struct sockaddr_un un;
     const char *path = qemu_opt_get(opts, "path");
@@ -731,7 +731,7 @@ int unix_connect_opts(QemuOpts *opts)
 }
 
 /* compatibility wrapper */
-int unix_listen(const char *str, char *ostr, int olen)
+int unix_listen(const char *str, char *ostr, int olen, Error **errp)
 {
     QemuOpts *opts;
     char *path, *optstr;
@@ -752,7 +752,7 @@ int unix_listen(const char *str, char *ostr, int olen)
         qemu_opt_set(opts, "path", str);
     }
 
-    sock = unix_listen_opts(opts);
+    sock = unix_listen_opts(opts, errp);
 
     if (sock != -1 && ostr)
         snprintf(ostr, olen, "%s%s", qemu_opt_get(opts, "path"), optstr ? optstr : "");
@@ -760,44 +760,44 @@ int unix_listen(const char *str, char *ostr, int olen)
     return sock;
 }
 
-int unix_connect(const char *path)
+int unix_connect(const char *path, Error **errp)
 {
     QemuOpts *opts;
     int sock;
 
     opts = qemu_opts_create(&dummy_opts, NULL, 0, NULL);
     qemu_opt_set(opts, "path", path);
-    sock = unix_connect_opts(opts);
+    sock = unix_connect_opts(opts, errp);
     qemu_opts_del(opts);
     return sock;
 }
 
 #else
 
-int unix_listen_opts(QemuOpts *opts)
+int unix_listen_opts(QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp)
 {
-    fprintf(stderr, "unix sockets are not available on windows\n");
+    error_setg(errp, "unix sockets are not available on windows");
     errno = ENOTSUP;
     return -1;
 }
 
-int unix_connect_opts(QemuOpts *opts)
+int unix_connect_opts(QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp)
 {
-    fprintf(stderr, "unix sockets are not available on windows\n");
+    error_setg(errp, "unix sockets are not available on windows");
     errno = ENOTSUP;
     return -1;
 }
 
-int unix_listen(const char *path, char *ostr, int olen)
+int unix_listen(const char *path, char *ostr, int olen, Error **errp)
 {
-    fprintf(stderr, "unix sockets are not available on windows\n");
+    error_setg(errp, "unix sockets are not available on windows");
     errno = ENOTSUP;
     return -1;
 }
 
-int unix_connect(const char *path)
+int unix_connect(const char *path, Error **errp)
 {
-    fprintf(stderr, "unix sockets are not available on windows\n");
+    error_setg(errp, "unix sockets are not available on windows");
     errno = ENOTSUP;
     return -1;
 }
diff --git a/qemu_socket.h b/qemu_socket.h
index 3e8aee9..ff979b5 100644
--- a/qemu_socket.h
+++ b/qemu_socket.h
@@ -53,13 +53,13 @@ int inet_nonblocking_connect(const char *str,
                              NonBlockingConnectHandler *callback,
                              void *opaque, Error **errp);
 
-int inet_dgram_opts(QemuOpts *opts);
+int inet_dgram_opts(QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp);
 const char *inet_strfamily(int family);
 
-int unix_listen_opts(QemuOpts *opts);
-int unix_listen(const char *path, char *ostr, int olen);
-int unix_connect_opts(QemuOpts *opts);
-int unix_connect(const char *path);
+int unix_listen_opts(QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp);
+int unix_listen(const char *path, char *ostr, int olen, Error **errp);
+int unix_connect_opts(QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp);
+int unix_connect(const char *path, Error **errp);
 
 /* Old, ipv4 only bits.  Don't use for new code. */
 int parse_host_port(struct sockaddr_in *saddr, const char *str);
diff --git a/qga/channel-posix.c b/qga/channel-posix.c
index 57eea06..e22eee6 100644
--- a/qga/channel-posix.c
+++ b/qga/channel-posix.c
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ static gboolean ga_channel_open(GAChannel *c, const gchar *path, GAChannelMethod
         break;
     }
     case GA_CHANNEL_UNIX_LISTEN: {
-        int fd = unix_listen(path, NULL, strlen(path));
+        int fd = unix_listen(path, NULL, strlen(path), NULL);
         if (fd == -1) {
             g_critical("error opening path: %s", strerror(errno));
             return false;
diff --git a/ui/vnc.c b/ui/vnc.c
index 01b2daf..235596e 100644
--- a/ui/vnc.c
+++ b/ui/vnc.c
@@ -3059,7 +3059,7 @@ int vnc_display_open(DisplayState *ds, const char *display)
     if (reverse) {
         /* connect to viewer */
         if (strncmp(display, "unix:", 5) == 0)
-            vs->lsock = unix_connect(display+5);
+            vs->lsock = unix_connect(display+5, NULL);
         else
             vs->lsock = inet_connect(display, NULL);
         if (-1 == vs->lsock) {
@@ -3079,7 +3079,7 @@ int vnc_display_open(DisplayState *ds, const char *display)
         dpy = g_malloc(256);
         if (strncmp(display, "unix:", 5) == 0) {
             pstrcpy(dpy, 256, "unix:");
-            vs->lsock = unix_listen(display+5, dpy+5, 256-5);
+            vs->lsock = unix_listen(display+5, dpy+5, 256-5, NULL);
         } else {
             vs->lsock = inet_listen(display, dpy, 256,
                                     SOCK_STREAM, 5900, NULL);
