diff --git a/python/automake.mk b/python/automake.mk
index 1c8fa38..3fe9519 100644
--- a/python/automake.mk
+++ b/python/automake.mk
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ ovs_pyfiles = \
 	python/ovs/process.py \
 	python/ovs/reconnect.py \
 	python/ovs/socket_util.py \
-	python/ovs/stream.py \
+	python/ovs/stream_unix.py \
 	python/ovs/timeval.py \
 	python/ovs/unixctl/__init__.py \
 	python/ovs/unixctl/client.py \
diff --git a/python/ovs/jsonrpc.py b/python/ovs/jsonrpc.py
index 6300c67..8ca01a0 100644
--- a/python/ovs/jsonrpc.py
+++ b/python/ovs/jsonrpc.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import six
 import ovs.json
 import ovs.poller
 import ovs.reconnect
-import ovs.stream
+import ovs.stream_unix as ovs_stream
 import ovs.timeval
 import ovs.util
 import ovs.vlog
@@ -372,8 +372,8 @@ class Session(object):
     @staticmethod
     def open(name):
         """Creates and returns a Session that maintains a JSON-RPC session to
-        'name', which should be a string acceptable to ovs.stream.Stream or
-        ovs.stream.PassiveStream's initializer.
+        'name', which should be a string acceptable to ovs_stream.Stream or
+        ovs_stream.PassiveStream's initializer.
 
         If 'name' is an active connection method, e.g. "tcp:127.1.2.3", the new
         session connects and reconnects, with back-off, to 'name'.
@@ -386,10 +386,10 @@ class Session(object):
         reconnect.set_name(name)
         reconnect.enable(ovs.timeval.msec())
 
-        if ovs.stream.PassiveStream.is_valid_name(name):
+        if ovs_stream.PassiveStream.is_valid_name(name):
             reconnect.set_passive(True, ovs.timeval.msec())
 
-        if not ovs.stream.stream_or_pstream_needs_probes(name):
+        if not ovs_stream.stream_or_pstream_needs_probes(name):
             reconnect.set_probe_interval(0)
 
         return Session(reconnect, None)
@@ -430,13 +430,13 @@ class Session(object):
 
         name = self.reconnect.get_name()
         if not self.reconnect.is_passive():
-            error, self.stream = ovs.stream.Stream.open(name)
+            error, self.stream = ovs_stream.Stream.open(name)
             if not error:
                 self.reconnect.connecting(ovs.timeval.msec())
             else:
                 self.reconnect.connect_failed(ovs.timeval.msec(), error)
         elif self.pstream is None:
-            error, self.pstream = ovs.stream.PassiveStream.open(name)
+            error, self.pstream = ovs_stream.PassiveStream.open(name)
             if not error:
                 self.reconnect.listening(ovs.timeval.msec())
             else:
diff --git a/python/ovs/stream.py b/python/ovs/stream_unix.py
similarity index 100%
rename from python/ovs/stream.py
rename to python/ovs/stream_unix.py
diff --git a/python/ovs/unixctl/client.py b/python/ovs/unixctl/client.py
index 1b247c4..fde674e 100644
--- a/python/ovs/unixctl/client.py
+++ b/python/ovs/unixctl/client.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import os
 import six
 
 import ovs.jsonrpc
-import ovs.stream
+import ovs.stream_unix as ovs_stream
 import ovs.util
 
 
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ class UnixctlClient(object):
         assert isinstance(path, str)
 
         unix = "unix:%s" % ovs.util.abs_file_name(ovs.dirs.RUNDIR, path)
-        error, stream = ovs.stream.Stream.open_block(
-            ovs.stream.Stream.open(unix))
+        error, stream = ovs_stream.Stream.open_block(
+            ovs_stream.Stream.open(unix))
 
         if error:
             vlog.warn("failed to connect to %s" % path)
diff --git a/python/ovs/unixctl/server.py b/python/ovs/unixctl/server.py
index 8595ed8..50a11d4 100644
--- a/python/ovs/unixctl/server.py
+++ b/python/ovs/unixctl/server.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ from six.moves import range
 
 import ovs.dirs
 import ovs.jsonrpc
-import ovs.stream
+import ovs.stream_unix as ovs_stream
 import ovs.unixctl
 import ovs.util
 import ovs.version
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ def _unixctl_version(conn, unused_argv, version):
 
 class UnixctlServer(object):
     def __init__(self, listener):
-        assert isinstance(listener, ovs.stream.PassiveStream)
+        assert isinstance(listener, ovs_stream.PassiveStream)
         self._listener = listener
         self._conns = []
 
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ class UnixctlServer(object):
         if version is None:
             version = ovs.version.VERSION
 
-        error, listener = ovs.stream.PassiveStream.open(path)
+        error, listener = ovs_stream.PassiveStream.open(path)
         if error:
             ovs.util.ovs_error(error, "could not initialize control socket %s"
                                % path)
@@ -246,8 +246,8 @@ class UnixctlClient(object):
         assert isinstance(path, str)
 
         unix = "unix:%s" % ovs.util.abs_file_name(ovs.dirs.RUNDIR, path)
-        error, stream = ovs.stream.Stream.open_block(
-            ovs.stream.Stream.open(unix))
+        error, stream = ovs_stream.Stream.open_block(
+            ovs_stream.Stream.open(unix))
 
         if error:
             vlog.warn("failed to connect to %s" % path)
diff --git a/tests/test-jsonrpc.py b/tests/test-jsonrpc.py
index 18634e6..a6c387a 100644
--- a/tests/test-jsonrpc.py
+++ b/tests/test-jsonrpc.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import ovs.daemon
 import ovs.json
 import ovs.jsonrpc
 import ovs.poller
-import ovs.stream
+import ovs.stream_unix as ovs_stream
 
 
 def handle_rpc(rpc, msg):
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ def handle_rpc(rpc, msg):
 
 
 def do_listen(name):
-    error, pstream = ovs.stream.PassiveStream.open(name)
+    error, pstream = ovs_stream.PassiveStream.open(name)
     if error:
         sys.stderr.write("could not listen on \"%s\": %s\n"
                          % (name, os.strerror(error)))
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ def do_request(name, method, params_string):
         sys.stderr.write("not a valid JSON-RPC request: %s\n" % s)
         sys.exit(1)
 
-    error, stream = ovs.stream.Stream.open_block(ovs.stream.Stream.open(name))
+    error, stream = ovs_stream.Stream.open_block(ovs_stream.Stream.open(name))
     if error:
         sys.stderr.write("could not open \"%s\": %s\n"
                          % (name, os.strerror(error)))
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ def do_notify(name, method, params_string):
         sys.stderr.write("not a valid JSON-RPC notification: %s\n" % s)
         sys.exit(1)
 
-    error, stream = ovs.stream.Stream.open_block(ovs.stream.Stream.open(name))
+    error, stream = ovs_stream.Stream.open_block(ovs_stream.Stream.open(name))
     if error:
         sys.stderr.write("could not open \"%s\": %s\n"
                          % (name, os.strerror(error)))
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ def main(argv):
 listen LOCAL             listen for connections on LOCAL
 request REMOTE METHOD PARAMS   send request, print reply
 notify REMOTE METHOD PARAMS  send notification and exit
-""" + ovs.stream.usage("JSON-RPC")
+""" + ovs_stream.usage("JSON-RPC")
 
     group = parser.add_argument_group(title="Commands",
                                       description=group_description)
