diff --git a/command.c b/command.c
index 2fdcef7b13..23ececc44e 100644
--- a/command.c
+++ b/command.c
@@ -123,25 +123,23 @@ static const struct cmd_map map[] = {
 #if defined(HAVE_NETWORK_CMD) && defined(HAVE_NETPLAY)
 static bool cmd_init_network(rarch_cmd_t *handle, uint16_t port)
 {
-   int *file_desc        = (int*)&handle->net_fd;
    struct addrinfo *res  = NULL;
    int yes               = 1;
 
    RARCH_LOG("Bringing up command interface on port %hu.\n",
          (unsigned short)port);
 
-   if (!socket_init(res, file_desc, port, NULL, SOCKET_TYPE_DATAGRAM))
+   handle->net_fd = socket_init((void**)&res, port, NULL, SOCKET_TYPE_DATAGRAM);
+
+   if (handle->net_fd < 0)
       goto error;
 
-   if (*file_desc < 0)
+   if (!socket_nonblock(handle->net_fd))
       goto error;
 
-   if (!socket_nonblock(*file_desc))
-      goto error;
-
-   setsockopt(*file_desc, SOL_SOCKET,
+   setsockopt(handle->net_fd, SOL_SOCKET,
          SO_REUSEADDR, (const char*)&yes, sizeof(int));
-   if (bind(*file_desc, res->ai_addr, res->ai_addrlen) < 0)
+   if (bind(handle->net_fd, res->ai_addr, res->ai_addrlen) < 0)
    {
       RARCH_ERR("Failed to bind socket.\n");
       goto error;
diff --git a/libretro-common/include/net/net_socket.h b/libretro-common/include/net/net_socket.h
index 742c973315..b58fd0c4dc 100644
--- a/libretro-common/include/net/net_socket.h
+++ b/libretro-common/include/net/net_socket.h
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ enum socket_type
    SOCKET_TYPE_STREAM
 };
 
-bool socket_init(void *address, int *fd, uint16_t port, const char *server, enum socket_type type);
+int socket_init(void **address, uint16_t port, const char *server, enum socket_type type);
 
 int socket_close(int fd);
 
diff --git a/libretro-common/net/net_http.c b/libretro-common/net/net_http.c
index 0ea58eecd7..7052520b17 100644
--- a/libretro-common/net/net_http.c
+++ b/libretro-common/net/net_http.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 
 #include <net/net_http.h>
 #include <net/net_compat.h>
+#include <net/net_socket.h>
 #include <compat/strl.h>
 
 enum
@@ -72,34 +73,17 @@ struct http_connection_t
 
 static int net_http_new_socket(const char *domain, int port)
 {
-   int fd;
    int ret;
 #ifndef _WIN32
 #ifndef VITA
    struct timeval timeout;
 #endif
 #endif
-   struct addrinfo hints, *addr = NULL;
-   char portstr[16] = {0};
-   
-   /* Initialize the network. */
-   if (!network_init())
+   struct addrinfo *addr = NULL;
+   int fd = socket_init((void**)&addr, port, domain, SOCKET_TYPE_STREAM);
+   if (fd == -1)
       return -1;
 
-   snprintf(portstr, sizeof(portstr), "%i", port);
-
-   memset(&hints, 0, sizeof(hints));
-   hints.ai_family   = AF_UNSPEC;
-   hints.ai_socktype = SOCK_STREAM;
-   hints.ai_flags    = 0;
-   
-   if (getaddrinfo_retro(domain, portstr, &hints, &addr) < 0)
-      return -1;
-   if (!addr)
-      return -1;
-
-   fd = socket(addr->ai_family, addr->ai_socktype, addr->ai_protocol);
-
 #ifndef _WIN32
 #ifndef VITA
    timeout.tv_sec=4;
@@ -107,6 +91,7 @@ static int net_http_new_socket(const char *domain, int port)
    setsockopt(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_SNDTIMEO, (char*)&timeout, sizeof timeout);
 #endif
 #endif
+
    ret = connect(fd, addr->ai_addr, addr->ai_addrlen);
 
    freeaddrinfo_retro(addr);
diff --git a/libretro-common/net/net_socket.c b/libretro-common/net/net_socket.c
index fd0f640f66..5fd0ff67b9 100644
--- a/libretro-common/net/net_socket.c
+++ b/libretro-common/net/net_socket.c
@@ -24,14 +24,13 @@
 #include <net/net_compat.h>
 #include <net/net_socket.h>
 
-bool socket_init(void *address, int *fd, uint16_t port, const char *server, enum socket_type type)
+int socket_init(void **address, uint16_t port, const char *server, enum socket_type type)
 {
    char port_buf[16]     = {0};
    struct addrinfo hints = {0};
-   struct addrinfo *addr = (struct addrinfo*)address;
-
-   if (!fd)
-      goto error;
+   struct addrinfo **addrinfo = (struct addrinfo**)address;
+   struct addrinfo *addr = NULL;
+   
 
    if (!network_init())
       goto error;
@@ -51,23 +50,24 @@ bool socket_init(void *address, int *fd, uint16_t port, const char *server, enum
          hints.ai_socktype = SOCK_STREAM;
          break;
    }
+
    if (!server)
       hints.ai_flags = AI_PASSIVE;
 
    snprintf(port_buf, sizeof(port_buf), "%hu", (unsigned short)port);
 
-   if (getaddrinfo_retro(server, port_buf, &hints, &addr) < 0)
+   if (getaddrinfo_retro(server, port_buf, &hints, addrinfo) < 0)
       goto error;
 
+   addr = (struct addrinfo*)*addrinfo;
+
    if (!addr)
       goto error;
 
-   *fd = socket(addr->ai_family, addr->ai_socktype, addr->ai_protocol);
-
-   return true;
+   return socket(addr->ai_family, addr->ai_socktype, addr->ai_protocol);
 
 error:
-   return false;
+   return -1;
 }
 
 int socket_receive_all_blocking(int fd, void *data_, size_t size)
diff --git a/netplay/netplay.c b/netplay/netplay.c
index 0c660976d7..7cbdc835c2 100644
--- a/netplay/netplay.c
+++ b/netplay/netplay.c
@@ -762,11 +762,9 @@ static bool init_tcp_socket(netplay_t *netplay, const char *server,
 static bool init_udp_socket(netplay_t *netplay, const char *server,
       uint16_t port)
 {
-   int *file_desc = (int*)&netplay->udp_fd;
-   if (!socket_init(&netplay->addr, file_desc, port, server, SOCKET_TYPE_DATAGRAM))
-      return false;
+   netplay->udp_fd = socket_init((void**)&netplay->addr, port, server, SOCKET_TYPE_DATAGRAM);
 
-   if (*file_desc < 0)
+   if (netplay->udp_fd < 0)
    {
       RARCH_ERR("Failed to initialize socket.\n");
       return false;