diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 618adad71eb..35575806dbd 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -241,7 +241,6 @@ udev_version.h:
 	@echo \#define UDEV_PERMISSION_FILE	\"$(configdir)\udev.permissions\" >> $@
 	@echo \#define UDEV_BIN		\"$(DESTDIR)$(sbindir)/udev\" >> $@
 	@echo \#define UDEVD_BIN	\"$(DESTDIR)$(sbindir)/udevd\" >> $@
-	@echo \#define UDEVD_SOCK	\"$(udevdir)/\.udevd.sock\" >> $@
 	@echo \#define UDEVD_LOCK	\"$(udevdir)/\.udevd.lock\" >> $@
 
 # config files automatically generated
diff --git a/udevd.c b/udevd.c
index f8b8c27ee4a..24cf9c9a7cf 100644
--- a/udevd.c
+++ b/udevd.c
@@ -325,7 +325,6 @@ static void sig_handler(int signum)
 		case SIGINT:
 		case SIGTERM:
 			unlink(UDEVD_LOCK);
-			unlink(UDEVD_SOCK);
 			exit(20 + signum);
 			break;
 		default:
@@ -378,9 +377,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	memset(&saddr, 0x00, sizeof(saddr));
 	saddr.sun_family = AF_LOCAL;
-	strcpy(saddr.sun_path, UDEVD_SOCK);
+	/* use abstract namespace for socket path */
+	strcpy(&saddr.sun_path[1], UDEVD_SOCK_PATH);
 
-	unlink(UDEVD_SOCK);
 	ssock = socket(AF_LOCAL, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
 	if (ssock == -1) {
 		dbg("error getting socket");
@@ -426,6 +425,5 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	}
 exit:
 	close(ssock);
-	unlink(UDEVD_SOCK);
 	exit(1);
 }
diff --git a/udevd.h b/udevd.h
index 6dbee3a2958..8efe1d569c5 100644
--- a/udevd.h
+++ b/udevd.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #define UDEV_MAGIC			"udevd_" UDEV_VERSION
 #define EVENT_TIMEOUT_SEC		5
 #define UDEVSEND_CONNECT_RETRY		20 /* x 100 millisec */
+#define UDEVD_SOCK_PATH			"udevd"
 
 struct hotplug_msg {
 	char magic[20];
diff --git a/udevsend.c b/udevsend.c
index 9dc2b2e841b..223647785d7 100644
--- a/udevsend.c
+++ b/udevsend.c
@@ -161,7 +161,8 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 
 	memset(&saddr, 0x00, sizeof(saddr));
 	saddr.sun_family = AF_LOCAL;
-	strcpy(saddr.sun_path, UDEVD_SOCK);
+	/* use abstract namespace for socket path */
+	strcpy(&saddr.sun_path[1], UDEVD_SOCK_PATH);
 
 	/* try to connect, if it fails start daemon */
 	retval = connect(sock, (struct sockaddr *) &saddr, sizeof(saddr));