diff --git a/libcli/nbt/nbtsocket.c b/libcli/nbt/nbtsocket.c
index d7abb1bf30b..711e39cbdc5 100644
--- a/libcli/nbt/nbtsocket.c
+++ b/libcli/nbt/nbtsocket.c
@@ -339,13 +339,12 @@ _PUBLIC_ struct nbt_name_socket *nbt_name_socket_init(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx,
 	nbtsock->event_ctx = event_ctx;
 	if (nbtsock->event_ctx == NULL) goto failed;
 
-	status = socket_create("ip", SOCKET_TYPE_DGRAM, &nbtsock->sock, 0);
+	status = socket_create(nbtsock, "ip", SOCKET_TYPE_DGRAM,
+			       &nbtsock->sock, 0);
 	if (!NT_STATUS_IS_OK(status)) goto failed;
 
 	socket_set_option(nbtsock->sock, "SO_BROADCAST", "1");
 
-	talloc_steal(nbtsock, nbtsock->sock);
-
 	nbtsock->idr = idr_init(nbtsock);
 	if (nbtsock->idr == NULL) goto failed;
 
diff --git a/source4/auth/kerberos/krb5_init_context.c b/source4/auth/kerberos/krb5_init_context.c
index e2c837abdce..5e771a87cc5 100644
--- a/source4/auth/kerberos/krb5_init_context.c
+++ b/source4/auth/kerberos/krb5_init_context.c
@@ -261,10 +261,14 @@ static krb5_error_code smb_krb5_send_and_recv_func_int(krb5_context context,
 		status = NT_STATUS_INVALID_PARAMETER;
 		switch (hi->proto) {
 		case KRB5_KRBHST_UDP:
-			status = socket_create(name, SOCKET_TYPE_DGRAM, &smb_krb5->sock, 0);
+			status = socket_create(smb_krb5, name,
+					       SOCKET_TYPE_DGRAM,
+					       &smb_krb5->sock, 0);
 			break;
 		case KRB5_KRBHST_TCP:
-			status = socket_create(name, SOCKET_TYPE_STREAM, &smb_krb5->sock, 0);
+			status = socket_create(smb_krb5, name,
+					       SOCKET_TYPE_STREAM,
+					       &smb_krb5->sock, 0);
 			break;
 		case KRB5_KRBHST_HTTP:
 			TALLOC_FREE(frame);
@@ -275,8 +279,6 @@ static krb5_error_code smb_krb5_send_and_recv_func_int(krb5_context context,
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		talloc_steal(smb_krb5, smb_krb5->sock);
-
 		remote_addr = socket_address_from_sockaddr(smb_krb5, a->ai_addr, a->ai_addrlen);
 		if (!remote_addr) {
 			talloc_free(smb_krb5);
diff --git a/source4/lib/socket/connect_multi.c b/source4/lib/socket/connect_multi.c
index c8231b3cff3..b29fffb33b4 100644
--- a/source4/lib/socket/connect_multi.c
+++ b/source4/lib/socket/connect_multi.c
@@ -152,8 +152,9 @@ static void connect_multi_next_socket(struct composite_context *result)
 	if (composite_nomem(state, result)) return;
 
 	state->result = result;
-	result->status = socket_create(multi->server_address[multi->current_address]->family,
-					SOCKET_TYPE_STREAM, &state->sock, 0);
+	result->status = socket_create(
+		state, multi->server_address[multi->current_address]->family,
+		SOCKET_TYPE_STREAM, &state->sock, 0);
 	if (!composite_is_ok(result)) return;
 
 	state->addr = socket_address_copy(state, multi->server_address[multi->current_address]);
@@ -161,8 +162,6 @@ static void connect_multi_next_socket(struct composite_context *result)
 
 	socket_address_set_port(state->addr, multi->ports[multi->current_port]);
 
-	talloc_steal(state, state->sock);
-
 	creq = socket_connect_send(state->sock, NULL, 
 				   state->addr, 0,
 				   result->event_ctx);
diff --git a/source4/lib/socket/socket.c b/source4/lib/socket/socket.c
index 42eb53abcef..98f796e3fed 100644
--- a/source4/lib/socket/socket.c
+++ b/source4/lib/socket/socket.c
@@ -96,7 +96,8 @@ _PUBLIC_ NTSTATUS socket_create_with_ops(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx, const struct socke
 	return NT_STATUS_OK;
 }
 
-_PUBLIC_ NTSTATUS socket_create(const char *name, enum socket_type type, 
+_PUBLIC_ NTSTATUS socket_create(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx,
+				const char *name, enum socket_type type,
 			        struct socket_context **new_sock, uint32_t flags)
 {
 	const struct socket_ops *ops;
@@ -106,7 +107,7 @@ _PUBLIC_ NTSTATUS socket_create(const char *name, enum socket_type type,
 		return NT_STATUS_INVALID_PARAMETER;
 	}
 
-	return socket_create_with_ops(NULL, ops, new_sock, type, flags);
+	return socket_create_with_ops(mem_ctx, ops, new_sock, type, flags);
 }
 
 _PUBLIC_ NTSTATUS socket_connect(struct socket_context *sock,
diff --git a/source4/lib/socket/socket.h b/source4/lib/socket/socket.h
index 50a20d90911..a492bc10367 100644
--- a/source4/lib/socket/socket.h
+++ b/source4/lib/socket/socket.h
@@ -133,7 +133,8 @@ struct tsocket_address;
 NTSTATUS socket_create_with_ops(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx, const struct socket_ops *ops,
 				struct socket_context **new_sock, 
 				enum socket_type type, uint32_t flags);
-NTSTATUS socket_create(const char *name, enum socket_type type, 
+NTSTATUS socket_create(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx,
+		       const char *name, enum socket_type type,
 		       struct socket_context **new_sock, uint32_t flags);
 NTSTATUS socket_connect(struct socket_context *sock,
 			const struct socket_address *my_address, 
diff --git a/source4/lib/socket/testsuite.c b/source4/lib/socket/testsuite.c
index 6ebbd1227e8..1df96e3ccf7 100644
--- a/source4/lib/socket/testsuite.c
+++ b/source4/lib/socket/testsuite.c
@@ -45,13 +45,11 @@ static bool test_udp(struct torture_context *tctx)
 
 	load_interface_list(tctx, tctx->lp_ctx, &ifaces);
 
-	status = socket_create("ip", SOCKET_TYPE_DGRAM, &sock1, 0);
+	status = socket_create(mem_ctx, "ip", SOCKET_TYPE_DGRAM, &sock1, 0);
 	torture_assert_ntstatus_ok(tctx, status, "creating DGRAM IP socket 1");
-	talloc_steal(mem_ctx, sock1);
 
-	status = socket_create("ip", SOCKET_TYPE_DGRAM, &sock2, 0);
+	status = socket_create(mem_ctx, "ip", SOCKET_TYPE_DGRAM, &sock2, 0);
 	torture_assert_ntstatus_ok(tctx, status, "creating DGRAM IP socket 1");
-	talloc_steal(mem_ctx, sock2);
 
 	localhost = socket_address_from_strings(sock1, sock1->backend_name, 
 						iface_list_best_ip(ifaces, "127.0.0.1"), 0);
@@ -128,13 +126,11 @@ static bool test_tcp(struct torture_context *tctx)
 	struct tevent_context *ev = tctx->ev;
 	struct interface *ifaces;
 
-	status = socket_create("ip", SOCKET_TYPE_STREAM, &sock1, 0);
+	status = socket_create(mem_ctx, "ip", SOCKET_TYPE_STREAM, &sock1, 0);
 	torture_assert_ntstatus_ok(tctx, status, "creating IP stream socket 1");
-	talloc_steal(mem_ctx, sock1);
 
-	status = socket_create("ip", SOCKET_TYPE_STREAM, &sock2, 0);
+	status = socket_create(mem_ctx, "ip", SOCKET_TYPE_STREAM, &sock2, 0);
 	torture_assert_ntstatus_ok(tctx, status, "creating IP stream socket 1");
-	talloc_steal(mem_ctx, sock2);
 
 	load_interface_list(tctx, tctx->lp_ctx, &ifaces);
 	localhost = socket_address_from_strings(sock1, sock1->backend_name, 
diff --git a/source4/libcli/dgram/dgramsocket.c b/source4/libcli/dgram/dgramsocket.c
index b6e7dd12c7c..154a6670948 100644
--- a/source4/libcli/dgram/dgramsocket.c
+++ b/source4/libcli/dgram/dgramsocket.c
@@ -168,13 +168,12 @@ struct nbt_dgram_socket *nbt_dgram_socket_init(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx,
 	dgmsock->event_ctx = event_ctx;
 	if (dgmsock->event_ctx == NULL) goto failed;
 
-	status = socket_create("ip", SOCKET_TYPE_DGRAM, &dgmsock->sock, 0);
+	status = socket_create(dgmsock, "ip", SOCKET_TYPE_DGRAM,
+			       &dgmsock->sock, 0);
 	if (!NT_STATUS_IS_OK(status)) goto failed;
 
 	socket_set_option(dgmsock->sock, "SO_BROADCAST", "1");
 
-	talloc_steal(dgmsock, dgmsock->sock);
-
 	dgmsock->fde = tevent_add_fd(dgmsock->event_ctx, dgmsock,
 				    socket_get_fd(dgmsock->sock), 0,
 				    dgm_socket_handler, dgmsock);
diff --git a/source4/libcli/ldap/ldap_client.c b/source4/libcli/ldap/ldap_client.c
index b5f5da6fa00..1cbcd0d42d5 100644
--- a/source4/libcli/ldap/ldap_client.c
+++ b/source4/libcli/ldap/ldap_client.c
@@ -413,11 +413,12 @@ _PUBLIC_ struct composite_context *ldap_connect_send(struct ldap_connection *con
 		struct socket_address *unix_addr;
 		char path[1025];
 		char *end = NULL;
-		NTSTATUS status = socket_create("unix", SOCKET_TYPE_STREAM, &state->sock, 0);
+		NTSTATUS status = socket_create(state, "unix",
+						SOCKET_TYPE_STREAM,
+						&state->sock, 0);
 		if (!NT_STATUS_IS_OK(status)) {
 			return NULL;
 		}
-		talloc_steal(state, state->sock);
 		SMB_ASSERT(sizeof(protocol)>10);
 		SMB_ASSERT(sizeof(path)>1024);
 	
diff --git a/source4/librpc/rpc/dcerpc_sock.c b/source4/librpc/rpc/dcerpc_sock.c
index 6401534806e..e7ecca73e3c 100644
--- a/source4/librpc/rpc/dcerpc_sock.c
+++ b/source4/librpc/rpc/dcerpc_sock.c
@@ -151,11 +151,10 @@ static struct composite_context *dcerpc_pipe_open_socket_send(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ct
 		if (composite_nomem(s->target_hostname, c)) return c;
 	}
 
-	c->status = socket_create(server->family, SOCKET_TYPE_STREAM, &s->socket_ctx, 0);
+	c->status = socket_create(s, server->family, SOCKET_TYPE_STREAM,
+				  &s->socket_ctx, 0);
 	if (!composite_is_ok(c)) return c;
 
-	talloc_steal(s, s->socket_ctx);
-
 	conn_req = socket_connect_send(s->socket_ctx, s->localaddr, s->server, 0,
 				       c->event_ctx);
 	composite_continue(c, conn_req, continue_socket_connect, c);
diff --git a/source4/smbd/service_stream.c b/source4/smbd/service_stream.c
index 545cd4315b3..fc996d942e6 100644
--- a/source4/smbd/service_stream.c
+++ b/source4/smbd/service_stream.c
@@ -315,10 +315,14 @@ NTSTATUS stream_setup_socket(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx,
 			return NT_STATUS_NO_MEMORY;
 		}
 
-		status = socket_create(socket_address->family, SOCKET_TYPE_STREAM, &stream_socket->sock, 0);
+		status = socket_create(stream_socket, socket_address->family,
+				       SOCKET_TYPE_STREAM,
+				       &stream_socket->sock, 0);
 		NT_STATUS_NOT_OK_RETURN(status);
 	} else {
-		status = socket_create(family, SOCKET_TYPE_STREAM, &stream_socket->sock, 0);
+		status = socket_create(stream_socket, family,
+				       SOCKET_TYPE_STREAM,
+				       &stream_socket->sock, 0);
 		NT_STATUS_NOT_OK_RETURN(status);
 
 		/* this is for non-IP sockets, eg. unix domain sockets */
@@ -329,8 +333,6 @@ NTSTATUS stream_setup_socket(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx,
 	}
 
 
-	talloc_steal(stream_socket, stream_socket->sock);
-
 	stream_socket->lp_ctx = talloc_reference(stream_socket, lp_ctx);
 
 	/* ready to listen */