diff --git a/src/core/config.rs b/src/core/config.rs
index 460655c7..3a89b5b6 100644
--- a/src/core/config.rs
+++ b/src/core/config.rs
@@ -630,6 +630,40 @@ pub enum NetListenConfig {
     Unix(UnixListenConfig),
 }
 
+impl NetListenConfig {
+    /// Parse config file prometheus_port format.
+    pub fn from_prometheus_port_str(s: &str) -> Result<Self, String> {
+        if let Some(path) = s.strip_prefix("ipc://") {
+            if path.is_empty() {
+                return Err(format!("invalid listen address '{s}'; ipc path is empty"));
+            }
+
+            Ok(Self::Unix(UnixListenConfig {
+                path: path.into(),
+                mode: None,
+                user: None,
+                group: None,
+                params: HashMap::new(),
+            }))
+        } else {
+            let addr = if let Ok(addr) = s.parse::<std::net::SocketAddr>() {
+                addr
+            } else if let Ok(port) = s.parse::<u16>() {
+                std::net::SocketAddr::from(([0, 0, 0, 0], port))
+            } else {
+                return Err(format!(
+                    "invalid listen address '{s}'; expected ipc://PATH, IP:PORT, or PORT"
+                ));
+            };
+
+            Ok(Self::Tcp(TcpListenConfig {
+                addr,
+                params: HashMap::new(),
+            }))
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 impl FromStr for NetListenConfig {
     type Err = String;
 
diff --git a/src/core/prometheus.rs b/src/core/prometheus.rs
index 3f5f375a..38728303 100644
--- a/src/core/prometheus.rs
+++ b/src/core/prometheus.rs
@@ -281,31 +281,13 @@ async fn handle_connection<S: AsyncRead + AsyncWrite>(
 
 pub mod ffi {
     use super::*;
+    use crate::core::config::NetListenConfig;
     use libc::c_char;
     use std::ffi::{CStr, CString};
 
     /// Opaque handle to a `prometheus::Registry`, for use across the FFI boundary.
     pub enum PrometheusRegistry {}
 
-    fn parse_listen_addr(addr: &str) -> Result<NetListener, String> {
-        if let Some(path) = addr.strip_prefix("ipc://") {
-            let l = mio::net::UnixListener::bind(path)
-                .map_err(|e| format!("failed to bind {path}: {e}"))?;
-            Ok(NetListener::Unix(l))
-        } else if let Ok(socket_addr) = addr.parse::<std::net::SocketAddr>() {
-            let l = mio::net::TcpListener::bind(socket_addr)
-                .map_err(|e| format!("failed to bind {socket_addr}: {e}"))?;
-            Ok(NetListener::Tcp(l))
-        } else if let Ok(port) = addr.parse::<u16>() {
-            let socket_addr = std::net::SocketAddr::from(([0, 0, 0, 0], port));
-            let l = mio::net::TcpListener::bind(socket_addr)
-                .map_err(|e| format!("failed to bind {socket_addr}: {e}"))?;
-            Ok(NetListener::Tcp(l))
-        } else {
-            Err(format!("invalid listen address: {addr}"))
-        }
-    }
-
     /// Create and start a prometheus HTTP server listening on `addr`. The provided `registry` is
     /// cloned internally so the server is independent of the registry's lifetime. Returns an opaque
     /// handle; call `prometheus_server_destroy` when done. On failure, returns null and writes a
@@ -322,10 +304,27 @@ pub mod ffi {
         registry: *const PrometheusRegistry,
         error: *mut *const c_char,
     ) -> *mut PrometheusServer {
-        let addr = CStr::from_ptr(addr).to_str().expect("invalid addr string");
+        let addr = match CStr::from_ptr(addr).to_str() {
+            Ok(addr) => addr,
+            Err(e) => {
+                *error = CString::new(format!("invalid listen address: {e}"))
+                    .unwrap_or_default()
+                    .into_raw();
+                return std::ptr::null_mut();
+            }
+        };
+
         let registry = &*(registry as *const prometheus::Registry);
 
-        let listener = match parse_listen_addr(addr) {
+        let config = match NetListenConfig::from_prometheus_port_str(addr) {
+            Ok(c) => c,
+            Err(e) => {
+                *error = CString::new(e).unwrap_or_default().into_raw();
+                return std::ptr::null_mut();
+            }
+        };
+
+        let listener = match NetListener::bind_config(&config) {
             Ok(l) => l,
             Err(e) => {
                 *error = CString::new(e).unwrap_or_default().into_raw();