diff --git a/elements/userlevel/chattersocket.cc b/elements/userlevel/chattersocket.cc
index 15dc170521..0b52bb7f4b 100644
--- a/elements/userlevel/chattersocket.cc
+++ b/elements/userlevel/chattersocket.cc
@@ -217,6 +217,7 @@ ChatterSocket::initialize_socket(ErrorHandler *errh)
     struct sockaddr_un sa;
     sa.sun_family = AF_UNIX;
     memcpy(sa.sun_path, _unix_pathname.c_str(), _unix_pathname.length() + 1);
+    unlink(_unix_pathname.c_str());
     if (bind(_socket_fd, (struct sockaddr *)&sa, sizeof(sa)) < 0)
       return initialize_socket_error(errh, "bind");
   }
diff --git a/elements/userlevel/controlsocket.cc b/elements/userlevel/controlsocket.cc
index 6d3190162c..ecadabf21f 100644
--- a/elements/userlevel/controlsocket.cc
+++ b/elements/userlevel/controlsocket.cc
@@ -215,6 +215,7 @@ ControlSocket::initialize_socket(ErrorHandler *errh)
     struct sockaddr_un sa;
     sa.sun_family = AF_UNIX;
     memcpy(sa.sun_path, _unix_pathname.c_str(), _unix_pathname.length() + 1);
+    unlink(_unix_pathname.c_str());
     if (bind(_socket_fd, (struct sockaddr *)&sa, sizeof(sa)) < 0)
       return initialize_socket_error(errh, "bind");
 
diff --git a/elements/userlevel/socket.cc b/elements/userlevel/socket.cc
index 83e38f2c86..987c8a7dd5 100644
--- a/elements/userlevel/socket.cc
+++ b/elements/userlevel/socket.cc
@@ -208,6 +208,8 @@ Socket::initialize(ErrorHandler *errh)
     }
     if (ret < 0)
 #endif
+    if (_local_pathname != "")
+      unlink(_local_pathname.c_str());
     if (bind(_fd, (struct sockaddr *)&_local, _local_len) < 0)
       return initialize_socket_error(errh, "bind");
   }