diff --git a/tests/Makefile.include b/tests/Makefile.include
index f8e20d9f5d..bede832dc1 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.include
+++ b/tests/Makefile.include
@@ -696,7 +696,7 @@ tests/test-crypto-tlssession$(EXESUF): tests/test-crypto-tlssession.o \
 	tests/crypto-tls-x509-helpers.o tests/pkix_asn1_tab.o $(test-crypto-obj-y)
 tests/test-io-task$(EXESUF): tests/test-io-task.o $(test-io-obj-y)
 tests/test-io-channel-socket$(EXESUF): tests/test-io-channel-socket.o \
-        tests/io-channel-helpers.o $(test-io-obj-y)
+        tests/io-channel-helpers.o tests/socket-helpers.o $(test-io-obj-y)
 tests/test-io-channel-file$(EXESUF): tests/test-io-channel-file.o \
         tests/io-channel-helpers.o $(test-io-obj-y)
 tests/test-io-channel-tls$(EXESUF): tests/test-io-channel-tls.o \
diff --git a/tests/socket-helpers.c b/tests/socket-helpers.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..13b6bb38eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/socket-helpers.c
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+/*
+ * Helper functions for tests using sockets
+ *
+ * Copyright 2015-2018 Red Hat, Inc.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 or
+ * (at your option) version 3 of the License.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *
+ */
+
+#include "qemu/osdep.h"
+#include "qemu-common.h"
+#include "qemu/sockets.h"
+#include "socket-helpers.h"
+
+#ifndef AI_ADDRCONFIG
+# define AI_ADDRCONFIG 0
+#endif
+#ifndef EAI_ADDRFAMILY
+# define EAI_ADDRFAMILY 0
+#endif
+
+int socket_can_bind(const char *hostname)
+{
+    int fd = -1;
+    struct addrinfo ai, *res = NULL;
+    int rc;
+    int ret = -1;
+
+    memset(&ai, 0, sizeof(ai));
+    ai.ai_flags = AI_CANONNAME | AI_ADDRCONFIG;
+    ai.ai_family = AF_UNSPEC;
+    ai.ai_socktype = SOCK_STREAM;
+
+    /* lookup */
+    rc = getaddrinfo(hostname, NULL, &ai, &res);
+    if (rc != 0) {
+        if (rc == EAI_ADDRFAMILY ||
+            rc == EAI_FAMILY) {
+            errno = EADDRNOTAVAIL;
+            goto done;
+        }
+        errno = EINVAL;
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    fd = qemu_socket(res->ai_family, res->ai_socktype, res->ai_protocol);
+    if (fd < 0) {
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    if (bind(fd, res->ai_addr, res->ai_addrlen) < 0) {
+        if (errno == EADDRNOTAVAIL) {
+            goto done;
+        }
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+ done:
+    ret = 0;
+
+ cleanup:
+    if (fd != -1) {
+        close(fd);
+    }
+    if (res) {
+        freeaddrinfo(res);
+    }
+    return ret;
+}
+
+
+int socket_check_protocol_support(bool *has_ipv4, bool *has_ipv6)
+{
+    *has_ipv4 = *has_ipv6 = false;
+
+    if (socket_can_bind("127.0.0.1") < 0) {
+        if (errno != EADDRNOTAVAIL) {
+            return -1;
+        }
+    } else {
+        *has_ipv4 = true;
+    }
+
+    if (socket_can_bind("::1") < 0) {
+        if (errno != EADDRNOTAVAIL) {
+            return -1;
+        }
+    } else {
+        *has_ipv6 = true;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/tests/socket-helpers.h b/tests/socket-helpers.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..efa96eddc2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/socket-helpers.h
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+/*
+ * Helper functions for tests using sockets
+ *
+ * Copyright 2015-2018 Red Hat, Inc.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 or
+ * (at your option) version 3 of the License.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *
+ */
+
+/*
+ * @hostname: a DNS name or numeric IP address
+ *
+ * Check whether it is possible to bind to ports
+ * on the DNS name or IP address @hostname. If an IP address
+ * is used, it must not be a wildcard address.
+ *
+ * Returns 0 on success, -1 on error with errno set
+ */
+int socket_can_bind(const char *hostname);
+
+/*
+ * @has_ipv4: set to true on return if IPv4 is available
+ * @has_ipv6: set to true on return if IPv6 is available
+ *
+ * Check whether IPv4 and/or IPv6 are available for use.
+ * On success, @has_ipv4 and @has_ipv6 will be set to
+ * indicate whether the respective protocols are available.
+ *
+ * Returns 0 on success, -1 on fatal error
+ */
+int socket_check_protocol_support(bool *has_ipv4, bool *has_ipv6);
diff --git a/tests/test-io-channel-socket.c b/tests/test-io-channel-socket.c
index d357cd2a8e..b0b69e8ad0 100644
--- a/tests/test-io-channel-socket.c
+++ b/tests/test-io-channel-socket.c
@@ -22,77 +22,9 @@
 #include "io/channel-socket.h"
 #include "io/channel-util.h"
 #include "io-channel-helpers.h"
+#include "socket-helpers.h"
 #include "qapi/error.h"
 
-#ifndef AI_ADDRCONFIG
-# define AI_ADDRCONFIG 0
-#endif
-#ifndef EAI_ADDRFAMILY
-# define EAI_ADDRFAMILY 0
-#endif
-
-static int check_bind(const char *hostname, bool *has_proto)
-{
-    int fd = -1;
-    struct addrinfo ai, *res = NULL;
-    int rc;
-    int ret = -1;
-
-    memset(&ai, 0, sizeof(ai));
-    ai.ai_flags = AI_CANONNAME | AI_ADDRCONFIG;
-    ai.ai_family = AF_UNSPEC;
-    ai.ai_socktype = SOCK_STREAM;
-
-    /* lookup */
-    rc = getaddrinfo(hostname, NULL, &ai, &res);
-    if (rc != 0) {
-        if (rc == EAI_ADDRFAMILY ||
-            rc == EAI_FAMILY) {
-            *has_proto = false;
-            goto done;
-        }
-        goto cleanup;
-    }
-
-    fd = qemu_socket(res->ai_family, res->ai_socktype, res->ai_protocol);
-    if (fd < 0) {
-        goto cleanup;
-    }
-
-    if (bind(fd, res->ai_addr, res->ai_addrlen) < 0) {
-        if (errno == EADDRNOTAVAIL) {
-            *has_proto = false;
-            goto done;
-        }
-        goto cleanup;
-    }
-
-    *has_proto = true;
- done:
-    ret = 0;
-
- cleanup:
-    if (fd != -1) {
-        close(fd);
-    }
-    if (res) {
-        freeaddrinfo(res);
-    }
-    return ret;
-}
-
-static int check_protocol_support(bool *has_ipv4, bool *has_ipv6)
-{
-    if (check_bind("127.0.0.1", has_ipv4) < 0) {
-        return -1;
-    }
-    if (check_bind("::1", has_ipv6) < 0) {
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    return 0;
-}
-
 
 static void test_io_channel_set_socket_bufs(QIOChannel *src,
                                             QIOChannel *dst)
@@ -566,7 +498,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
      * each protocol to avoid breaking tests on machines
      * with either IPv4 or IPv6 disabled.
      */
-    if (check_protocol_support(&has_ipv4, &has_ipv6) < 0) {
+    if (socket_check_protocol_support(&has_ipv4, &has_ipv6) < 0) {
         return 1;
     }
 
