diff --git a/include/sysutils/SocketClient.h b/include/sysutils/SocketClient.h
index d6bb7d5df..7d2b1d67c 100644
--- a/include/sysutils/SocketClient.h
+++ b/include/sysutils/SocketClient.h
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 class SocketClient {
     int             mSocket;
+    bool            mSocketOwned;
     pthread_mutex_t mWriteMutex;
 
     /* Peer process ID */
@@ -24,8 +25,8 @@ class SocketClient {
     int mRefCount;
 
 public:
-    SocketClient(int sock);
-    virtual ~SocketClient() {}
+    SocketClient(int sock, bool owned);
+    virtual ~SocketClient();
 
     int getSocket() { return mSocket; }
     pid_t getPid() const { return mPid; }
diff --git a/libsysutils/src/SocketClient.cpp b/libsysutils/src/SocketClient.cpp
index 90ca52e74..722dcb291 100644
--- a/libsysutils/src/SocketClient.cpp
+++ b/libsysutils/src/SocketClient.cpp
@@ -10,8 +10,9 @@
 
 #include <sysutils/SocketClient.h>
 
-SocketClient::SocketClient(int socket)
+SocketClient::SocketClient(int socket, bool owned)
         : mSocket(socket)
+        , mSocketOwned(owned)
         , mPid(-1)
         , mUid(-1)
         , mGid(-1)
@@ -32,6 +33,13 @@ SocketClient::SocketClient(int socket)
     }
 }
 
+SocketClient::~SocketClient()
+{
+    if (mSocketOwned) {
+        close(mSocket);
+    }
+}
+
 int SocketClient::sendMsg(int code, const char *msg, bool addErrno) {
     char *buf;
     const char* arg;
diff --git a/libsysutils/src/SocketListener.cpp b/libsysutils/src/SocketListener.cpp
index fcad624b1..3f871ea88 100644
--- a/libsysutils/src/SocketListener.cpp
+++ b/libsysutils/src/SocketListener.cpp
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ int SocketListener::startListener() {
         SLOGE("Unable to listen on socket (%s)", strerror(errno));
         return -1;
     } else if (!mListen)
-        mClients->push_back(new SocketClient(mSock));
+        mClients->push_back(new SocketClient(mSock, false));
 
     if (pipe(mCtrlPipe)) {
         SLOGE("pipe failed (%s)", strerror(errno));
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ void SocketListener::runListener() {
                 continue;
             }
             pthread_mutex_lock(&mClientsLock);
-            mClients->push_back(new SocketClient(c));
+            mClients->push_back(new SocketClient(c, true));
             pthread_mutex_unlock(&mClientsLock);
         }
 
@@ -225,12 +225,8 @@ void SocketListener::runListener() {
                     }
                 }
                 pthread_mutex_unlock(&mClientsLock);
-                /* Destroy the client */
-                int socket = c->getSocket();
-                if (c->decRef()) {
-                    // Note: 'c' is deleted memory at this point.
-                    close(socket);
-                }
+                /* Remove our reference to the client */
+                c->decRef();
             }
         }
     }