diff --git a/src/mhd/mhd_config.c b/src/mhd/mhd_config.c
index c94229fd7..d8ae1da75 100644
--- a/src/mhd/mhd_config.c
+++ b/src/mhd/mhd_config.c
@@ -287,6 +287,8 @@ TALER_MHD_open_unix_path (const char *unix_path,
               "set socket '%s' to mode %o\n",
               unix_path,
               unix_mode);
+
+  /* extract and return actual socket handle from 'nh' */
   {
     int fd;
 
@@ -315,80 +317,92 @@ TALER_MHD_bind (const struct GNUNET_CONFIGURATION_Handle *cfg,
                 uint16_t *port)
 {
   char *bind_to;
-  char *serve_unixpath;
-  mode_t unixpath_mode;
-  char port_str[6];
-  struct addrinfo hints;
-  struct addrinfo *res;
-  int ec;
   struct GNUNET_NETWORK_Handle *nh;
 
   *port = 0;
-  if (GNUNET_OK !=
-      TALER_MHD_parse_config (cfg,
-                              section,
-                              port,
-                              &serve_unixpath,
-                              &unixpath_mode))
-    return -1;
-  if (NULL != serve_unixpath)
-    return TALER_MHD_open_unix_path (serve_unixpath,
-                                     unixpath_mode);
+  {
+    char *serve_unixpath;
+    mode_t unixpath_mode;
+
+    if (GNUNET_OK !=
+        TALER_MHD_parse_config (cfg,
+                                section,
+                                port,
+                                &serve_unixpath,
+                                &unixpath_mode))
+      return -1;
+    if (NULL != serve_unixpath)
+      return TALER_MHD_open_unix_path (serve_unixpath,
+                                       unixpath_mode);
+  }
   if (GNUNET_OK !=
       GNUNET_CONFIGURATION_get_value_string (cfg,
                                              section,
                                              "BIND_TO",
                                              &bind_to))
     return -1; /* only set port */
-  /* let's have fun binding... */
-  GNUNET_snprintf (port_str,
-                   sizeof (port_str),
-                   "%u",
-                   (unsigned int) *port);
-  *port = 0; /* do NOT return port in case of errors */
-  memset (&hints, 0, sizeof (hints));
-  hints.ai_family = AF_UNSPEC;
-  hints.ai_socktype = SOCK_STREAM;
-  hints.ai_protocol = IPPROTO_TCP;
-  hints.ai_flags = AI_PASSIVE
-#ifdef AI_IDN
-                   | AI_IDN
-#endif
-  ;
-  if (0 !=
-      (ec = getaddrinfo (bind_to,
-                         port_str,
-                         &hints,
-                         &res)))
-  {
-    GNUNET_log (GNUNET_ERROR_TYPE_ERROR,
-                "Failed to resolve BIND_TO address `%s': %s\n",
-                bind_to,                  gai_strerror (ec));
-    GNUNET_free (bind_to);
-    return -1;
-  }
-  GNUNET_free (bind_to);
 
-  if (NULL == (nh = GNUNET_NETWORK_socket_create (res->ai_family,
-                                                  res->ai_socktype,
-                                                  res->ai_protocol)))
+  /* let's have fun binding... */
   {
-    GNUNET_log_strerror (GNUNET_ERROR_TYPE_ERROR,
-                         "socket");
+    char port_str[6];
+    struct addrinfo hints;
+    struct addrinfo *res;
+    int ec;
+
+    GNUNET_snprintf (port_str,
+                     sizeof (port_str),
+                     "%u",
+                     (unsigned int) *port);
+    *port = 0; /* do NOT return port in case of errors */
+    memset (&hints,
+            0,
+            sizeof (hints));
+    hints.ai_family = AF_UNSPEC;
+    hints.ai_socktype = SOCK_STREAM;
+    hints.ai_protocol = IPPROTO_TCP;
+    hints.ai_flags = AI_PASSIVE
+#ifdef AI_IDN
+                     | AI_IDN
+#endif
+    ;
+
+    if (0 !=
+        (ec = getaddrinfo (bind_to,
+                           port_str,
+                           &hints,
+                           &res)))
+    {
+      GNUNET_log (GNUNET_ERROR_TYPE_ERROR,
+                  "Failed to resolve BIND_TO address `%s': %s\n",
+                  bind_to,
+                  gai_strerror (ec));
+      GNUNET_free (bind_to);
+      return -1;
+    }
+    GNUNET_free (bind_to);
+
+    if (NULL == (nh = GNUNET_NETWORK_socket_create (res->ai_family,
+                                                    res->ai_socktype,
+                                                    res->ai_protocol)))
+    {
+      GNUNET_log_strerror (GNUNET_ERROR_TYPE_ERROR,
+                           "socket");
+      freeaddrinfo (res);
+      return -1;
+    }
+    if (GNUNET_OK !=
+        GNUNET_NETWORK_socket_bind (nh,
+                                    res->ai_addr,
+                                    res->ai_addrlen))
+    {
+      GNUNET_log_strerror (GNUNET_ERROR_TYPE_ERROR,
+                           "bind");
+      freeaddrinfo (res);
+      return -1;
+    }
     freeaddrinfo (res);
-    return -1;
   }
-  if (GNUNET_OK !=
-      GNUNET_NETWORK_socket_bind (nh,
-                                  res->ai_addr,
-                                  res->ai_addrlen))
-  {
-    GNUNET_log_strerror (GNUNET_ERROR_TYPE_ERROR,
-                         "bind");
-    freeaddrinfo (res);
-    return -1;
-  }
-  freeaddrinfo (res);
+
   if (GNUNET_OK !=
       GNUNET_NETWORK_socket_listen (nh,
                                     UNIX_BACKLOG))
@@ -398,6 +412,8 @@ TALER_MHD_bind (const struct GNUNET_CONFIGURATION_Handle *cfg,
     GNUNET_SCHEDULER_shutdown ();
     return -1;
   }
+
+  /* extract and return actual socket handle from 'nh' */
   {
     int fh;