diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index ab4840640..0db008c6e 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1023,6 +1023,7 @@ libconf_a_SOURCES = \
 	src/config/Migrate.cxx src/config/Migrate.hxx \
 	src/config/Templates.cxx src/config/Templates.hxx \
 	src/config/Domain.cxx src/config/Domain.hxx \
+	src/config/Net.cxx src/config/Net.hxx \
 	src/config/Option.hxx
 
 # the Song library
diff --git a/src/Listen.cxx b/src/Listen.cxx
index 2df05c634..1dc97af2a 100644
--- a/src/Listen.cxx
+++ b/src/Listen.cxx
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "config/Param.hxx"
 #include "config/Data.hxx"
 #include "config/Option.hxx"
+#include "config/Net.hxx"
 #include "system/Error.hxx"
 #include "util/RuntimeError.hxx"
 #include "fs/AllocatedPath.hxx"
@@ -48,13 +49,7 @@ listen_add_config_param(ClientListener &listener,
 {
 	assert(param != nullptr);
 
-	if (0 == strcmp(param->value.c_str(), "any")) {
-		listener.AddPort(port);
-	} else if (param->value[0] == '/' || param->value[0] == '~') {
-		listener.AddPath(param->GetPath());
-	} else {
-		listener.AddHost(param->value.c_str(), port);
-	}
+	ServerSocketAddGeneric(listener, param->value.c_str(), port);
 }
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_SYSTEMD_DAEMON
diff --git a/src/config/Net.cxx b/src/config/Net.cxx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..93722f184
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/config/Net.cxx
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2003-2017 The Music Player Daemon Project
+ * http://www.musicpd.org
+ *
+ * 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 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * 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, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
+ * 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
+ */
+
+#include "config.h"
+#include "Net.hxx"
+#include "event/ServerSocket.hxx"
+#include "Path.hxx"
+#include "fs/AllocatedPath.hxx"
+
+void
+ServerSocketAddGeneric(ServerSocket &server_socket, const char *address, unsigned int port)
+{
+	if (address == nullptr || 0 == strcmp(address, "any")) {
+		server_socket.AddPort(port);
+	} else if (address[0] == '/' || address[0] == '~') {
+		server_socket.AddPath(ParsePath(address));
+	} else {
+		server_socket.AddHost(address, port);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/config/Net.hxx b/src/config/Net.hxx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ef3ceb9ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/config/Net.hxx
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2003-2017 The Music Player Daemon Project
+ * http://www.musicpd.org
+ *
+ * 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 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * 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, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
+ * 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
+ */
+
+#ifndef MPD_CONFIG_NET_HXX
+#define MPD_CONFIG_NET_HXX
+
+class ServerSocket;
+
+/**
+ * Sets the address or unix socket of a ServerSocket instance
+ * There are three possible ways
+ * 1) Set address to a valid ip address and specify port.
+ *    server_socket will listen on this address/port tuple.
+ * 2) Set address to null and specify port.
+ *    server_socket will listen on ANY address on that port.
+ * 3) Set address to a path of a unix socket. port is ignored.
+ *    server_socket will listen on this unix socket.
+ *
+ * Throws #std::runtime_error on error.
+ *
+ * @param server_socket the instance to modify
+ * @param address the address to listen on
+ * @param port the port to listen on
+ */
+void
+ServerSocketAddGeneric(ServerSocket &server_socket, const char *address, unsigned int port);
+
+#endif