diff --git a/include/osmocom/core/socket.h b/include/osmocom/core/socket.h
index e6a6bd5..4441449 100644
--- a/include/osmocom/core/socket.h
+++ b/include/osmocom/core/socket.h
@@ -58,6 +58,11 @@
 		   const char **local_hosts, size_t local_hosts_cnt, uint16_t local_port,
 		   const char **remote_hosts, size_t remote_hosts_cnt, uint16_t remote_port, unsigned int flags);
 
+int osmo_sock_init_osa(uint16_t type, uint8_t proto,
+		    const struct osmo_sockaddr *local,
+		    const struct osmo_sockaddr *remote,
+		    unsigned int flags);
+
 int osmo_sock_init_ofd(struct osmo_fd *ofd, int family, int type, int proto,
 			const char *host, uint16_t port, unsigned int flags);
 
@@ -65,6 +70,11 @@
 			const char *local_host, uint16_t local_port,
 			const char *remote_host, uint16_t remote_port, unsigned int flags);
 
+int osmo_sock_init_osa_ofd(struct osmo_fd *ofd, int type, int proto,
+			   const struct osmo_sockaddr *local,
+			   const struct osmo_sockaddr *remote,
+			   unsigned int flags);
+
 int osmo_sock_init_sa(struct sockaddr *ss, uint16_t type,
 		      uint8_t proto, unsigned int flags);
 
diff --git a/src/socket.c b/src/socket.c
index 56f01dc..6c06063 100644
--- a/src/socket.c
+++ b/src/socket.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include <osmocom/core/logging.h>
 #include <osmocom/core/select.h>
 #include <osmocom/core/socket.h>
+#include <osmocom/core/sockaddr_str.h>
 #include <osmocom/core/talloc.h>
 #include <osmocom/core/utils.h>
 
@@ -153,6 +154,28 @@
 	return sfd;
 }
 
+static int socket_helper_osa(const struct osmo_sockaddr *addr, uint16_t type, uint8_t proto, unsigned int flags)
+{
+	int sfd, on = 1;
+
+	sfd = socket(addr->u.sa.sa_family, type, proto);
+	if (sfd == -1) {
+		LOGP(DLGLOBAL, LOGL_ERROR,
+			"unable to create socket: %s\n", strerror(errno));
+		return sfd;
+	}
+	if (flags & OSMO_SOCK_F_NONBLOCK) {
+		if (ioctl(sfd, FIONBIO, (unsigned char *)&on) < 0) {
+			LOGP(DLGLOBAL, LOGL_ERROR,
+				"cannot set this socket unblocking: %s\n",
+				strerror(errno));
+			close(sfd);
+			sfd = -EINVAL;
+		}
+	}
+	return sfd;
+}
+
 #ifdef HAVE_LIBSCTP
 /* Fill buf with a string representation of the address set, in the form:
  * buf_len == 0: "()"
@@ -434,6 +457,135 @@
 	return sfd;
 }
 
+#define _SOCKADDR_TO_STR(dest, sockaddr) do { \
+		if (osmo_sockaddr_str_from_sockaddr(&dest, &sockaddr->u.sas)) \
+			osmo_strlcpy(dest.ip, "Invalid IP", 11); \
+	} while (0)
+
+/*! Initialize a socket (including bind and/or connect)
+ *  \param[in] family Address Family like AF_INET, AF_INET6, AF_UNSPEC
+ *  \param[in] type Socket type like SOCK_DGRAM, SOCK_STREAM
+ *  \param[in] proto Protocol like IPPROTO_TCP, IPPROTO_UDP
+ *  \param[in] local local address
+ *  \param[in] remote remote address
+ *  \param[in] flags flags like \ref OSMO_SOCK_F_CONNECT
+ *  \returns socket file descriptor on success; negative on error
+ *
+ * This function creates a new socket of the
+ * \a type and \a proto and optionally binds it to the \a local
+ * as well as optionally connects it to the \a remote
+ * depending on the value * of \a flags parameter.
+ *
+ * As opposed to \ref osmo_sock_init(), this function allows to combine
+ * the \ref OSMO_SOCK_F_BIND and \ref OSMO_SOCK_F_CONNECT flags.  This
+ * is useful if you want to connect to a remote host/port, but still
+ * want to bind that socket to either a specific local alias IP and/or a
+ * specific local source port.
+ *
+ * You must specify either \ref OSMO_SOCK_F_BIND, or \ref
+ * OSMO_SOCK_F_CONNECT, or both.
+ *
+ * If \ref OSMO_SOCK_F_NONBLOCK is specified, the socket will be set to
+ * non-blocking mode.
+ */
+int osmo_sock_init_osa(uint16_t type, uint8_t proto,
+		        const struct osmo_sockaddr *local,
+		        const struct osmo_sockaddr *remote,
+		        unsigned int flags)
+{
+	int sfd = -1, rc, on = 1;
+	struct osmo_sockaddr_str sastr = {};
+
+	if ((flags & (OSMO_SOCK_F_BIND | OSMO_SOCK_F_CONNECT)) == 0) {
+		LOGP(DLGLOBAL, LOGL_ERROR, "invalid: you have to specify either "
+			"BIND or CONNECT flags\n");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	if ((flags & OSMO_SOCK_F_BIND) && !local) {
+		LOGP(DLGLOBAL, LOGL_ERROR, "invalid argument. Cannot BIND when local is NULL\n");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	if ((flags & OSMO_SOCK_F_CONNECT) && !remote) {
+		LOGP(DLGLOBAL, LOGL_ERROR, "invalid argument. Cannot CONNECT when remote is NULL\n");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	if ((flags & OSMO_SOCK_F_BIND) &&
+	    (flags & OSMO_SOCK_F_CONNECT) &&
+	    local->u.sa.sa_family != remote->u.sa.sa_family) {
+		LOGP(DLGLOBAL, LOGL_ERROR, "invalid: the family for "
+		     "local and remote endpoint must be same.\n");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	/* figure out local side of socket */
+	if (flags & OSMO_SOCK_F_BIND) {
+		sfd = socket_helper_osa(local, type, proto, flags);
+		if (sfd < 0) {
+			_SOCKADDR_TO_STR(sastr, local);
+			LOGP(DLGLOBAL, LOGL_ERROR, "no suitable local addr found for: %s:%u\n",
+				sastr.ip, sastr.port);
+			return -ENODEV;
+		}
+
+		if (proto != IPPROTO_UDP || (flags & OSMO_SOCK_F_UDP_REUSEADDR)) {
+			rc = setsockopt(sfd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_REUSEADDR,
+					&on, sizeof(on));
+			if (rc < 0) {
+				_SOCKADDR_TO_STR(sastr, local);
+				LOGP(DLGLOBAL, LOGL_ERROR,
+				     "cannot setsockopt socket:"
+				     " %s:%u: %s\n",
+				     sastr.ip, sastr.port,
+				     strerror(errno));
+				close(sfd);
+				return rc;
+			}
+		}
+
+		if (bind(sfd, &local->u.sa, sizeof(struct osmo_sockaddr)) == -1) {
+			_SOCKADDR_TO_STR(sastr, local);
+			LOGP(DLGLOBAL, LOGL_ERROR, "unable to bind socket: %s:%u: %s\n",
+			     sastr.ip, sastr.port, strerror(errno));
+			close(sfd);
+			return -1;
+		}
+	}
+
+	/* Reached this point, if OSMO_SOCK_F_BIND then sfd is valid (>=0) or it
+	   was already closed and func returned. If OSMO_SOCK_F_BIND is not
+	   set, then sfd = -1 */
+
+	/* figure out remote side of socket */
+	if (flags & OSMO_SOCK_F_CONNECT) {
+		if (sfd < 0) {
+			sfd = socket_helper_osa(remote, type, proto, flags);
+			if (sfd < 0) {
+				return sfd;
+			}
+		}
+
+		rc = connect(sfd, &remote->u.sa, sizeof(struct osmo_sockaddr));
+		if (rc != 0 && errno != EINPROGRESS) {
+			_SOCKADDR_TO_STR(sastr, remote);
+			LOGP(DLGLOBAL, LOGL_ERROR, "unable to connect socket: %s:%u: %s\n",
+			     sastr.ip, sastr.port, strerror(errno));
+			close(sfd);
+			return rc;
+		}
+	}
+
+	rc = osmo_sock_init_tail(sfd, type, flags);
+	if (rc < 0) {
+		close(sfd);
+		sfd = -1;
+	}
+
+	return sfd;
+}
+
 #ifdef HAVE_LIBSCTP
 
 /* Check whether there's an IPv6 Addr as first option of any addrinfo item in the addrinfo set */
@@ -860,6 +1012,13 @@
 					local_port, remote_host, remote_port, flags));
 }
 
+int osmo_sock_init_osa_ofd(struct osmo_fd *ofd, int type, int proto,
+			const struct osmo_sockaddr *local,
+			const struct osmo_sockaddr *remote, unsigned int flags)
+{
+	return osmo_fd_init_ofd(ofd, osmo_sock_init_osa(type, proto, local, remote, flags));
+}
+
 /*! Initialize a socket and fill \ref sockaddr
  *  \param[out] ss socket address (will be filled in)
  *  \param[in] type Socket type like SOCK_DGRAM, SOCK_STREAM
diff --git a/tests/socket/socket_test.c b/tests/socket/socket_test.c
index 64e48bc..671177f 100644
--- a/tests/socket/socket_test.c
+++ b/tests/socket/socket_test.c
@@ -186,6 +186,133 @@
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int test_sockinit_osa(void)
+{
+	int fd, rc;
+	char *name;
+
+	struct osmo_sockaddr localhost4 = {};
+	struct osmo_sockaddr localhost6 = {};
+	struct osmo_sockaddr localhost4_noport = {};
+	struct osmo_sockaddr localhost6_noport = {};
+	struct osmo_sockaddr any4 = {};
+	struct osmo_sockaddr any6 = {};
+	struct osmo_sockaddr invalid = {};
+
+	localhost4.u.sin = (struct sockaddr_in){
+		.sin_family = AF_INET,
+		.sin_addr.s_addr = inet_addr("127.0.0.1"),
+		.sin_port = htons(42),
+	};
+
+	localhost6.u.sin6 = (struct sockaddr_in6){
+		.sin6_family = AF_INET6,
+		.sin6_port = htons(42),
+	};
+	inet_pton(AF_INET6, "::1", &localhost6.u.sin6.sin6_addr);
+
+	localhost4_noport = localhost4;
+	localhost4_noport.u.sin.sin_port = htons(0);
+	localhost6_noport = localhost6;
+	localhost6_noport.u.sin6.sin6_port = htons(0);
+
+	any4.u.sin = (struct sockaddr_in){
+		.sin_family = AF_INET,
+		.sin_addr.s_addr = inet_addr("0.0.0.0"),
+		.sin_port = htons(0),
+	};
+	any6.u.sin6 = (struct sockaddr_in6){
+		.sin6_family = AF_INET6,
+		.sin6_port = htons(0),
+	};
+	inet_pton(AF_INET6, "::", &any6.u.sin6.sin6_addr);
+
+	invalid.u.sa.sa_family = AF_UNSPEC;
+
+	printf("Checking osmo_sock_init_osa() with bind to a random local UDP port\n");
+	fd = osmo_sock_init_osa(SOCK_DGRAM, IPPROTO_UDP,
+			    &any4, NULL, OSMO_SOCK_F_BIND);
+	OSMO_ASSERT(fd >= 0);
+	name = osmo_sock_get_name(ctx, fd);
+	/* expect it to be not connected. We cannot match on INADDR_ANY,
+	 * as apparently that won't work on FreeBSD if there's only one
+	 * address (e.g. 137.0.0.1) assigned to the entire system, like
+	 * the Osmocom FreeBSD build slaves */
+	OSMO_ASSERT(!strncmp(name, "(r=NULL<->", 9));
+	talloc_free(name);
+	/* expect it to be blocking */
+	rc = fcntl(fd, F_GETFL);
+	OSMO_ASSERT(!(rc & O_NONBLOCK));
+	close(fd);
+
+	printf("Checking osmo_sock_init_osa() IPv4 for OSMO_SOCK_F_NONBLOCK\n");
+	fd = osmo_sock_init_osa(SOCK_DGRAM, IPPROTO_UDP,
+			    &any4, NULL, OSMO_SOCK_F_BIND|OSMO_SOCK_F_NONBLOCK);
+	OSMO_ASSERT(fd >= 0);
+	/* expect it to be blocking */
+	rc = fcntl(fd, F_GETFL);
+	OSMO_ASSERT(rc & O_NONBLOCK);
+	close(fd);
+
+	printf("Checking osmo_sock_init_osa() IPv6 for OSMO_SOCK_F_NONBLOCK\n");
+	fd = osmo_sock_init_osa(SOCK_DGRAM, IPPROTO_UDP,
+			    &any6, NULL, OSMO_SOCK_F_BIND|OSMO_SOCK_F_NONBLOCK);
+	OSMO_ASSERT(fd >= 0);
+	/* expect it to be blocking */
+	rc = fcntl(fd, F_GETFL);
+	OSMO_ASSERT(rc & O_NONBLOCK);
+	close(fd);
+
+	printf("Checking osmo_sock_init_osa() for invalid flags\n");
+	fd = osmo_sock_init_osa(SOCK_DGRAM, IPPROTO_UDP, &any4,  NULL, 0);
+	OSMO_ASSERT(fd < 0);
+
+	printf("Checking osmo_sock_init_osa() for combined BIND + CONNECT on IPv4\n");
+	fd = osmo_sock_init_osa(SOCK_DGRAM, IPPROTO_UDP, &localhost4_noport, &localhost4,
+			     OSMO_SOCK_F_BIND|OSMO_SOCK_F_CONNECT);
+	OSMO_ASSERT(fd >= 0);
+	name = osmo_sock_get_name(ctx, fd);
+#ifndef __FreeBSD__
+	/* For some reason, on the jenkins.osmocom.org build slave with
+	 * FreeBSD 10 inside a jail, it fails.  Works fine on laforge's
+	 * FreeBSD 10 or 11 VM at home */
+	OSMO_ASSERT(!strncmp(name, "(r=127.0.0.1:42<->l=127.0.0.1", 29));
+#endif
+	close(fd);
+
+	printf("Checking osmo_sock_init_osa() for combined BIND + CONNECT on IPv6\n");
+	fd = osmo_sock_init_osa(SOCK_DGRAM, IPPROTO_UDP, &localhost6_noport, &localhost6,
+			     OSMO_SOCK_F_BIND|OSMO_SOCK_F_CONNECT);
+	OSMO_ASSERT(fd >= 0);
+	name = osmo_sock_get_name(ctx, fd);
+#ifndef __FreeBSD__
+	/* For some reason, on the jenkins.osmocom.org build slave with
+	 * FreeBSD 10 inside a jail, it fails.  Works fine on laforge's
+	 * FreeBSD 10 or 11 VM at home */
+	OSMO_ASSERT(!strncmp(name, "(r=::1:42<->l=::1", 17));
+#endif
+	close(fd);
+
+	printf("Checking osmo_sock_init_osa() must fail on mixed IPv4 & IPv6\n");
+	fd = osmo_sock_init_osa(SOCK_DGRAM, IPPROTO_UDP, &localhost4_noport, &localhost6,
+			     OSMO_SOCK_F_BIND|OSMO_SOCK_F_CONNECT);
+	OSMO_ASSERT(fd < 0);
+
+	printf("Checking osmo_sock_init_osa() must fail on mixed IPv6 & IPv4\n");
+	fd = osmo_sock_init_osa(SOCK_DGRAM, IPPROTO_UDP, &localhost6_noport, &localhost4,
+			     OSMO_SOCK_F_BIND|OSMO_SOCK_F_CONNECT);
+	OSMO_ASSERT(fd < 0);
+
+	printf("Checking osmo_sock_init_osa() must fail on invalid osmo_sockaddr\n");
+	fd = osmo_sock_init_osa(SOCK_DGRAM, IPPROTO_UDP, &invalid, &localhost4,
+			     OSMO_SOCK_F_BIND|OSMO_SOCK_F_CONNECT);
+	OSMO_ASSERT(fd < 0);
+
+	talloc_free(name);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 const struct log_info_cat default_categories[] = {
 };
 
@@ -204,6 +331,7 @@
 	test_sockinit();
 	test_sockinit2();
 	test_get_ip_and_port();
+	test_sockinit_osa();
 
 	return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/tests/socket/socket_test.err b/tests/socket/socket_test.err
index 0f0f8da..3c198ac 100644
--- a/tests/socket/socket_test.err
+++ b/tests/socket/socket_test.err
@@ -2,3 +2,7 @@
 invalid: you have to specify either BIND or CONNECT flags
 Unable to find a common protocol (IPv4 or IPv6) for local host: 127.0.0.1 and remote host: ::1.
 Unable to find a common protocol (IPv4 or IPv6) for local host: ::1 and remote host: 127.0.0.1.
+invalid: you have to specify either BIND or CONNECT flags
+invalid: the family for local and remote endpoint must be same.
+invalid: the family for local and remote endpoint must be same.
+invalid: the family for local and remote endpoint must be same.
diff --git a/tests/socket/socket_test.ok b/tests/socket/socket_test.ok
index 589036f..9a52d44 100644
--- a/tests/socket/socket_test.ok
+++ b/tests/socket/socket_test.ok
@@ -12,3 +12,12 @@
 Checking osmo_sock_init2(AF_UNSPEC) BIND on IPv4
 Checking test_get_ip_and_port() for combined BIND + CONNECT on IPv4
 Checking test_get_ip_and_port() for combined BIND + CONNECT on IPv6
+Checking osmo_sock_init_osa() with bind to a random local UDP port
+Checking osmo_sock_init_osa() IPv4 for OSMO_SOCK_F_NONBLOCK
+Checking osmo_sock_init_osa() IPv6 for OSMO_SOCK_F_NONBLOCK
+Checking osmo_sock_init_osa() for invalid flags
+Checking osmo_sock_init_osa() for combined BIND + CONNECT on IPv4
+Checking osmo_sock_init_osa() for combined BIND + CONNECT on IPv6
+Checking osmo_sock_init_osa() must fail on mixed IPv4 & IPv6
+Checking osmo_sock_init_osa() must fail on mixed IPv6 & IPv4
+Checking osmo_sock_init_osa() must fail on invalid osmo_sockaddr