diff --git a/src/libosmo-mgcp-client/mgcp_client.c b/src/libosmo-mgcp-client/mgcp_client.c
index 7e07d00..9fc414d 100644
--- a/src/libosmo-mgcp-client/mgcp_client.c
+++ b/src/libosmo-mgcp-client/mgcp_client.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include <osmocom/core/msgb.h>
 #include <osmocom/core/logging.h>
 #include <osmocom/core/byteswap.h>
+#include <osmocom/core/socket.h>
 
 #include <osmocom/mgcp_client/mgcp_client.h>
 #include <osmocom/mgcp_client/mgcp_client_internal.h>
@@ -448,7 +449,6 @@
 
 int mgcp_client_connect(struct mgcp_client *mgcp)
 {
-	int on;
 	struct sockaddr_in addr;
 	struct osmo_wqueue *wq;
 	int rc;
@@ -460,46 +460,19 @@
 
 	wq = &mgcp->wq;
 
-	wq->bfd.fd = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0);
-	if (wq->bfd.fd < 0) {
-		LOGP(DLMGCP, LOGL_FATAL, "Failed to create UDP socket errno: %d\n", errno);
-		return -errno;
-	}
-
-	on = 1;
-	if (setsockopt(wq->bfd.fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_REUSEADDR, &on, sizeof(on)) < 0) {
+	rc = osmo_sock_init2_ofd(&wq->bfd, AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, IPPROTO_UDP,
+				 mgcp->actual.local_addr, mgcp->actual.local_port,
+				 mgcp->actual.remote_addr, mgcp->actual.remote_port,
+				 OSMO_SOCK_F_BIND | OSMO_SOCK_F_CONNECT);
+	if (rc < 0) {
 		LOGP(DLMGCP, LOGL_FATAL,
-		     "Failed to initialize socket for MGCP GW: %s\n",
-		     strerror(errno));
-		rc = -errno;
+		     "Failed to initialize socket %s:%u -> %s:%u for MGCP GW: %s\n",
+		     mgcp->actual.local_addr, mgcp->actual.local_port,
+		     mgcp->actual.remote_addr, mgcp->actual.remote_port, strerror(errno));
 		goto error_close_fd;
 	}
 
-	/* bind socket */
-	memset(&addr, 0, sizeof(addr));
-	addr.sin_family = AF_INET;
-	inet_aton(mgcp->actual.local_addr, &addr.sin_addr);
-	addr.sin_port = htons(mgcp->actual.local_port);
-	if (bind(wq->bfd.fd, (struct sockaddr *) &addr, sizeof(addr)) < 0) {
-		LOGP(DLMGCP, LOGL_FATAL,
-		     "Failed to bind for MGCP GW to %s %u\n",
-		     mgcp->actual.local_addr, mgcp->actual.local_port);
-		rc = -errno;
-		goto error_close_fd;
-	}
-
-	/* connect to the remote */
 	inet_aton(mgcp->actual.remote_addr, &addr.sin_addr);
-	addr.sin_port = htons(mgcp->actual.remote_port);
-	if (connect(wq->bfd.fd, (struct sockaddr *)&addr, sizeof(addr)) < 0) {
-		LOGP(DLMGCP, LOGL_FATAL,
-		     "Failed to connect to MGCP GW at %s %u: %s\n",
-		     mgcp->actual.remote_addr, mgcp->actual.remote_port,
-		     strerror(errno));
-		rc = -errno;
-		goto error_close_fd;
-	}
-
 	mgcp->remote_addr = htonl(addr.sin_addr.s_addr);
 
 	osmo_wqueue_init(wq, 10);
@@ -508,11 +481,6 @@
 	wq->read_cb = mgcp_do_read;
 	wq->write_cb = mgcp_do_write;
 
-	if (osmo_fd_register(&wq->bfd) != 0) {
-		LOGP(DLMGCP, LOGL_FATAL, "Failed to register BFD\n");
-		rc = -EIO;
-		goto error_close_fd;
-	}
 	LOGP(DLMGCP, LOGL_INFO, "MGCP GW connection: %s:%u -> %s:%u\n",
 	     mgcp->actual.local_addr, mgcp->actual.local_port,
 	     mgcp->actual.remote_addr, mgcp->actual.remote_port);
diff --git a/src/libosmo-mgcp/mgcp_network.c b/src/libosmo-mgcp/mgcp_network.c
index ac7dc67..bd6bec9 100644
--- a/src/libosmo-mgcp/mgcp_network.c
+++ b/src/libosmo-mgcp/mgcp_network.c
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <time.h>
 #include <limits.h>
-#include <sys/socket.h>
 #include <arpa/inet.h>
 
 #include <osmocom/core/msgb.h>
@@ -1118,41 +1117,17 @@
  *  \returns 0 on success, -1 on ERROR */
 int mgcp_create_bind(const char *source_addr, struct osmo_fd *fd, int port)
 {
-	struct sockaddr_in addr;
-	int on = 1;
+	int rc;
 
-	fd->fd = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0);
-	if (fd->fd < 0) {
-		LOGP(DRTP, LOGL_ERROR, "failed to create UDP port (%s:%i).\n",
-		     source_addr, port);
-		return -1;
-	} else {
-		LOGP(DRTP, LOGL_DEBUG,
-		     "created UDP port (%s:%i).\n", source_addr, port);
-	}
-
-	if (setsockopt(fd->fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_REUSEADDR, &on, sizeof(on)) != 0) {
-		LOGP(DRTP, LOGL_ERROR,
-		     "failed to set socket options (%s:%i).\n", source_addr,
-		     port);
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	memset(&addr, 0, sizeof(addr));
-	addr.sin_family = AF_INET;
-	addr.sin_port = htons(port);
-	inet_aton(source_addr, &addr.sin_addr);
-
-	if (bind(fd->fd, (struct sockaddr *)&addr, sizeof(addr)) < 0) {
-		close(fd->fd);
-		fd->fd = -1;
+	rc = osmo_sock_init2(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, IPPROTO_UDP, source_addr, port,
+			     NULL, 0, OSMO_SOCK_F_BIND);
+	if (rc < 0) {
 		LOGP(DRTP, LOGL_ERROR, "failed to bind UDP port (%s:%i).\n",
 		     source_addr, port);
 		return -1;
-	} else {
-		LOGP(DRTP, LOGL_DEBUG,
-		     "bound UDP port (%s:%i).\n", source_addr, port);
 	}
+	fd->fd = rc;
+	LOGP(DRTP, LOGL_DEBUG, "created socket + bound UDP port (%s:%i).\n", source_addr, port);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/osmo-mgw/mgw_main.c b/src/osmo-mgw/mgw_main.c
index 227fc78..ba8883b 100644
--- a/src/osmo-mgw/mgw_main.c
+++ b/src/osmo-mgw/mgw_main.c
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 #include <osmocom/core/stats.h>
 #include <osmocom/core/rate_ctr.h>
 #include <osmocom/core/logging.h>
+#include <osmocom/core/socket.h>
 
 #include <osmocom/vty/telnet_interface.h>
 #include <osmocom/vty/logging.h>
@@ -250,8 +251,8 @@
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
-	struct sockaddr_in addr;
-	int on = 1, rc;
+	unsigned int flags;
+	int rc;
 
 	tall_bsc_ctx = talloc_named_const(NULL, 1, "mgcp-callagent");
 	msgb_talloc_ctx_init(tall_bsc_ctx, 0);
@@ -289,53 +290,27 @@
 	cfg->reset_cb = mgcp_rsip_cb;
 
 	/* we need to bind a socket */
-	if (rc == 0) {
-		cfg->gw_fd.bfd.when = BSC_FD_READ;
-		cfg->gw_fd.bfd.cb = read_call_agent;
-		cfg->gw_fd.bfd.fd = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0);
-		if (cfg->gw_fd.bfd.fd < 0) {
-			perror("Gateway failed to listen");
-			return -1;
-		}
+	flags = OSMO_SOCK_F_BIND;
+	if (cfg->call_agent_addr)
+		flags |= OSMO_SOCK_F_CONNECT;
 
-		setsockopt(cfg->gw_fd.bfd.fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_REUSEADDR, &on, sizeof(on));
-
-		memset(&addr, 0, sizeof(addr));
-		addr.sin_family = AF_INET;
-		addr.sin_port = htons(cfg->source_port);
-		inet_aton(cfg->source_addr, &addr.sin_addr);
-
-		if (bind(cfg->gw_fd.bfd.fd, (struct sockaddr *) &addr, sizeof(addr)) < 0) {
-			perror("Gateway failed to bind");
-			return -1;
-		}
-
-		cfg->gw_fd.bfd.data = msgb_alloc(4096, "mgcp-msg");
-		if (!cfg->gw_fd.bfd.data) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "Gateway memory error.\n");
-			return -1;
-		}
-
-		if (cfg->call_agent_addr) {
-			addr.sin_port = htons(2727);
-			inet_aton(cfg->call_agent_addr, &addr.sin_addr);
-			if (connect(cfg->gw_fd.bfd.fd, (struct sockaddr *) &addr, sizeof(addr)) < 0) {
-				LOGP(DLMGCP, LOGL_ERROR, "Failed to connect to: '%s'. errno: %d\n",
-				     cfg->call_agent_addr, errno);
-				close(cfg->gw_fd.bfd.fd);
-				cfg->gw_fd.bfd.fd = -1;
-				return -1;
-			}
-		}
-
-		if (osmo_fd_register(&cfg->gw_fd.bfd) != 0) {
-			LOGP(DLMGCP, LOGL_FATAL, "Failed to register the fd\n");
-			return -1;
-		}
-
-		LOGP(DLMGCP, LOGL_NOTICE, "Configured for MGCP.\n");
+	rc = osmo_sock_init2_ofd(&cfg->gw_fd.bfd, AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, IPPROTO_UDP,
+				cfg->source_addr, cfg->source_port,
+				cfg->call_agent_addr, cfg->call_agent_addr ? 2727 : 0, flags);
+	if (rc < 0) {
+		perror("Gateway failed to bind");
+		return -1;
 	}
 
+	cfg->gw_fd.bfd.cb = read_call_agent;
+	cfg->gw_fd.bfd.data = msgb_alloc(4096, "mgcp-msg");
+	if (!cfg->gw_fd.bfd.data) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Gateway memory error.\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	LOGP(DLMGCP, LOGL_NOTICE, "Configured for MGCP.\n");
+
 	/* initialisation */
 	srand(time(NULL));