diff --git a/ncat/ncat_listen.c b/ncat/ncat_listen.c
index ed40ae16f..4a3a7a2ce 100644
--- a/ncat/ncat_listen.c
+++ b/ncat/ncat_listen.c
@@ -233,6 +233,7 @@ static int ncat_listen_stream(int proto)
     fd_set listen_fds;
     struct timeval tv;
     struct timeval *tvp = NULL;
+    unsigned int num_sockets;
 
     /* clear out structs */
     FD_ZERO(&master_readfds);
@@ -268,24 +269,36 @@ static int ncat_listen_stream(int proto)
     for (i = 0; i < NUM_LISTEN_ADDRS; i++)
         listen_socket[i] = -1;
 
+    num_sockets = 0;
     for (i = 0; i < num_listenaddrs; i++) {
         /* setup the main listening socket */
-        listen_socket[i] = do_listen(SOCK_STREAM, proto, &listenaddrs[i]);
-        if (listen_socket[i] == -1)
-            bye("do_listen: %s", socket_strerror(socket_errno()));
+        listen_socket[num_sockets] = do_listen(SOCK_STREAM, proto, &listenaddrs[i]);
+        if (listen_socket[num_sockets] == -1) {
+            logdebug("do_listen(\"%s\"): %s\n", inet_ntop_ez(&listenaddrs[i].storage, sizeof(listenaddrs[i].storage)), socket_strerror(socket_errno()));
+            continue;
+        }
 
         /* Make our listening socket non-blocking because there are timing issues
          * which could cause us to block on accept() even though select() says it's
          * readable.  See UNPv1 2nd ed, p422 for more.
          */
-        unblock_socket(listen_socket[i]);
+        unblock_socket(listen_socket[num_sockets]);
 
         /* setup select sets and max fd */
-        FD_SET(listen_socket[i], &master_readfds);
-        add_fd(&client_fdlist, listen_socket[i]);
+        FD_SET(listen_socket[num_sockets], &master_readfds);
+        add_fd(&client_fdlist, listen_socket[num_sockets]);
 
-        FD_SET(listen_socket[i], &listen_fds);
+        FD_SET(listen_socket[num_sockets], &listen_fds);
+
+        num_sockets++;
     }
+    if (num_sockets == 0) {
+        if (num_listenaddrs == 1)
+            bye("Unable to open listening socket on %s: %s", inet_ntop_ez(&listenaddrs[0].storage, sizeof(listenaddrs[0].storage)), socket_strerror(socket_errno()));
+        else
+            bye("Unable to open any listening sockets.");
+    }
+
     add_fd(&client_fdlist, STDIN_FILENO);
 
     init_fdlist(&broadcast_fdlist, o.conn_limit);
@@ -621,7 +634,10 @@ int read_socket(int recv_fd)
  */
 static int ncat_listen_dgram(int proto)
 {
-    int sockfd[NUM_LISTEN_ADDRS];
+    struct {
+        int fd;
+        union sockaddr_u addr;
+    } sockfd[NUM_LISTEN_ADDRS];
     int i, fdn = -1;
     int fdmax, nbytes, n, fds_ready;
     char buf[DEFAULT_UDP_BUF_LEN] = { 0 };
@@ -631,9 +647,11 @@ static int ncat_listen_dgram(int proto)
     socklen_t sslen = sizeof(remotess.storage);
     struct timeval tv;
     struct timeval *tvp = NULL;
+    unsigned int num_sockets;
 
     for (i = 0; i < NUM_LISTEN_ADDRS; i++) {
-        sockfd[i] = -1;
+        sockfd[i].fd = -1;
+        sockfd[i].addr.storage.ss_family = AF_UNSPEC;
     }
 
     FD_ZERO(&read_fds);
@@ -658,13 +676,24 @@ static int ncat_listen_dgram(int proto)
     FD_ZERO(&listen_fds);
     init_fdlist(&listen_fdlist, num_listenaddrs);
 
+    num_sockets = 0;
     for (i = 0; i < num_listenaddrs; i++) {
         /* create the UDP listen sockets */
-        sockfd[i] = do_listen(SOCK_DGRAM, proto, &listenaddrs[i]);
-        if (sockfd[i] == -1)
-            bye("do_listen: %s", socket_strerror(socket_errno()));
-        FD_SET(sockfd[i], &listen_fds);
-        add_fd(&listen_fdlist, sockfd[i]);
+        sockfd[num_sockets].fd = do_listen(SOCK_DGRAM, proto, &listenaddrs[i]);
+        if (sockfd[num_sockets].fd == -1) {
+            logdebug("do_listen(\"%s\"): %s\n", inet_ntop_ez(&listenaddrs[i].storage, sizeof(listenaddrs[i].storage)), socket_strerror(socket_errno()));
+            continue;
+        }
+        FD_SET(sockfd[num_sockets].fd, &listen_fds);
+        add_fd(&listen_fdlist, sockfd[num_sockets].fd);
+        sockfd[num_sockets].addr = listenaddrs[i];
+        num_sockets++;
+    }
+    if (num_sockets == 0) {
+        if (num_listenaddrs == 1)
+            bye("Unable to open listening socket on %s: %s", inet_ntop_ez(&listenaddrs[0].storage, sizeof(listenaddrs[0].storage)), socket_strerror(socket_errno()));
+        else
+            bye("Unable to open any listening sockets.");
     }
 
     if (o.idletimeout > 0)
@@ -675,15 +704,15 @@ static int ncat_listen_dgram(int proto)
 
         if (fdn != -1) {
             /*remove socket descriptor which is burnt */
-            FD_CLR(sockfd[fdn], &listen_fds);
-            rm_fd(&listen_fdlist, sockfd[fdn]);
+            FD_CLR(sockfd[fdn].fd, &listen_fds);
+            rm_fd(&listen_fdlist, sockfd[fdn].fd);
 
             /* Rebuild the udp socket which got burnt */
-            sockfd[fdn] = do_listen(SOCK_DGRAM, proto, &listenaddrs[fdn]);
-            if (sockfd[fdn] == -1)
+            sockfd[fdn].fd = do_listen(SOCK_DGRAM, proto, &sockfd[fdn].addr);
+            if (sockfd[fdn].fd == -1)
                 bye("do_listen: %s", socket_strerror(socket_errno()));
-            FD_SET(sockfd[fdn], &listen_fds);
-            add_fd(&listen_fdlist, sockfd[fdn]);
+            FD_SET(sockfd[fdn].fd, &listen_fds);
+            add_fd(&listen_fdlist, sockfd[fdn].fd);
 
         }
         fdn = -1;
@@ -720,8 +749,8 @@ static int ncat_listen_dgram(int proto)
                     continue;
 
                 /* Check each listening socket */
-                for (j = 0; j < num_listenaddrs; j++) {
-                    if (i == sockfd[j]) {
+                for (j = 0; j < num_sockets; j++) {
+                    if (i == sockfd[j].fd) {
                         if (o.debug > 1)
                             logdebug("Valid descriptor %d \n", i);
                         fdn = j;
diff --git a/ncat/ncat_proxy.c b/ncat/ncat_proxy.c
index 23ab8e211..8757e5244 100644
--- a/ncat/ncat_proxy.c
+++ b/ncat/ncat_proxy.c
@@ -192,6 +192,7 @@ int ncat_http_server(void)
     union sockaddr_u conn;
     struct timeval tv;
     struct timeval *tvp = NULL;
+    unsigned int num_sockets;
 
 #ifndef WIN32
     Signal(SIGCHLD, proxyreaper);
@@ -216,18 +217,28 @@ int ncat_http_server(void)
     init_fdlist(&listen_fdlist, num_listenaddrs);
 
     /* Listen on each address, set up lists for select */
+    num_sockets = 0;
     for (i = 0; i < num_listenaddrs; i++) {
-        listen_socket[i] = do_listen(SOCK_STREAM, IPPROTO_TCP, &listenaddrs[i]);
-        if (listen_socket[i] == -1)
-            bye("do_listen: %s", socket_strerror(socket_errno()));
+        listen_socket[num_sockets] = do_listen(SOCK_STREAM, IPPROTO_TCP, &listenaddrs[i]);
+        if (listen_socket[num_sockets] == -1) {
+            logdebug("do_listen(\"%s\"): %s\n", inet_ntop_ez(&listenaddrs[i].storage, sizeof(listenaddrs[i].storage)), socket_strerror(socket_errno()));
+            continue;
+        }
 
         /* make us not block on accepts in wierd cases. See ncat_listen.c:209 */
-        unblock_socket(listen_socket[i]);
+        unblock_socket(listen_socket[num_sockets]);
 
         /* setup select sets and max fd */
-        FD_SET(listen_socket[i], &listen_fds);
-        add_fd(&listen_fdlist, listen_socket[i]);
+        FD_SET(listen_socket[num_sockets], &listen_fds);
+        add_fd(&listen_fdlist, listen_socket[num_sockets]);
 
+        num_sockets++;
+    }
+    if (num_sockets == 0) {
+        if (num_listenaddrs == 1)
+            bye("Unable to open listening socket on %s: %s", inet_ntop_ez(&listenaddrs[0].storage, sizeof(listenaddrs[0].storage)), socket_strerror(socket_errno()));
+        else
+            bye("Unable to open any listening sockets.");
     }
 
     if (o.idletimeout > 0)
@@ -261,7 +272,7 @@ int ncat_http_server(void)
                 continue;
 
             /* Check each listening socket */
-            for (j = 0; j < num_listenaddrs; j++) {
+            for (j = 0; j < num_sockets; j++) {
                 if (i == listen_socket[j]) {
                     fds_ready--;
                     c = accept(i, &conn.sockaddr, &sslen);