diff --git a/src/main/util/sock-tcp.c b/src/main/util/sock-tcp.c
index 0910973..4e11475 100644
--- a/src/main/util/sock-tcp.c
+++ b/src/main/util/sock-tcp.c
@@ -84,6 +84,80 @@ bool util_sock_tcp_is_connectable3(uint32_t ipv4, uint16_t port, uint32_t timeou
     return res;
 }
 
+int util_sock_tcp_open_bind_listen(const char* ipv4, uint32_t num_connections)
+{
+    char* address;
+    uint16_t port;
+
+    util_net_split_ipv4_str(ipv4, &address, &port);
+
+    int res = util_sock_tcp_open_bind_listen2(address, port, num_connections);
+
+    free(address);
+    return res;
+}
+
+int util_sock_tcp_open_bind_listen2(const char* ipv4, uint16_t port, uint32_t num_connections)
+{
+    struct sockaddr_in sa;
+
+    // store this IP address in sa:
+    inet_pton(AF_INET, ipv4, &(sa.sin_addr));
+
+    return util_sock_tcp_open_bind_listen3(htonl(sa.sin_addr.s_addr), port, num_connections);
+}
+
+int util_sock_tcp_open_bind_listen3(uint32_t ipv4, uint16_t port, uint32_t num_connections)
+{
+    int handle;
+    struct sockaddr_in addr;
+
+    handle = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
+
+    if (handle == -1) {
+        log_error("Creating socket (%X, %d) failed: %s", ipv4, port, strerror(errno));
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    // Allow re-using address/port even when considered already bound. The kernel might hold to the port
+    // a little longer, up to a minute, even after a clean shutdown of the application and closing the
+    // socket. This avoids having to wait and quick application restart
+    setsockopt(handle, SOL_SOCKET, SO_REUSEADDR, &(int){1}, sizeof(int));
+
+    memset(&addr, 0, sizeof(struct sockaddr_in));
+    addr.sin_family = AF_INET;
+    addr.sin_port = htons(port);
+    addr.sin_addr.s_addr = htonl(ipv4);
+
+    if (bind(handle, (const struct sockaddr*) &addr, sizeof(addr)) == -1) {
+        close(handle);
+        log_error("Binding to %X, %d failed: %s", ipv4, port, strerror(errno));
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    if (listen(handle, num_connections) == -1) {
+        close(handle);
+        log_error("Listening to %d connections on %X, %d failed: %s", num_connections, ipv4, port, strerror(errno));
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    log_debug("Socket opened (%X), bound and listening on %X, port %d", handle, ipv4, port);
+
+    return handle;
+}
+
+int util_sock_tcp_wait_and_accept_remote_connection(int handle)
+{
+    int con_handle = accept(handle, (struct sockaddr*) NULL, NULL);
+
+    if (con_handle == -1) {
+        log_error("Accepting connection of socket (%X) failed: %s", handle, strerror(errno));
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    return con_handle;
+}
+
 int util_sock_tcp_connect(const char* ipv4)
 {
     char* address;
@@ -135,7 +209,12 @@ int util_sock_tcp_connect3(uint32_t ipv4, uint16_t port)
     return handle;
 }
 
-ssize_t util_sock_tcp_send(int handle, void* buffer, size_t size, uint32_t timeout_ms)
+ssize_t util_sock_tcp_send_block(int handle, const void* buffer, size_t size)
+{
+    return send(handle, buffer, size, 0);
+}
+
+ssize_t util_sock_tcp_send(int handle, const void* buffer, size_t size, uint32_t timeout_ms)
 {
     struct timeval tv;
     tv.tv_sec = (__time_t) (timeout_ms / 1000);
@@ -158,6 +237,11 @@ ssize_t util_sock_tcp_send(int handle, void* buffer, size_t size, uint32_t timeo
     return length;
 }
 
+ssize_t util_sock_tcp_recv_block(int handle, void* buffer, size_t size)
+{
+    return recv(handle, buffer, size, 0);
+}
+
 ssize_t util_sock_tcp_recv(int handle, void* buffer, size_t size, uint32_t timeout_ms)
 {
     struct timeval tv;
diff --git a/src/main/util/sock-tcp.h b/src/main/util/sock-tcp.h
index cb50058..25c4ac6 100644
--- a/src/main/util/sock-tcp.h
+++ b/src/main/util/sock-tcp.h
@@ -17,13 +17,25 @@ bool util_sock_tcp_is_connectable2(const char* ipv4, uint16_t port, uint32_t tim
 
 bool util_sock_tcp_is_connectable3(uint32_t ipv4, uint16_t port, uint32_t timeout_ms);
 
+int util_sock_tcp_open_bind_listen(const char* ipv4, uint32_t num_connections);
+
+int util_sock_tcp_open_bind_listen2(const char* ipv4, uint16_t port, uint32_t num_connections);
+
+int util_sock_tcp_open_bind_listen3(uint32_t ipv4, uint16_t port, uint32_t num_connections);
+
+int util_sock_tcp_wait_and_accept_remote_connection(int handle);
+
 int util_sock_tcp_connect(const char* ipv4);
 
 int util_sock_tcp_connect2(const char* ipv4, uint16_t port);
 
 int util_sock_tcp_connect3(uint32_t ipv4, uint16_t port);
 
-ssize_t util_sock_tcp_send(int handle, void* buffer, size_t size, uint32_t timeout_ms);
+ssize_t util_sock_tcp_send_block(int handle, const void* buffer, size_t size);
+
+ssize_t util_sock_tcp_send(int handle, const void* buffer, size_t size, uint32_t timeout_ms);
+
+ssize_t util_sock_tcp_recv_block(int handle, void* buffer, size_t size);
 
 ssize_t util_sock_tcp_recv(int handle, void* buffer, size_t size, uint32_t timeout_ms);