diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/mod.rs b/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/mod.rs
index 5e65766ba..2cecb3e6f 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/mod.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/mod.rs
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ pub enum Error {
     FailedSignalingUsedQueue(io::Error),
     /// Failed to read vhost eventfd.
     MemoryRegions(MmapError),
+    /// Failed removing socket path
+    RemoveSocketPath(io::Error),
     /// Failed to create master.
     VhostUserCreateMaster(VhostError),
     /// Failed to open vhost device.
diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/net.rs b/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/net.rs
index 39575011f..ae91f50a3 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/net.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/net.rs
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ use super::super::{
     VirtioCommon, VirtioDevice, VirtioDeviceType, EPOLL_HELPER_EVENT_LAST,
 };
 use super::vu_common_ctrl::{
-    add_memory_region, negotiate_features_vhost_user, reinitialize_vhost_user, reset_vhost_user,
-    setup_vhost_user, update_mem_table, VhostUserConfig,
+    add_memory_region, connect_vhost_user, negotiate_features_vhost_user, reinitialize_vhost_user,
+    reset_vhost_user, setup_vhost_user, update_mem_table, VhostUserConfig,
 };
 use super::{Error, Result};
 use crate::seccomp_filters::{get_seccomp_filter, Thread};
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ use net_util::{build_net_config_space, CtrlQueue, MacAddr, VirtioNetConfig};
 use seccomp::{SeccompAction, SeccompFilter};
 use std::ops::Deref;
 use std::os::unix::io::AsRawFd;
-use std::os::unix::net::UnixListener;
 use std::result;
 use std::sync::atomic::AtomicBool;
 use std::sync::{Arc, Barrier, Mutex};
@@ -135,25 +134,18 @@ impl ReconnectEpollHandler {
             epoll::Events::EPOLLHUP,
         )?;
 
-        let num_queues = self.queues.len() as u64;
-
-        let mut vhost_user_net = if self.server {
-            std::fs::remove_file(&self.socket_path).map_err(EpollHelperError::IoError)?;
-            info!("Binding vhost-user-net listener...");
-            let listener =
-                UnixListener::bind(&self.socket_path).map_err(EpollHelperError::IoError)?;
-            info!("Waiting for incoming vhost-user-net connection...");
-            let (stream, _) = listener.accept().map_err(EpollHelperError::IoError)?;
-
-            Master::from_stream(stream, num_queues)
-        } else {
-            Master::connect(&self.socket_path, num_queues).map_err(|e| {
-                EpollHelperError::IoError(std::io::Error::new(
-                    std::io::ErrorKind::Other,
-                    format!("failed connecting vhost-user backend{:?}", e),
-                ))
-            })?
-        };
+        let mut vhost_user_net = connect_vhost_user(
+            self.server,
+            &self.socket_path,
+            self.queues.len() as u64,
+            true,
+        )
+        .map_err(|e| {
+            EpollHelperError::IoError(std::io::Error::new(
+                std::io::ErrorKind::Other,
+                format!("failed connecting vhost-user backend{:?}", e),
+            ))
+        })?;
 
         // Initialize the backend
         reinitialize_vhost_user(
@@ -254,17 +246,8 @@ impl Net {
         let mut config = VirtioNetConfig::default();
         build_net_config_space(&mut config, mac_addr, num_queues, &mut avail_features);
 
-        let mut vhost_user_net = if server {
-            info!("Binding vhost-user-net listener...");
-            let listener = UnixListener::bind(&vu_cfg.socket).map_err(Error::BindSocket)?;
-            info!("Waiting for incoming vhost-user-net connection...");
-            let (stream, _) = listener.accept().map_err(Error::AcceptConnection)?;
-
-            Master::from_stream(stream, num_queues as u64)
-        } else {
-            Master::connect(&vu_cfg.socket, num_queues as u64)
-                .map_err(Error::VhostUserCreateMaster)?
-        };
+        let mut vhost_user_net =
+            connect_vhost_user(server, &vu_cfg.socket, num_queues as u64, false)?;
 
         let avail_protocol_features = VhostUserProtocolFeatures::MQ
             | VhostUserProtocolFeatures::CONFIGURE_MEM_SLOTS
diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/vu_common_ctrl.rs b/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/vu_common_ctrl.rs
index a013ae9a7..e9cbed435 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/vu_common_ctrl.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/vu_common_ctrl.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ use super::{Error, Result};
 use crate::{get_host_address_range, VirtioInterrupt, VirtioInterruptType};
 use std::convert::TryInto;
 use std::os::unix::io::AsRawFd;
+use std::os::unix::net::UnixListener;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::vec::Vec;
 use vhost::vhost_user::message::{VhostUserProtocolFeatures, VhostUserVirtioFeatures};
@@ -204,3 +205,25 @@ pub fn reinitialize_vhost_user(
         acked_features,
     )
 }
+
+pub fn connect_vhost_user(
+    server: bool,
+    socket_path: &str,
+    num_queues: u64,
+    unlink_socket: bool,
+) -> Result<Master> {
+    Ok(if server {
+        if unlink_socket {
+            std::fs::remove_file(socket_path).map_err(Error::RemoveSocketPath)?;
+        }
+
+        info!("Binding vhost-user listener...");
+        let listener = UnixListener::bind(socket_path).map_err(Error::BindSocket)?;
+        info!("Waiting for incoming vhost-user connection...");
+        let (stream, _) = listener.accept().map_err(Error::AcceptConnection)?;
+
+        Master::from_stream(stream, num_queues)
+    } else {
+        Master::connect(socket_path, num_queues).map_err(Error::VhostUserConnect)?
+    })
+}