diff --git a/src/mod/event_handlers/mod_event_socket/mod_event_socket.c b/src/mod/event_handlers/mod_event_socket/mod_event_socket.c
index d35488d..4fb4013 100644
--- a/src/mod/event_handlers/mod_event_socket/mod_event_socket.c
+++ b/src/mod/event_handlers/mod_event_socket/mod_event_socket.c
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ static struct {
 	switch_mutex_t *listener_mutex;
 	switch_event_node_t *node;
 	int debug;
+	switch_memory_pool_t *pool;
 } globals;
 
 static struct {
@@ -111,6 +112,7 @@ static struct {
 	switch_mutex_t *sock_mutex;
 	listener_t *listeners;
 	uint8_t ready;
+	switch_sockaddr_t *sa;
 } listen_list;
 
 #define MAX_ACL 100
@@ -146,6 +148,7 @@ static const char *format2str(event_format_t format)
 static void remove_listener(listener_t *listener);
 static void kill_listener(listener_t *l, const char *message);
 static void kill_all_listeners(void);
+static int config(void);
 
 static uint32_t next_id(void)
 {
@@ -162,6 +165,37 @@ SWITCH_DECLARE_GLOBAL_STRING_FUNC(set_pref_pass, prefs.password);
 static void *SWITCH_THREAD_FUNC listener_run(switch_thread_t *thread, void *obj);
 static void launch_listener_thread(listener_t *listener);
 
+switch_status_t listen_socket_init() {
+	switch_status_t rv;
+
+	rv = switch_sockaddr_info_get(&listen_list.sa, prefs.ip, SWITCH_INET, prefs.port, 0, globals.pool);
+	if (rv)
+		goto sock_fail;
+
+	rv = switch_socket_create(&listen_list.sock, switch_sockaddr_get_family(listen_list.sa), SOCK_STREAM, SWITCH_PROTO_TCP, globals.pool);
+	if (rv)
+		goto sock_fail;
+
+	rv = switch_socket_opt_set(listen_list.sock, SWITCH_SO_REUSEADDR, 1);
+	if (rv)
+		goto sock_fail;
+
+	rv = switch_socket_bind(listen_list.sock, listen_list.sa);
+	if (rv)
+		goto sock_fail;
+
+	rv = switch_socket_listen(listen_list.sock, 5);
+	if (rv)
+		goto sock_fail;
+
+	switch_log_printf(SWITCH_CHANNEL_LOG, SWITCH_LOG_DEBUG, "Socket up listening on %s:%u\n", prefs.ip, prefs.port);
+
+	return SWITCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+
+sock_fail:
+	return SWITCH_STATUS_FALSE;
+}
+
 static switch_status_t socket_logger(const switch_log_node_t *node, switch_log_level_t level)
 {
 	listener_t *l;
@@ -537,6 +571,10 @@ SWITCH_MODULE_SHUTDOWN_FUNCTION(mod_event_socket_shutdown)
 
 	prefs.done = 1;
 
+	if (prefs.nat_map && switch_nat_get_type()) {
+		switch_nat_del_mapping(prefs.port, SWITCH_NAT_TCP);
+	}
+
 	kill_all_listeners();
 	switch_log_unbind_logger(socket_logger);
 
@@ -1071,6 +1109,18 @@ SWITCH_MODULE_LOAD_FUNCTION(mod_event_socket_load)
 	switch_api_interface_t *api_interface;
 
 	memset(&globals, 0, sizeof(globals));
+	globals.pool = pool;
+
+	config();
+
+	if (listen_socket_init() != SWITCH_STATUS_SUCCESS) {
+		switch_log_printf(SWITCH_CHANNEL_LOG, SWITCH_LOG_ERROR, "Couldn't bind listener socket!\n");
+		return SWITCH_STATUS_GENERR;
+	}
+
+	if (prefs.nat_map) {
+		switch_nat_add_mapping(prefs.port, SWITCH_NAT_TCP, NULL, SWITCH_FALSE);
+	}
 
 	switch_mutex_init(&globals.listener_mutex, SWITCH_MUTEX_NESTED, pool);
 
@@ -2748,7 +2798,6 @@ SWITCH_MODULE_RUNTIME_FUNCTION(mod_event_socket_runtime)
 {
 	switch_memory_pool_t *pool = NULL, *listener_pool = NULL;
 	switch_status_t rv;
-	switch_sockaddr_t *sa;
 	switch_socket_t *inbound_socket = NULL;
 	listener_t *listener;
 	uint32_t x = 0;
@@ -2759,46 +2808,14 @@ SWITCH_MODULE_RUNTIME_FUNCTION(mod_event_socket_runtime)
 		return SWITCH_STATUS_TERM;
 	}
 
-	config();
-
-	while (!prefs.done) {
-		rv = switch_sockaddr_info_get(&sa, prefs.ip, SWITCH_INET, prefs.port, 0, pool);
-		if (rv)
-			goto fail;
-		rv = switch_socket_create(&listen_list.sock, switch_sockaddr_get_family(sa), SOCK_STREAM, SWITCH_PROTO_TCP, pool);
-		if (rv)
-			goto sock_fail;
-		rv = switch_socket_opt_set(listen_list.sock, SWITCH_SO_REUSEADDR, 1);
-		if (rv)
-			goto sock_fail;
-		rv = switch_socket_bind(listen_list.sock, sa);
-		if (rv)
-			goto sock_fail;
-		rv = switch_socket_listen(listen_list.sock, 5);
-		if (rv)
-			goto sock_fail;
-		switch_log_printf(SWITCH_CHANNEL_LOG, SWITCH_LOG_DEBUG, "Socket up listening on %s:%u\n", prefs.ip, prefs.port);
-
-		if (prefs.nat_map) {
-			switch_nat_add_mapping(prefs.port, SWITCH_NAT_TCP, NULL, SWITCH_FALSE);
-		}
-
-		break;
-	  sock_fail:
-		switch_log_printf(SWITCH_CHANNEL_LOG, SWITCH_LOG_ERROR, "Socket Error! Could not listen on %s:%u\n", prefs.ip, prefs.port);
-		switch_yield(100000);
-	}
-
 	listen_list.ready = 1;
 
-
 	while (!prefs.done) {
 		if (switch_core_new_memory_pool(&listener_pool) != SWITCH_STATUS_SUCCESS) {
 			switch_log_printf(SWITCH_CHANNEL_LOG, SWITCH_LOG_ERROR, "OH OH no pool\n");
 			goto fail;
 		}
 
-
 		if ((rv = switch_socket_accept(&inbound_socket, listen_list.sock, listener_pool))) {
 			if (prefs.done) {
 				switch_log_printf(SWITCH_CHANNEL_LOG, SWITCH_LOG_NOTICE, "Shutting Down\n");
@@ -2852,12 +2869,6 @@ SWITCH_MODULE_RUNTIME_FUNCTION(mod_event_socket_runtime)
 
   end:
 
-	close_socket(&listen_list.sock);
-
-	if (prefs.nat_map && switch_nat_get_type()) {
-		switch_nat_del_mapping(prefs.port, SWITCH_NAT_TCP);
-	}
-
 	if (pool) {
 		switch_core_destroy_memory_pool(&pool);
 	}