diff --git a/lib/net_uv.js b/lib/net_uv.js
index 039ff70b57..88ecea51cf 100644
--- a/lib/net_uv.js
+++ b/lib/net_uv.js
@@ -450,10 +450,7 @@ function Server(/* [ options, ] listener */) {
   this.connections = 0;
   this.allowHalfOpen = options.allowHalfOpen || false;
 
-
-  this._handle = new TCP();
-  this._handle.socket = this;
-  this._handle.onconnection = onconnection;
+  this._handle = null;
 }
 util.inherits(Server, events.EventEmitter);
 exports.Server = Server;
@@ -465,6 +462,11 @@ function toPort(x) { return (x = Number(x)) >= 0 ? x : false; }
 function listenip(self, ip, port, addressType) {
   var r = 0;
 
+  // assign handle in listen, and clean up if bind or listen fails
+  self._handle = new TCP();
+  self._handle.socket = this;
+  self._handle.onconnection = onconnection;
+
   if (ip && port) {
     debug("bind to " + ip);
     if (addressType == 6) {
@@ -473,14 +475,27 @@ function listenip(self, ip, port, addressType) {
       r = self._handle.bind(ip, port);
     }
   }
-
   if (r) {
-    self.emit('error', errnoException(errno, 'listen'));
-  } else {
-    self._handle.listen(self._backlog || 128);
+    self._handle.close();
+    self._handle = null;
+
     process.nextTick(function() {
-      self.emit('listening');
+      self.emit('error', errnoException(errno, 'listen'));
     });
+  } else {
+    r = self._handle.listen(self._backlog || 128);
+    if (r) {
+      self._handle.close();
+      self._handle = null;
+
+      process.nextTick(function() {
+        self.emit('error', errnoException(errno, 'listen'));
+      });
+    } else {
+      process.nextTick(function() {
+        self.emit('listening');
+      });
+    }
   }
 }
 
@@ -539,7 +554,10 @@ function onconnection(clientHandle) {
 
 
 Server.prototype.close = function() {
-  this._handle.close();
+  if (this._handle != null) {
+    this._handle.close();
+    this._handle = null;
+  }
 };