diff --git a/cmd/config_serve_stdinserver.go b/cmd/config_serve_stdinserver.go
index 896b4aa..ed7b68d 100644
--- a/cmd/config_serve_stdinserver.go
+++ b/cmd/config_serve_stdinserver.go
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@ func parseStdinserverListenerFactory(c JobParsingContext, i map[string]interface
 
 func (f *StdinserverListenerFactory) Listen() (al AuthenticatedChannelListener, err error) {
 
+	if err = PreparePrivateSockpath(f.sockpath); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	l, err := netssh.Listen(f.sockpath)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/cmd/helpers.go b/cmd/helpers.go
index 937ae21..be3864e 100644
--- a/cmd/helpers.go
+++ b/cmd/helpers.go
@@ -7,28 +7,42 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 )
 
-func ListenUnixPrivate(sockaddr *net.UnixAddr) (*net.UnixListener, error) {
-
-	sockdir := filepath.Dir(sockaddr.Name)
+func PreparePrivateSockpath(sockpath string) error {
+	sockdir := filepath.Dir(sockpath)
 	sdstat, err := os.Stat(sockdir)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "cannot stat(2) '%s'", sockdir)
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "cannot stat(2) '%s'", sockdir)
 	}
 	if !sdstat.IsDir() {
-		return nil, errors.Errorf("not a directory: %s", sockdir)
+		return errors.Errorf("not a directory: %s", sockdir)
 	}
 	p := sdstat.Mode().Perm()
 	if p&0007 != 0 {
-		return nil, errors.Errorf("socket directory not be world-accessible: %s (permissions are %#o)", sockdir, p)
+		return errors.Errorf("socket directory must not be world-accessible: %s (permissions are %#o)", sockdir, p)
 	}
 
 	// Maybe things have not been cleaned up before
-	s, err := os.Stat(sockaddr.Name)
-	if err == nil {
-		if s.Mode()&os.ModeSocket != 0 {
-			// opportunistically try to remove it, but if this fails, it is not an error
-			os.Remove(sockaddr.Name)
-		}
+	s, err := os.Stat(sockpath)
+	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "cannot stat(2) '%s'", sockpath)
+	}
+	if s.Mode()&os.ModeSocket == 0 {
+		return errors.Errorf("unexpected file type at path '%s'", sockpath)
+	}
+	err = os.Remove(sockpath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "cannot remove presumably stale socket '%s'", sockpath)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func ListenUnixPrivate(sockaddr *net.UnixAddr) (*net.UnixListener, error) {
+
+	if err := PreparePrivateSockpath(sockaddr.Name); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	return net.ListenUnix("unix", sockaddr)