diff --git a/include/io/channel-socket.h b/include/io/channel-socket.h
index d7134d2cd6..ed88e5b8c1 100644
--- a/include/io/channel-socket.h
+++ b/include/io/channel-socket.h
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ void qio_channel_socket_connect_async(QIOChannelSocket *ioc,
  * qio_channel_socket_listen_sync:
  * @ioc: the socket channel object
  * @addr: the address to listen to
+ * @num: the expected ammount of connections
  * @errp: pointer to a NULL-initialized error object
  *
  * Attempt to listen to the address @addr. This method
@@ -132,6 +133,7 @@ void qio_channel_socket_connect_async(QIOChannelSocket *ioc,
  */
 int qio_channel_socket_listen_sync(QIOChannelSocket *ioc,
                                    SocketAddress *addr,
+                                   int num,
                                    Error **errp);
 
 /**
diff --git a/io/channel-socket.c b/io/channel-socket.c
index a533c8bc11..6258c25983 100644
--- a/io/channel-socket.c
+++ b/io/channel-socket.c
@@ -197,12 +197,13 @@ void qio_channel_socket_connect_async(QIOChannelSocket *ioc,
 
 int qio_channel_socket_listen_sync(QIOChannelSocket *ioc,
                                    SocketAddress *addr,
+                                   int num,
                                    Error **errp)
 {
     int fd;
 
-    trace_qio_channel_socket_listen_sync(ioc, addr);
-    fd = socket_listen(addr, 1, errp);
+    trace_qio_channel_socket_listen_sync(ioc, addr, num);
+    fd = socket_listen(addr, num, errp);
     if (fd < 0) {
         trace_qio_channel_socket_listen_fail(ioc);
         return -1;
@@ -226,7 +227,7 @@ static void qio_channel_socket_listen_worker(QIOTask *task,
     SocketAddress *addr = opaque;
     Error *err = NULL;
 
-    qio_channel_socket_listen_sync(ioc, addr, &err);
+    qio_channel_socket_listen_sync(ioc, addr, 1, &err);
 
     qio_task_set_error(task, err);
 }
diff --git a/io/net-listener.c b/io/net-listener.c
index d8cfe52673..dc81150318 100644
--- a/io/net-listener.c
+++ b/io/net-listener.c
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ int qio_net_listener_open_sync(QIONetListener *listener,
     for (i = 0; i < nresaddrs; i++) {
         QIOChannelSocket *sioc = qio_channel_socket_new();
 
-        if (qio_channel_socket_listen_sync(sioc, resaddrs[i],
+        if (qio_channel_socket_listen_sync(sioc, resaddrs[i], 1,
                                            err ? NULL : &err) == 0) {
             success = true;
 
diff --git a/io/trace-events b/io/trace-events
index 378390521e..2e6aa1d749 100644
--- a/io/trace-events
+++ b/io/trace-events
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ qio_channel_socket_connect_sync(void *ioc, void *addr) "Socket connect sync ioc=
 qio_channel_socket_connect_async(void *ioc, void *addr) "Socket connect async ioc=%p addr=%p"
 qio_channel_socket_connect_fail(void *ioc) "Socket connect fail ioc=%p"
 qio_channel_socket_connect_complete(void *ioc, int fd) "Socket connect complete ioc=%p fd=%d"
-qio_channel_socket_listen_sync(void *ioc, void *addr) "Socket listen sync ioc=%p addr=%p"
+qio_channel_socket_listen_sync(void *ioc, void *addr, int num) "Socket listen sync ioc=%p addr=%p num=%d"
 qio_channel_socket_listen_async(void *ioc, void *addr) "Socket listen async ioc=%p addr=%p"
 qio_channel_socket_listen_fail(void *ioc) "Socket listen fail ioc=%p"
 qio_channel_socket_listen_complete(void *ioc, int fd) "Socket listen complete ioc=%p fd=%d"
diff --git a/scsi/qemu-pr-helper.c b/scsi/qemu-pr-helper.c
index a256ce490b..a8a74d1dba 100644
--- a/scsi/qemu-pr-helper.c
+++ b/scsi/qemu-pr-helper.c
@@ -1005,7 +1005,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
             .u.q_unix.path = socket_path,
         };
         server_ioc = qio_channel_socket_new();
-        if (qio_channel_socket_listen_sync(server_ioc, &saddr, &local_err) < 0) {
+        if (qio_channel_socket_listen_sync(server_ioc, &saddr,
+                                           1, &local_err) < 0) {
             object_unref(OBJECT(server_ioc));
             error_report_err(local_err);
             return 1;
diff --git a/tests/test-char.c b/tests/test-char.c
index b56e43c1eb..f3ebdffd87 100644
--- a/tests/test-char.c
+++ b/tests/test-char.c
@@ -667,7 +667,7 @@ char_socket_addr_to_opt_str(SocketAddress *addr, bool fd_pass,
         char *optstr;
         g_assert(!reconnect);
         if (is_listen) {
-            qio_channel_socket_listen_sync(ioc, addr, &error_abort);
+            qio_channel_socket_listen_sync(ioc, addr, 1, &error_abort);
         } else {
             qio_channel_socket_connect_sync(ioc, addr, &error_abort);
         }
@@ -892,7 +892,7 @@ static void char_socket_client_test(gconstpointer opaque)
      */
     ioc = qio_channel_socket_new();
     g_assert_nonnull(ioc);
-    qio_channel_socket_listen_sync(ioc, config->addr, &error_abort);
+    qio_channel_socket_listen_sync(ioc, config->addr, 1, &error_abort);
     addr = qio_channel_socket_get_local_address(ioc, &error_abort);
     g_assert_nonnull(addr);
 
diff --git a/tests/test-io-channel-socket.c b/tests/test-io-channel-socket.c
index d172f3070f..613ada32c0 100644
--- a/tests/test-io-channel-socket.c
+++ b/tests/test-io-channel-socket.c
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ static void test_io_channel_setup_sync(SocketAddress *listen_addr,
     QIOChannelSocket *lioc;
 
     lioc = qio_channel_socket_new();
-    qio_channel_socket_listen_sync(lioc, listen_addr, &error_abort);
+    qio_channel_socket_listen_sync(lioc, listen_addr, 1, &error_abort);
 
     if (listen_addr->type == SOCKET_ADDRESS_TYPE_INET) {
         SocketAddress *laddr = qio_channel_socket_get_local_address(
diff --git a/tests/tpm-emu.c b/tests/tpm-emu.c
index 125e697181..c43ac4aef8 100644
--- a/tests/tpm-emu.c
+++ b/tests/tpm-emu.c
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ void *tpm_emu_ctrl_thread(void *data)
     QIOChannelSocket *lioc = qio_channel_socket_new();
     QIOChannel *ioc;
 
-    qio_channel_socket_listen_sync(lioc, s->addr, &error_abort);
+    qio_channel_socket_listen_sync(lioc, s->addr, 1, &error_abort);
 
     g_mutex_lock(&s->data_mutex);
     s->data_cond_signal = true;