diff --git a/include/qemu/sockets.h b/include/qemu/sockets.h
index c5174d76a7..45588d7d58 100644
--- a/include/qemu/sockets.h
+++ b/include/qemu/sockets.h
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ int socket_set_cork(int fd, int v);
 int socket_set_nodelay(int fd);
 void qemu_set_block(int fd);
 void qemu_set_nonblock(int fd);
+int socket_set_fast_reuse(int fd);
 int send_all(int fd, const void *buf, int len1);
 int recv_all(int fd, void *buf, int len1, bool single_read);
 
diff --git a/util/oslib-posix.c b/util/oslib-posix.c
index 253bc3df2e..e00a44c86f 100644
--- a/util/oslib-posix.c
+++ b/util/oslib-posix.c
@@ -157,6 +157,18 @@ void qemu_set_nonblock(int fd)
     fcntl(fd, F_SETFL, f | O_NONBLOCK);
 }
 
+int socket_set_fast_reuse(int fd)
+{
+    int val = 1, ret;
+
+    ret = setsockopt(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_REUSEADDR,
+                     (const char *)&val, sizeof(val));
+
+    assert(ret == 0);
+
+    return ret;
+}
+
 void qemu_set_cloexec(int fd)
 {
     int f;
diff --git a/util/oslib-win32.c b/util/oslib-win32.c
index 983b7a2375..776ccfaaf0 100644
--- a/util/oslib-win32.c
+++ b/util/oslib-win32.c
@@ -124,6 +124,16 @@ void qemu_set_nonblock(int fd)
     qemu_fd_register(fd);
 }
 
+int socket_set_fast_reuse(int fd)
+{
+    /* Enabling the reuse of an endpoint that was used by a socket still in
+     * TIME_WAIT state is usually performed by setting SO_REUSEADDR. On Windows
+     * fast reuse is the default and SO_REUSEADDR does strange things. So we
+     * don't have to do anything here. More info can be found at:
+     * http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms740621.aspx */
+    return 0;
+}
+
 int inet_aton(const char *cp, struct in_addr *ia)
 {
     uint32_t addr = inet_addr(cp);