diff --git a/src/mosquitto_broker_internal.h b/src/mosquitto_broker_internal.h
index 311ceb82..44d6e66b 100644
--- a/src/mosquitto_broker_internal.h
+++ b/src/mosquitto_broker_internal.h
@@ -680,7 +680,7 @@ int send__auth(struct mosquitto *context, uint8_t reason_code, const void *auth_
  * ============================================================ */
 void net__broker_init(void);
 void net__broker_cleanup(void);
-int net__socket_accept(struct mosquitto__listener_sock *listensock);
+struct mosquitto *net__socket_accept(struct mosquitto__listener_sock *listensock);
 int net__socket_listen(struct mosquitto__listener *listener);
 int net__socket_get_address(mosq_sock_t sock, char *buf, size_t len);
 int net__tls_load_verify(struct mosquitto__listener *listener);
diff --git a/src/mux_epoll.c b/src/mux_epoll.c
index 32fd1c4c..b0e192e7 100644
--- a/src/mux_epoll.c
+++ b/src/mux_epoll.c
@@ -184,7 +184,6 @@ int mux_epoll__handle(void)
 	struct mosquitto *context;
 	struct mosquitto__listener_sock *listensock;
 	int event_count;
-	int sock;
 
 	memset(&ev, 0, sizeof(struct epoll_event));
 	sigprocmask(SIG_SETMASK, &my_sigblock, &origsig);
@@ -211,12 +210,7 @@ int mux_epoll__handle(void)
 				listensock = ep_events[i].data.ptr;
 
 				if (ep_events[i].events & (EPOLLIN | EPOLLPRI)){
-					while((sock = net__socket_accept(listensock)) != -1){
-						context = NULL;
-						HASH_FIND(hh_sock, db.contexts_by_sock, &sock, sizeof(mosq_sock_t), context);
-						if(!context) {
-							log__printf(NULL, MOSQ_LOG_ERR, "Error in epoll accepting: no context");
-						}
+					while((context = net__socket_accept(listensock)) != NULL){
 						context->events = EPOLLIN;
 						mux__add_in(context);
 					}
diff --git a/src/mux_poll.c b/src/mux_poll.c
index 8e2228ea..cc0842b8 100644
--- a/src/mux_poll.c
+++ b/src/mux_poll.c
@@ -172,7 +172,6 @@ int mux_poll__delete(struct mosquitto *context)
 int mux_poll__handle(struct mosquitto__listener_sock *listensock, int listensock_count)
 {
 	struct mosquitto *context;
-	mosq_sock_t sock;
 	int i;
 	int fdcount;
 #ifndef WIN32
@@ -208,15 +207,9 @@ int mux_poll__handle(struct mosquitto__listener_sock *listensock, int listensock
 
 		for(i=0; i<listensock_count; i++){
 			if(pollfds[i].revents & (POLLIN | POLLPRI)){
-				while((sock = net__socket_accept(&listensock[i])) != -1){
-					context = NULL;
-					HASH_FIND(hh_sock, db.contexts_by_sock, &sock, sizeof(mosq_sock_t), context);
-					if(context) {
-						context->pollfd_index = -1;
-						mux__add_in(context);
-					}else{
-						log__printf(NULL, MOSQ_LOG_ERR, "Error in poll accepting: no context");
-					}
+				while((context = net__socket_accept(&listensock[i])) != NULL){
+					context->pollfd_index = -1;
+					mux__add_in(context);
 				}
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/src/net.c b/src/net.c
index 3dc1afa8..f399ea9c 100644
--- a/src/net.c
+++ b/src/net.c
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ static void net__print_error(unsigned int log, const char *format_str)
 }
 
 
-int net__socket_accept(struct mosquitto__listener_sock *listensock)
+struct mosquitto *net__socket_accept(struct mosquitto__listener_sock *listensock)
 {
 	mosq_sock_t new_sock = INVALID_SOCKET;
 	struct mosquitto *new_context;
@@ -144,13 +144,13 @@ int net__socket_accept(struct mosquitto__listener_sock *listensock)
 			log__printf(NULL, MOSQ_LOG_WARNING,
 					"Unable to accept new connection, system socket count has been exceeded. Try increasing \"ulimit -n\" or equivalent.");
 		}
-		return -1;
+		return NULL;
 	}
 
 	G_SOCKET_CONNECTIONS_INC();
 
 	if(net__socket_nonblock(&new_sock)){
-		return INVALID_SOCKET;
+		return NULL;
 	}
 
 #ifdef WITH_WRAP
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ int net__socket_accept(struct mosquitto__listener_sock *listensock)
 			}
 		}
 		COMPAT_CLOSE(new_sock);
-		return -1;
+		return NULL;
 	}
 #endif
 
@@ -183,12 +183,12 @@ int net__socket_accept(struct mosquitto__listener_sock *listensock)
 	new_context = context__init(new_sock);
 	if(!new_context){
 		COMPAT_CLOSE(new_sock);
-		return -1;
+		return NULL;
 	}
 	new_context->listener = listensock->listener;
 	if(!new_context->listener){
 		context__cleanup(new_context, true);
-		return -1;
+		return NULL;
 	}
 	new_context->listener->client_count++;
 
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ int net__socket_accept(struct mosquitto__listener_sock *listensock)
 			log__printf(NULL, MOSQ_LOG_NOTICE, "Client connection from %s denied: max_connections exceeded.", new_context->address);
 		}
 		context__cleanup(new_context, true);
-		return -1;
+		return NULL;
 	}
 
 #ifdef WITH_TLS
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ int net__socket_accept(struct mosquitto__listener_sock *listensock)
 		new_context->ssl = SSL_new(new_context->listener->ssl_ctx);
 		if(!new_context->ssl){
 			context__cleanup(new_context, true);
-			return -1;
+			return NULL;
 		}
 		SSL_set_ex_data(new_context->ssl, tls_ex_index_context, new_context);
 		SSL_set_ex_data(new_context->ssl, tls_ex_index_listener, new_context->listener);
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ int net__socket_accept(struct mosquitto__listener_sock *listensock)
 					}
 				}
 				context__cleanup(new_context, true);
-				return -1;
+				return NULL;
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ int net__socket_accept(struct mosquitto__listener_sock *listensock)
 		log__printf(NULL, MOSQ_LOG_NOTICE, "New connection from %s on port %d.", new_context->address, new_context->listener->port);
 	}
 
-	return new_sock;
+	return new_context;
 }
 
 #ifdef WITH_TLS