diff --git a/src/base/remote_gdb.cc b/src/base/remote_gdb.cc
index 1a2fef42d8..c8cb32fd71 100644
--- a/src/base/remote_gdb.cc
+++ b/src/base/remote_gdb.cc
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ std::map<Addr, HardBreakpoint *> hardBreakMap;
 
 BaseRemoteGDB::BaseRemoteGDB(System *_system, int _port) :
         incomingConnectionEvent(nullptr), incomingDataEvent(nullptr),
-        _port(_port), fd(-1), sys(_system),
+        listener(_system->name() + ".remote_gdb", _port), fd(-1), sys(_system),
         connectEvent(*this), disconnectEvent(*this), trapEvent(this),
         singleStepEvent(*this)
 {}
@@ -417,17 +417,14 @@ BaseRemoteGDB::listen()
         return;
     }
 
-    while (!listener.listen(_port)) {
-        DPRINTF(GDBMisc, "Can't bind port %d\n", _port);
-        _port++;
-    }
+    listener.listen();
 
     incomingConnectionEvent =
             new IncomingConnectionEvent(this, listener.getfd(), POLLIN);
     pollQueue.schedule(incomingConnectionEvent);
 
-    ccprintf(std::cerr, "%d: %s: listening for remote gdb on port %d\n",
-             curTick(), name(), _port);
+    ccprintf(std::cerr, "%d: %s: listening for remote gdb on %s\n",
+             curTick(), name(), listener);
 }
 
 void
@@ -448,12 +445,12 @@ BaseRemoteGDB::connect()
     }
 }
 
-int
-BaseRemoteGDB::port() const
+const ListenSocket &
+BaseRemoteGDB::hostSocket() const
 {
     panic_if(!listener.islistening(),
-             "Remote GDB port is unknown until listen() has been called.\n");
-    return _port;
+             "Remote GDB socket is unknown until listen() has been called.");
+    return listener;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/base/remote_gdb.hh b/src/base/remote_gdb.hh
index 80c108ba22..60a0d6a1eb 100644
--- a/src/base/remote_gdb.hh
+++ b/src/base/remote_gdb.hh
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ class BaseRemoteGDB
     void listen();
     void connect();
 
-    int port() const;
+    const ListenSocket &hostSocket() const;
 
     void attach(int fd);
     void detach();
@@ -232,7 +232,6 @@ class BaseRemoteGDB
     IncomingDataEvent *incomingDataEvent;
 
     ListenSocket listener;
-    int _port;
 
     // The socket commands come in through.
     int fd;
diff --git a/src/base/socket.cc b/src/base/socket.cc
index 280f92b593..1aff73a7ff 100644
--- a/src/base/socket.cc
+++ b/src/base/socket.cc
@@ -173,10 +173,12 @@ ListenSocket::acceptCloexec(int sockfd, struct sockaddr *addr,
 //
 //
 
-ListenSocket::ListenSocket()
-    : listening(false), fd(-1)
+ListenSocket::ListenSocket(const std::string &_name, int port)
+    : Named(_name), listening(false), fd(-1), _port(port)
 {}
 
+ListenSocket::ListenSocket() : ListenSocket("<unnammed>", -1) {}
+
 ListenSocket::~ListenSocket()
 {
     if (fd != -1)
@@ -231,6 +233,23 @@ ListenSocket::listen(int port)
     return true;
 }
 
+void
+ListenSocket::listen()
+{
+    while (!listen(_port)) {
+        _port++;
+        fatal_if(_port > 65536, "%s: cannot find an available port.", name());
+    }
+    ccprintf(std::cerr, "%s: Listening for connections on %s\n",
+            name(), *this);
+}
+
+void
+ListenSocket::output(std::ostream &os) const
+{
+    os << "port " << _port;
+}
+
 
 // Open a connection.  Accept will block, so if you don't want it to,
 // make sure a connection is ready before you call accept.
diff --git a/src/base/socket.hh b/src/base/socket.hh
index d2393e9325..7a616bdd49 100644
--- a/src/base/socket.hh
+++ b/src/base/socket.hh
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@
 
 #include <string>
 
+#include "base/named.hh"
+
 namespace gem5
 {
 
@@ -69,7 +71,7 @@ struct UnixSocketAddr
     std::string formattedPath;
 };
 
-class ListenSocket
+class ListenSocket : public Named
 {
   protected:
     /**
@@ -90,6 +92,7 @@ class ListenSocket
   protected:
     bool listening;
     int fd;
+    int _port;
 
     /*
      * cleanup resets the static variables back to their default values.
@@ -101,12 +104,16 @@ class ListenSocket
      * @ingroup api_socket
      * @{
      */
+    ListenSocket(const std::string &_name, int port);
     ListenSocket();
     virtual ~ListenSocket();
 
     virtual int accept();
 
     virtual bool listen(int port);
+    virtual void listen();
+
+    virtual void output(std::ostream &os) const;
 
     int getfd() const { return fd; }
     bool islistening() const { return listening; }
@@ -119,6 +126,13 @@ class ListenSocket
     /** @} */ // end of api_socket
 };
 
+inline static std::ostream &
+operator << (std::ostream &os, const ListenSocket &socket)
+{
+    socket.output(os);
+    return os;
+}
+
 } // namespace gem5
 
 #endif //__SOCKET_HH__
diff --git a/src/base/vnc/vncserver.cc b/src/base/vnc/vncserver.cc
index 39a1338799..2d32cef8bb 100644
--- a/src/base/vnc/vncserver.cc
+++ b/src/base/vnc/vncserver.cc
@@ -117,11 +117,11 @@ VncServer::DataEvent::process(int revent)
  */
 VncServer::VncServer(const Params &p)
     : VncInput(p), listenEvent(NULL), dataEvent(NULL), number(p.number),
-      dataFd(-1), sendUpdate(false),
+      listener(p.name, p.port), sendUpdate(false),
       supportsRawEnc(false), supportsResizeEnc(false)
 {
     if (p.port)
-        listen(p.port);
+        listen();
 
     curState = WaitForProtocolVersion;
 
@@ -157,22 +157,14 @@ VncServer::~VncServer()
 
 //socket creation and vnc client attach
 void
-VncServer::listen(int port)
+VncServer::listen()
 {
     if (ListenSocket::allDisabled()) {
         warn_once("Sockets disabled, not accepting vnc client connections");
         return;
     }
 
-    while (!listener.listen(port)) {
-        DPRINTF(VNC,
-                "can't bind address vnc server port %d in use PID %d\n",
-                port, getpid());
-        port++;
-    }
-
-    ccprintf(std::cerr, "%s: Listening for connections on port %d\n",
-             name(), port);
+    listener.listen();
 
     listenEvent = new ListenEvent(this, listener.getfd(), POLLIN);
     pollQueue.schedule(listenEvent);
diff --git a/src/base/vnc/vncserver.hh b/src/base/vnc/vncserver.hh
index 091cb4d696..7455799025 100644
--- a/src/base/vnc/vncserver.hh
+++ b/src/base/vnc/vncserver.hh
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ class VncServer : public VncInput
 
     ListenSocket listener;
 
-    void listen(int port);
+    void listen();
     void accept();
     void data();
     void detach();
diff --git a/src/cpu/nativetrace.cc b/src/cpu/nativetrace.cc
index 714787ffa4..05fb41b3a5 100644
--- a/src/cpu/nativetrace.cc
+++ b/src/cpu/nativetrace.cc
@@ -39,17 +39,13 @@ namespace gem5
 namespace trace {
 
 NativeTrace::NativeTrace(const Params &p)
-    : ExeTracer(p)
+    : ExeTracer(p), native_listener(p.name, 8000)
 {
     if (ListenSocket::allDisabled())
         fatal("All listeners are disabled!");
 
-    int port = 8000;
-    while (!native_listener.listen(port)) {
-        DPRINTF(GDBMisc, "Can't bind port %d\n", port);
-        port++;
-    }
-    ccprintf(std::cerr, "Listening for native process on port %d\n", port);
+    native_listener.listen();
+
     fd = native_listener.accept();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/dev/net/ethertap.cc b/src/dev/net/ethertap.cc
index 0769ad1203..587dba5021 100644
--- a/src/dev/net/ethertap.cc
+++ b/src/dev/net/ethertap.cc
@@ -240,17 +240,16 @@ class TapListener
     };
 
     friend class Event;
-    Event *event;
+    Event *event = nullptr;
 
     void accept();
 
   protected:
     ListenSocket listener;
     EtherTapStub *tap;
-    int port;
 
   public:
-    TapListener(EtherTapStub *t, int p) : event(NULL), tap(t), port(p) {}
+    TapListener(EtherTapStub *t, int p) : listener(t->name(), p), tap(t) {}
     ~TapListener() { delete event; }
 
     void listen();
@@ -259,12 +258,8 @@ class TapListener
 void
 TapListener::listen()
 {
-    while (!listener.listen(port)) {
-        DPRINTF(Ethernet, "TapListener(listen): Can't bind port %d\n", port);
-        port++;
-    }
+    listener.listen();
 
-    ccprintf(std::cerr, "Listening for tap connection on port %d\n", port);
     event = new Event(this, listener.getfd(), POLLIN|POLLERR);
     pollQueue.schedule(event);
 }
diff --git a/src/dev/serial/terminal.cc b/src/dev/serial/terminal.cc
index 9564876826..02052b5e1a 100644
--- a/src/dev/serial/terminal.cc
+++ b/src/dev/serial/terminal.cc
@@ -121,8 +121,8 @@ Terminal::DataEvent::process(int revent)
  */
 Terminal::Terminal(const Params &p)
     : SerialDevice(p), listenEvent(NULL), dataEvent(NULL),
-      number(p.number), data_fd(-1), txbuf(16384), rxbuf(16384),
-      outfile(terminalDump(p))
+      number(p.number), data_fd(-1), listener(p.name, p.port),
+      txbuf(16384), rxbuf(16384), outfile(terminalDump(p))
 #if TRACING_ON == 1
       , linebuf(16384)
 #endif
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ Terminal::Terminal(const Params &p)
         outfile->stream()->setf(std::ios::unitbuf);
 
     if (p.port)
-        listen(p.port);
+        listen();
 }
 
 Terminal::~Terminal()
@@ -168,22 +168,14 @@ Terminal::terminalDump(const TerminalParams &p)
 //
 
 void
-Terminal::listen(int port)
+Terminal::listen()
 {
     if (ListenSocket::allDisabled()) {
         warn_once("Sockets disabled, not accepting terminal connections");
         return;
     }
 
-    while (!listener.listen(port)) {
-        DPRINTF(Terminal,
-                ": can't bind address terminal port %d inuse PID %d\n",
-                port, getpid());
-        port++;
-    }
-
-    ccprintf(std::cerr, "%s: Listening for connections on port %d\n",
-             name(), port);
+    listener.listen();
 
     listenEvent = new ListenEvent(this, listener.getfd(), POLLIN);
     pollQueue.schedule(listenEvent);
diff --git a/src/dev/serial/terminal.hh b/src/dev/serial/terminal.hh
index 83ea64b09c..bd6711da8a 100644
--- a/src/dev/serial/terminal.hh
+++ b/src/dev/serial/terminal.hh
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ class Terminal : public SerialDevice
   protected:
     ListenSocket listener;
 
-    void listen(int port);
+    void listen();
     void accept();
 
   protected:
diff --git a/src/sim/workload.cc b/src/sim/workload.cc
index ceb1029f77..84b1e40698 100644
--- a/src/sim/workload.cc
+++ b/src/sim/workload.cc
@@ -97,8 +97,8 @@ Workload::startup()
     // Now that we're about to start simulation, wait for GDB connections if
     // requested.
     if (gdb && waitForRemoteGDB) {
-        inform("%s: Waiting for a remote GDB connection on port %d.", name(),
-                gdb->port());
+        inform("%s: Waiting for a remote GDB connection on %s.", name(),
+                gdb->hostSocket());
         gdb->connect();
     }
 }