diff --git a/tests/virnetsockettest.c b/tests/virnetsockettest.c
index e463d432ff..cccb90d0be 100644
--- a/tests/virnetsockettest.c
+++ b/tests/virnetsockettest.c
@@ -115,6 +115,56 @@ checkProtocols(bool *hasIPv4, bool *hasIPv6,
     return ret;
 }
 
+struct testClientData {
+    const char *path;
+    const char *cnode;
+    const char *portstr;
+};
+
+static void
+testSocketClient(void *opaque)
+{
+    struct testClientData *data = opaque;
+    char c;
+    virNetSocketPtr csock = NULL;
+
+    if (data->path) {
+        if (virNetSocketNewConnectUNIX(data->path, false,
+                                       NULL, &csock) < 0)
+            return;
+    } else {
+        if (virNetSocketNewConnectTCP(data->cnode, data->portstr,
+                                      AF_UNSPEC,
+                                      &csock) < 0)
+            return;
+    }
+
+    virNetSocketSetBlocking(csock, true);
+
+    if (virNetSocketRead(csock, &c, 1) != 1) {
+        VIR_DEBUG("Cannot read from server");
+        goto done;
+    }
+    if (virNetSocketWrite(csock, &c, 1) != 1) {
+        VIR_DEBUG("Cannot write to server");
+        goto done;
+    }
+
+ done:
+    virObjectUnref(csock);
+}
+
+
+static void
+testSocketIncoming(virNetSocketPtr sock,
+                   int events ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
+                   void *opaque)
+{
+    virNetSocketPtr *retsock = opaque;
+    VIR_DEBUG("Incoming sock=%p events=%d\n", sock, events);
+    *retsock = sock;
+}
+
 
 struct testSocketData {
     const char *lnode;
@@ -122,18 +172,25 @@ struct testSocketData {
     const char *cnode;
 };
 
-static int testSocketAccept(const void *opaque)
+
+static int
+testSocketAccept(const void *opaque)
 {
     virNetSocketPtr *lsock = NULL; /* Listen socket */
     size_t nlsock = 0, i;
     virNetSocketPtr ssock = NULL; /* Server socket */
-    virNetSocketPtr csock = NULL; /* Client socket */
+    virNetSocketPtr rsock = NULL; /* Incoming client socket */
     const struct testSocketData *data = opaque;
     int ret = -1;
     char portstr[100];
     char *tmpdir = NULL;
     char *path = NULL;
     char template[] = "/tmp/libvirt_XXXXXX";
+    virThread th;
+    struct testClientData cdata = { 0 };
+    bool goodsock = false;
+    char a = 'a';
+    char b = '\0';
 
     if (!data) {
         virNetSocketPtr usock;
@@ -155,50 +212,90 @@ static int testSocketAccept(const void *opaque)
 
         lsock[0] = usock;
         nlsock = 1;
+
+        cdata.path = path;
     } else {
         snprintf(portstr, sizeof(portstr), "%d", data->port);
         if (virNetSocketNewListenTCP(data->lnode, portstr,
                                      AF_UNSPEC,
                                      &lsock, &nlsock) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
+
+        cdata.cnode = data->cnode;
+        cdata.portstr = portstr;
     }
 
     for (i = 0; i < nlsock; i++) {
         if (virNetSocketListen(lsock[i], 0) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
+
+        if (virNetSocketAddIOCallback(lsock[i],
+                                      VIR_EVENT_HANDLE_READABLE,
+                                      testSocketIncoming,
+                                      &rsock,
+                                      NULL) < 0) {
+            goto cleanup;
+        }
     }
 
-    if (!data) {
-        if (virNetSocketNewConnectUNIX(path, false, NULL, &csock) < 0)
-            goto cleanup;
-    } else {
-        if (virNetSocketNewConnectTCP(data->cnode, portstr,
-                                      AF_UNSPEC,
-                                      &csock) < 0)
-            goto cleanup;
-    }
+    if (virThreadCreate(&th, true,
+                        testSocketClient,
+                        &cdata) < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
 
-    virObjectUnref(csock);
+    while (rsock == NULL)
+        virEventRunDefaultImpl();
 
     for (i = 0; i < nlsock; i++) {
-        if (virNetSocketAccept(lsock[i], &ssock) != -1 && ssock) {
-            char c = 'a';
-            if (virNetSocketWrite(ssock, &c, 1) != -1 &&
-                virNetSocketRead(ssock, &c, 1) != -1) {
-                VIR_DEBUG("Unexpected client socket present");
-                goto cleanup;
-            }
+        if (lsock[i] == rsock) {
+            goodsock = true;
+            break;
         }
-        virObjectUnref(ssock);
-        ssock = NULL;
     }
 
+    if (!goodsock) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
+                       "Unexpected server socket seen");
+        goto join;
+    }
+
+    if (virNetSocketAccept(rsock, &ssock) < 0)
+        goto join;
+
+    if (!ssock) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
+                       "Client went away unexpectedly");
+        goto join;
+    }
+
+    virNetSocketSetBlocking(ssock, true);
+
+    if (virNetSocketWrite(ssock, &a, 1) < 0 ||
+        virNetSocketRead(ssock, &b, 1) < 0) {
+        goto join;
+    }
+
+    if (a != b) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
+                       "Bad data received '%x' != '%x'", a, b);
+        goto join;
+    }
+
+    virObjectUnref(ssock);
+    ssock = NULL;
+
     ret = 0;
 
+ join:
+    virThreadJoin(&th);
+
  cleanup:
     virObjectUnref(ssock);
-    for (i = 0; i < nlsock; i++)
+    for (i = 0; i < nlsock; i++) {
+        virNetSocketRemoveIOCallback(lsock[i]);
+        virNetSocketClose(lsock[i]);
         virObjectUnref(lsock[i]);
+    }
     VIR_FREE(lsock);
     VIR_FREE(path);
     if (tmpdir)
@@ -431,6 +528,8 @@ mymain(void)
 
     signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_IGN);
 
+    virEventRegisterDefaultImpl();
+
 #ifdef HAVE_IFADDRS_H
     if (checkProtocols(&hasIPv4, &hasIPv6, &freePort) < 0) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Cannot identify IPv4/6 availability\n");