diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 0d12c5c156..381db69b9f 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@
 /daemon/libvirtd.pod
 /daemon/libvirtd.policy
 /daemon/libvirtd.service
-/daemon/libvirtd.socket
 /daemon/test_libvirtd.aug
 /docs/aclperms.htmlinc
 /docs/apibuild.py.stamp
diff --git a/daemon/Makefile.am b/daemon/Makefile.am
index 78d7d215c6..b3bcb9611e 100644
--- a/daemon/Makefile.am
+++ b/daemon/Makefile.am
@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@ EXTRA_DIST =						\
 	libvirt.rules					\
 	libvirtd.sasl					\
 	libvirtd.service.in				\
-	libvirtd.socket.in				\
 	libvirtd.sysconf				\
 	libvirtd.sysctl					\
 	libvirtd.aug                                    \
@@ -450,18 +449,15 @@ endif ! LIBVIRT_INIT_SCRIPT_UPSTART
 if LIBVIRT_INIT_SCRIPT_SYSTEMD
 
 SYSTEMD_UNIT_DIR = $(prefix)/lib/systemd/system
-BUILT_SOURCES += libvirtd.service libvirtd.socket
+BUILT_SOURCES += libvirtd.service
 
-install-init-systemd: install-sysconfig libvirtd.service libvirtd.socket
+install-init-systemd: install-sysconfig libvirtd.service
 	$(MKDIR_P) $(DESTDIR)$(SYSTEMD_UNIT_DIR)
 	$(INSTALL_DATA) libvirtd.service \
 	  $(DESTDIR)$(SYSTEMD_UNIT_DIR)/libvirtd.service
-	$(INSTALL_DATA) libvirtd.socket \
-	  $(DESTDIR)$(SYSTEMD_UNIT_DIR)/libvirtd.socket
 
 uninstall-init-systemd: uninstall-sysconfig
 	rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(SYSTEMD_UNIT_DIR)/libvirtd.service
-	rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(SYSTEMD_UNIT_DIR)/libvirtd.socket
 	rmdir $(DESTDIR)$(SYSTEMD_UNIT_DIR) || :
 else ! LIBVIRT_INIT_SCRIPT_SYSTEMD
 install-init-systemd:
@@ -485,12 +481,6 @@ libvirtd.service: libvirtd.service.in $(top_builddir)/config.status
 	    < $< > $@-t &&					\
 	    mv $@-t $@
 
-libvirtd.socket: libvirtd.socket.in $(top_builddir)/config.status
-	$(AM_V_GEN)sed						\
-	    -e 's|[@]runstatedir[@]|$(runstatedir)|g'		\
-	    < $< > $@-t &&					\
-	    mv $@-t $@
-
 
 check-local: check-augeas
 
diff --git a/daemon/libvirtd.conf b/daemon/libvirtd.conf
index 5485f98539..d2c439c722 100644
--- a/daemon/libvirtd.conf
+++ b/daemon/libvirtd.conf
@@ -77,11 +77,6 @@
 # UNIX socket access controls
 #
 
-# Beware that if you are changing *any* of these options, and you use
-# socket activation with systemd, you need to adjust the settings in
-# the libvirtd.socket file as well since it could impose a security
-# risk if you rely on file permission checking only.
-
 # Set the UNIX domain socket group ownership. This can be used to
 # allow a 'trusted' set of users access to management capabilities
 # without becoming root.
diff --git a/daemon/libvirtd.service.in b/daemon/libvirtd.service.in
index 608221c152..1616e7a2d0 100644
--- a/daemon/libvirtd.service.in
+++ b/daemon/libvirtd.service.in
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+# NB we don't use socket activation. When libvirtd starts it will
+# spawn any virtual machines registered for autostart. We want this
+# to occur on every boot, regardless of whether any client connects
+# to a socket. Thus socket activation doesn't have any benefit
+
 [Unit]
 Description=Virtualization daemon
 Before=libvirt-guests.service
diff --git a/daemon/libvirtd.socket.in b/daemon/libvirtd.socket.in
deleted file mode 100644
index 0915bb30a6..0000000000
--- a/daemon/libvirtd.socket.in
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-[Socket]
-ListenStream=@runstatedir@/libvirt/libvirt-sock
-ListenStream=@runstatedir@/libvirt/libvirt-sock-ro
-
-; The following settings must match libvirtd.conf file in order to
-; work as expected because libvirtd can't change them later.
-; SocketMode=0777 is safe only if authentication on the socket is set
-; up.  For further information, please see the libvirtd.conf file.
-SocketMode=0777
-SocketUser=root
-SocketGroup=root
diff --git a/libvirt.spec.in b/libvirt.spec.in
index 2e7ee15928..35212dab74 100644
--- a/libvirt.spec.in
+++ b/libvirt.spec.in
@@ -1709,7 +1709,7 @@ exit 0
 
     %if %{with_systemd}
         %if %{with_systemd_macros}
-            %systemd_post virtlockd.socket virtlogd.socket libvirtd.service libvirtd.socket
+            %systemd_post virtlockd.socket virtlogd.socket libvirtd.service
         %else
 if [ $1 -eq 1 ] ; then
     # Initial installation
@@ -1738,19 +1738,17 @@ fi
 %preun daemon
     %if %{with_systemd}
         %if %{with_systemd_macros}
-            %systemd_preun libvirtd.socket libvirtd.service virtlogd.socket virtlogd.service virtlockd.socket virtlockd.service
+            %systemd_preun libvirtd.service virtlogd.socket virtlogd.service virtlockd.socket virtlockd.service
         %else
 if [ $1 -eq 0 ] ; then
     # Package removal, not upgrade
     /bin/systemctl --no-reload disable \
-        libvirtd.socket \
         libvirtd.service \
         virtlogd.socket \
         virtlogd.service \
         virtlockd.socket \
         virtlockd.service > /dev/null 2>&1 || :
     /bin/systemctl stop \
-        libvirtd.socket \
         libvirtd.service \
         virtlogd.socket \
         virtlogd.service \
@@ -1977,7 +1975,6 @@ exit 0
 
     %if %{with_systemd}
 %{_unitdir}/libvirtd.service
-%{_unitdir}/libvirtd.socket
 %{_unitdir}/virtlogd.service
 %{_unitdir}/virtlogd.socket
 %{_unitdir}/virtlockd.service