diff --git a/include/haproxy/sock-t.h b/include/haproxy/sock-t.h
index 1a49dfa44..b843d444a 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/sock-t.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/sock-t.h
@@ -27,23 +27,6 @@
 
 #include <haproxy/api-t.h>
 
-#define SOCK_XFER_OPT_FOREIGN 0x000000001
-#define SOCK_XFER_OPT_V6ONLY  0x000000002
-#define SOCK_XFER_OPT_DGRAM   0x000000004
-
-/* The list used to transfer sockets between old and new processes */
-struct xfer_sock_list {
-	int fd;
-	int options; /* socket options as SOCK_XFER_OPT_* */
-	char *iface;
-	char *namespace;
-	int if_namelen;
-	int ns_namelen;
-	struct xfer_sock_list *prev;
-	struct xfer_sock_list *next;
-	struct sockaddr_storage addr;
-};
-
 #endif /* _HAPROXY_SOCK_T_H */
 
 /*
diff --git a/include/haproxy/sock.h b/include/haproxy/sock.h
index 1a5b68c5a..49dffa918 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/sock.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/sock.h
@@ -30,8 +30,6 @@
 #include <haproxy/listener-t.h>
 #include <haproxy/sock-t.h>
 
-extern struct xfer_sock_list *xfer_sock_list;
-
 int sock_create_server_socket(struct connection *conn);
 void sock_enable(struct receiver *rx);
 void sock_disable(struct receiver *rx);
@@ -40,6 +38,7 @@ int sock_get_src(int fd, struct sockaddr *sa, socklen_t salen, int dir);
 int sock_get_dst(int fd, struct sockaddr *sa, socklen_t salen, int dir);
 int sock_get_old_sockets(const char *unixsocket);
 int sock_find_compatible_fd(const struct receiver *rx);
+void sock_drop_unused_old_sockets();
 int sock_accepting_conn(const struct receiver *rx);
 struct connection *sock_accept_conn(struct listener *l, int *status);
 void sock_accept_iocb(int fd);
diff --git a/src/haproxy.c b/src/haproxy.c
index 67ce74ea1..029b492be 100644
--- a/src/haproxy.c
+++ b/src/haproxy.c
@@ -3054,14 +3054,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	/* Ok, all listeners should now be bound, close any leftover sockets
 	 * the previous process gave us, we don't need them anymore
 	 */
-	while (xfer_sock_list != NULL) {
-		struct xfer_sock_list *tmpxfer = xfer_sock_list->next;
-		close(xfer_sock_list->fd);
-		free(xfer_sock_list->iface);
-		free(xfer_sock_list->namespace);
-		free(xfer_sock_list);
-		xfer_sock_list = tmpxfer;
-	}
+	sock_drop_unused_old_sockets();
 
 	/* prepare pause/play signals */
 	signal_register_fct(SIGTTOU, sig_pause, SIGTTOU);
diff --git a/src/sock.c b/src/sock.c
index 4d1d04e95..f6ab83f55 100644
--- a/src/sock.c
+++ b/src/sock.c
@@ -36,8 +36,24 @@
 #include <haproxy/sock_inet.h>
 #include <haproxy/tools.h>
 
+#define SOCK_XFER_OPT_FOREIGN 0x000000001
+#define SOCK_XFER_OPT_V6ONLY  0x000000002
+#define SOCK_XFER_OPT_DGRAM   0x000000004
+
 /* the list of remaining sockets transferred from an older process */
-struct xfer_sock_list *xfer_sock_list = NULL;
+struct xfer_sock_list {
+	int fd;
+	int options; /* socket options as SOCK_XFER_OPT_* */
+	char *iface;
+	char *namespace;
+	int if_namelen;
+	int ns_namelen;
+	struct xfer_sock_list *prev;
+	struct xfer_sock_list *next;
+	struct sockaddr_storage addr;
+};
+
+static struct xfer_sock_list *xfer_sock_list;
 
 
 /* Accept an incoming connection from listener <l>, and return it, as well as
@@ -622,6 +638,24 @@ int sock_find_compatible_fd(const struct receiver *rx)
 	return ret;
 }
 
+/* After all protocols are bound, there may remain some old sockets that have
+ * been removed between the previous config and the new one. These ones must
+ * be dropped, otherwise they will remain open and may prevent a service from
+ * restarting.
+ */
+void sock_drop_unused_old_sockets()
+{
+	while (xfer_sock_list != NULL) {
+		struct xfer_sock_list *tmpxfer = xfer_sock_list->next;
+
+		close(xfer_sock_list->fd);
+		free(xfer_sock_list->iface);
+		free(xfer_sock_list->namespace);
+		free(xfer_sock_list);
+		xfer_sock_list = tmpxfer;
+	}
+}
+
 /* Tests if the receiver supports accepting connections. Returns positive on
  * success, 0 if not possible, negative if the socket is non-recoverable. The
  * rationale behind this is that inherited FDs may be broken and that shared