diff --git a/src/osd/sdl/sdlfile.h b/src/osd/sdl/sdlfile.h
index 0787a3719f2..bda2a9618a3 100644
--- a/src/osd/sdl/sdlfile.h
+++ b/src/osd/sdl/sdlfile.h
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ enum
 struct osd_file
 {
 	int handle;
+	int socket;
 	int type;
 	char    filename[1];
 };
diff --git a/src/osd/sdl/sdlsocket.c b/src/osd/sdl/sdlsocket.c
index dd5a6ca86c2..7c20b1a7b93 100644
--- a/src/osd/sdl/sdlsocket.c
+++ b/src/osd/sdl/sdlsocket.c
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 //
 //  sdlsocket.c - SDL socket (inet) access functions
 //
-//  Copyright (c) 1996-2010, Nicola Salmoria and the MAME Team.
+//  Copyright (c) 1996-2013, Nicola Salmoria and the MAME Team.
 //  Visit http://mamedev.org for licensing and usage restrictions.
 //
 //  SDLMAME by Olivier Galibert and R. Belmont
@@ -55,14 +55,14 @@ file_error sdl_open_socket(const char *path, UINT32 openflags, osd_file **file,
 
 	sscanf( path+strlen(sdlfile_socket_identifier), "%255[^:]:%d", hostname, &port );
 
-	printf("Connecting to server '%s' on port '%d'\n", hostname, port);
+//	printf("Connecting to server '%s' on port '%d'\n", hostname, port);
 
-	if (((*file)->handle = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0)) == -1)
+	if (((*file)->socket = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0)) == -1)
 	{
 		return FILERR_ACCESS_DENIED;
 	}
 
-	if (setsockopt((*file)->handle, IPPROTO_TCP, TCP_NODELAY, (char *)&flag, sizeof(flag)) == -1)
+	if (setsockopt((*file)->socket, IPPROTO_TCP, TCP_NODELAY, (char *)&flag, sizeof(flag)) == -1)
 	{
 		return FILERR_ACCESS_DENIED;
 	}
@@ -74,12 +74,35 @@ file_error sdl_open_socket(const char *path, UINT32 openflags, osd_file **file,
 	sai.sin_port = htons(port);
 	sai.sin_addr = *((struct in_addr *)localhost->h_addr);
 
-	if (connect((*file)->handle, (struct sockaddr *)&sai, sizeof(struct sockaddr)) == -1)
+	// listening socket support
+	if (openflags & OPEN_FLAG_CREATE)
+	{
+//		printf("Listening for client at '%s' on port '%d'\n", hostname, port);
+		// bind socket...
+		if (bind((*file)->socket, (struct sockaddr *)&sai, sizeof(struct sockaddr)) == -1)
+		{
+			return FILERR_ACCESS_DENIED;
+		}
+		
+		// start to listen...
+		if (listen((*file)->socket, 1) == -1) {
+			return FILERR_ACCESS_DENIED;
+		}
+		
+		// mark socket as "listening"
+		(*file)->handle = 0;
+		*filesize = 0;
+		return FILERR_NONE;
+	}
+
+//	printf("Connecting to server '%s' on port '%d'\n", hostname, port);
+	if (connect((*file)->socket, (struct sockaddr *)&sai, sizeof(struct sockaddr)) == -1)
 	{
 		return FILERR_ACCESS_DENIED;
 	}
 
 	*filesize = 0;
+	(*file)->handle = -1;
 #endif
 	return FILERR_NONE;
 }
@@ -93,18 +116,41 @@ file_error sdl_read_socket(osd_file *file, void *buffer, UINT64 offset, UINT32 c
 	fd_set readfds;
 
 	FD_ZERO(&readfds);
-	FD_SET(file->handle, &readfds);
+	FD_SET(file->socket, &readfds);
 	timeout.tv_sec = timeout.tv_usec = 0;
 
-	if (select(file->handle + 1, &readfds, NULL, NULL, &timeout) < 0)
+	if (select(file->socket + 1, &readfds, NULL, NULL, &timeout) < 0)
 	{
 		sprintf(line, "%s : %s : %d ", __func__, __FILE__,  __LINE__);
 		perror(line);
 		return error_to_file_error(errno);
 	}
-	else if (FD_ISSET(file->handle, &readfds))
+	else if (FD_ISSET(file->socket, &readfds))
 	{
-		result = read(file->handle, buffer, count);
+		if (file->handle == -1)
+		{
+			// connected socket
+			result = read(file->socket, buffer, count);
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			// listening socket
+			int AcceptSocket;
+			AcceptSocket = accept(file->socket, NULL, NULL);
+			if (AcceptSocket < 0)
+			{
+				return FILERR_FAILURE;
+			}
+			close(file->socket);
+			file->socket = AcceptSocket;
+			file->handle = -1;
+			if (actual != NULL )
+			{
+				*actual = 0;
+			}
+
+			return FILERR_NONE;
+		}
 	}
 	else
 	{
@@ -129,7 +175,7 @@ file_error sdl_write_socket(osd_file *file, const void *buffer, UINT64 offset, U
 #ifndef SDLMAME_WIN32
 	ssize_t result;
 
-	result = write(file->handle, buffer, count);
+	result = write(file->socket, buffer, count);
 
 	if (result < 0)
 	{
@@ -147,7 +193,7 @@ file_error sdl_write_socket(osd_file *file, const void *buffer, UINT64 offset, U
 file_error sdl_close_socket(osd_file *file)
 {
 #ifndef SDLMAME_WIN32
-	close(file->handle);
+	close(file->socket);
 	osd_free(file);
 #endif
 	return FILERR_NONE;
diff --git a/src/osd/windows/winsocket.c b/src/osd/windows/winsocket.c
index 0704772e1f1..d5ebaafc2d4 100644
--- a/src/osd/windows/winsocket.c
+++ b/src/osd/windows/winsocket.c
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ bool win_init_sockets()
 
 	/* check for correct version */
 	if ( LOBYTE( wsaData.wVersion ) != 2 ||
-			HIBYTE( wsaData.wVersion ) != 0 )
+		 HIBYTE( wsaData.wVersion ) != 0 )
 	{
 		/* incorrect WinSock version */
 		WSACleanup();
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ void win_cleanup_sockets()
 
 bool win_check_socket_path(const char *path)
 {
-	if (*winfile_socket_identifier != 0 &&
+	if (strlen(winfile_socket_identifier) > 0 &&
 		strncmp(path, winfile_socket_identifier, strlen(winfile_socket_identifier)) == 0 &&
 		strchr(path, ':') != NULL) return true;
 	return false;
@@ -76,8 +76,6 @@ file_error win_open_socket(const char *path, UINT32 openflags, osd_file **file,
 
 	sscanf( path+strlen(winfile_socket_identifier), "%255[^:]:%d", hostname, &port );
 
-	printf("Connecting to server '%s' on port '%d'\n", hostname, port);
-
 	if (((*file)->socket = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0)) == -1)
 	{
 		return FILERR_ACCESS_DENIED;
@@ -94,13 +92,35 @@ file_error win_open_socket(const char *path, UINT32 openflags, osd_file **file,
 	sai.sin_port = htons(port);
 	sai.sin_addr = *((struct in_addr *)localhost->h_addr);
 
+	// listening socket support
+	if (openflags & OPEN_FLAG_CREATE)
+	{
+//		printf("Listening for client at '%s' on port '%d'\n", hostname, port);
+		// bind socket...
+		if (bind((*file)->socket, (struct sockaddr *)&sai, sizeof(struct sockaddr)) == -1)
+		{
+			return FILERR_ACCESS_DENIED;
+		}
+		
+		// start to listen...
+		if (listen((*file)->socket, 1) == -1) {
+			return FILERR_ACCESS_DENIED;
+		}
+		
+		// mark socket as "listening"
+		(*file)->handle = 0;
+		*filesize = 0;
+		return FILERR_NONE;
+	}
+	
+//	printf("Connecting to server '%s' on port '%d'\n", hostname, port);
 	if (connect((*file)->socket, (struct sockaddr *)&sai, sizeof(struct sockaddr)) == -1)
 	{
 		return FILERR_ACCESS_DENIED;
 	}
 	*filesize = 0;
+	(*file)->handle = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
 	return FILERR_NONE;
-
 }
 
 file_error win_read_socket(osd_file *file, void *buffer, UINT64 offset, UINT32 count, UINT32 *actual)
@@ -122,7 +142,30 @@ file_error win_read_socket(osd_file *file, void *buffer, UINT64 offset, UINT32 c
 	}
 	else if (FD_ISSET(file->socket, &readfds))
 	{
-		result = recv(file->socket, (char*)buffer, count, 0);
+		if (file->handle == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
+		{
+			// connected socket
+			result = recv(file->socket, (char*)buffer, count, 0);
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			// listening socket
+			SOCKET AcceptSocket;
+			AcceptSocket = accept(file->socket, NULL, NULL);
+			if (AcceptSocket == INVALID_SOCKET)
+			{
+				return FILERR_FAILURE;
+			}
+			closesocket(file->socket);
+			file->socket = AcceptSocket;
+			file->handle = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
+			if (actual != NULL )
+			{
+				*actual = 0;
+			}
+
+			return FILERR_NONE;
+		}
 	}
 	else
 	{