diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index f6485c3b1..7024f3f78 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -453,6 +453,14 @@ bool AppInit2(boost::thread_group& threadGroup)
     typedef BOOL (WINAPI *PSETPROCDEPPOL)(DWORD);
     PSETPROCDEPPOL setProcDEPPol = (PSETPROCDEPPOL)GetProcAddress(GetModuleHandleA("Kernel32.dll"), "SetProcessDEPPolicy");
     if (setProcDEPPol != NULL) setProcDEPPol(PROCESS_DEP_ENABLE);
+
+    // Initialize Windows Sockets
+    WSADATA wsadata;
+    int ret = WSAStartup(MAKEWORD(2,2), &wsadata);
+    if (ret != NO_ERROR)
+    {
+        return InitError(strprintf("Error: TCP/IP socket library failed to start (WSAStartup returned error %d)", ret));
+    }
 #endif
 #ifndef WIN32
     umask(077);
diff --git a/src/net.cpp b/src/net.cpp
index 755312682..031126180 100644
--- a/src/net.cpp
+++ b/src/net.cpp
@@ -1653,18 +1653,6 @@ bool BindListenPort(const CService &addrBind, string& strError)
     strError = "";
     int nOne = 1;
 
-#ifdef WIN32
-    // Initialize Windows Sockets
-    WSADATA wsadata;
-    int ret = WSAStartup(MAKEWORD(2,2), &wsadata);
-    if (ret != NO_ERROR)
-    {
-        strError = strprintf("Error: TCP/IP socket library failed to start (WSAStartup returned error %d)", ret);
-        printf("%s\n", strError.c_str());
-        return false;
-    }
-#endif
-
     // Create socket for listening for incoming connections
 #ifdef USE_IPV6
     struct sockaddr_storage sockaddr;