diff --git a/collects/db/private/mysql/main.rkt b/collects/db/private/mysql/main.rkt
index b70ba1ac8f..9f03e2f453 100644
--- a/collects/db/private/mysql/main.rkt
+++ b/collects/db/private/mysql/main.rkt
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
          openssl
          "../generic/interfaces.rkt"
          "../generic/common.rkt"
-         "../generic/socket.rkt"
+         unstable/socket
          "connection.rkt")
 (provide mysql-connect
          mysql-guess-socket-path
diff --git a/collects/db/private/postgresql/main.rkt b/collects/db/private/postgresql/main.rkt
index 9a986f8686..637bd6417d 100644
--- a/collects/db/private/postgresql/main.rkt
+++ b/collects/db/private/postgresql/main.rkt
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
          openssl
          "../generic/interfaces.rkt"
          "../generic/common.rkt"
-         "../generic/socket.rkt"
+         unstable/socket
          "connection.rkt")
 (provide postgresql-connect
          postgresql-guess-socket-path
diff --git a/collects/tests/unstable/socket.rkt b/collects/tests/unstable/socket.rkt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..49faef801a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/collects/tests/unstable/socket.rkt
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+#lang racket
+(require racket/port
+         rackunit
+         unstable/socket)
+
+(define (call-in-custodian proc)
+  (parameterize ((current-subprocess-custodian-mode 'kill))
+    (parameterize ((current-custodian (make-custodian)))
+      (call-with-continuation-barrier
+       (lambda ()
+         (dynamic-wind void
+                       proc
+                       (lambda ()
+                         (custodian-shutdown-all (current-custodian)))))))))
+
+(define netcat
+  (for/first ([netcat '("/bin/nc" "/usr/bin/nc")]
+              #:when (and (file-exists? netcat)
+                          (memq 'execute (file-or-directory-permissions netcat))))
+    netcat))
+
+(cond
+ [(and unix-socket-available? netcat)
+  (test-case "unix socket"
+    ;; Uses netcat to create a simple unix domain socket server
+    (define tmp (make-temporary-file))
+    (delete-file tmp)
+    (call-in-custodian
+     (lambda ()
+       (define-values (ncprocess ncout ncin ncerr)
+         (subprocess #f #f #f netcat "-Ul" (path->string tmp)))
+       (sleep 0.5)
+       (define-values (from-sock to-sock)
+         (unix-socket-connect tmp))
+
+       (define-check (check-comm msg out in)
+         (write-bytes msg out)
+         (flush-output out)
+         (check-equal? (sync/timeout 1 (read-bytes-evt (bytes-length msg) in))
+                       msg))
+
+       (check-comm #"hello" to-sock ncout)
+       (check-comm #"charmed" ncin from-sock)
+       (check-comm #"well\ngoodbye, then" to-sock ncout)
+
+       (close-output-port to-sock)
+       (close-input-port from-sock)
+
+       (close-output-port ncin)
+       (close-input-port ncout)
+       (close-input-port ncerr)
+       (or (sync/timeout 1 ncprocess)
+           (subprocess-kill ncprocess))
+       ))
+    (when (file-exists? tmp) (delete-file tmp)))]
+ [else
+  (eprintf "cannot test unix sockets\n")
+  (unless unix-socket-available?
+    (eprintf "unix sockets not supported\n"))
+  (unless netcat
+    (eprintf "netcat not available\n"))])
diff --git a/collects/unstable/scribblings/socket.scrbl b/collects/unstable/scribblings/socket.scrbl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..73c531520a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/collects/unstable/scribblings/socket.scrbl
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+#lang scribble/manual
+@(require "utils.rkt"
+          (for-label racket/base 
+                     racket/contract
+                     unstable/socket))
+
+@title[#:tag "unix-socket"]{Unix Domain Sockets}
+@unstable-header[]
+
+@defmodule[unstable/socket]
+
+@defthing[unix-socket-available?
+          boolean?]{
+
+A boolean value that indicates whether unix domain sockets are
+available and supported on the current platform. The supported
+platforms are Linux and Mac OS X; unix domain sockets are not
+supported on Windows and other Unix variants.
+}
+
+@defproc[(unix-socket-connect [socket-path path-string?])
+         (values input-port? output-port?)]{
+
+Connects to the unix domain socket associated with
+@racket[socket-path] and returns an input port and output port for
+communicating with the socket.
+}
diff --git a/collects/unstable/scribblings/unstable.scrbl b/collects/unstable/scribblings/unstable.scrbl
index afabdd71d2..d72baa988c 100644
--- a/collects/unstable/scribblings/unstable.scrbl
+++ b/collects/unstable/scribblings/unstable.scrbl
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ Keep documentation and tests up to date.
 @include-section["custom-write.scrbl"] ;; Struct Printing
 @include-section["syntax.scrbl"]
 @include-section["../temp-c/scribblings/temp-c.scrbl"]
+@include-section["socket.scrbl"] ;; Unix Domain Sockets
 @include-section["2d.scrbl"]
 
 @;{--------}
diff --git a/collects/db/private/generic/socket.rkt b/collects/unstable/socket.rkt
similarity index 94%
rename from collects/db/private/generic/socket.rkt
rename to collects/unstable/socket.rkt
index 7ac4988991..f98695ca34 100644
--- a/collects/db/private/generic/socket.rkt
+++ b/collects/unstable/socket.rkt
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 #lang racket/base
 (require ffi/unsafe
          ffi/file)
-(provide unix-socket-connect)
-
-;; The solaris code is untested (and thus disabled).
+(provide unix-socket-connect
+         unix-socket-available?)
 
 ;; unix-socket-connect : pathlike -> input-port output-port
 ;; Connects to the unix domain socket associated with the given path.
@@ -36,11 +35,12 @@
         [machine (system-type 'machine)])
     (cond [(eq? os 'macosx) 'macosx]
           [(regexp-match #rx"Linux.*86" machine) 'linux86]
-          [(regexp-match #rx"SunOS" machine) #f #;'solaris]
+          [(regexp-match #rx"SunOS" machine) #f #|'solaris |#]
           [else #f])))
 
+(define unix-socket-available? (and platform #t))
+
 (define _socklen_t _uint)
-(define _size_t _int)
 
 (define AF_UNIX 1)
 (define SOCK_STREAM