diff --git a/Network/Socket.hs b/Network/Socket.hs
index fc551f24..adf41f03 100644
--- a/Network/Socket.hs
+++ b/Network/Socket.hs
@@ -139,6 +139,7 @@ module Network.Socket
     -- * Socket
     , Socket
     , socket
+    , socketFromName
     , withFdSocket
     , unsafeFdSocket
     , touchSocket
@@ -158,8 +159,14 @@ module Network.Socket
     -- ** Protocol number
     , ProtocolNumber
     , defaultProtocol
+    -- * Basic socket name type
+    , SockName(..)
+    , readSockName
+    , showSockName
+    , sockNameToAddr
     -- * Basic socket address type
     , SockAddr(..)
+    , sockAddrFamily
     , isSupportedSockAddr
     , getPeerName
     , getSocketName
diff --git a/Network/Socket/Info.hsc b/Network/Socket/Info.hsc
index 11cd6edb..df0a9574 100644
--- a/Network/Socket/Info.hsc
+++ b/Network/Socket/Info.hsc
@@ -8,14 +8,17 @@
 
 module Network.Socket.Info where
 
+import Control.Exception (try, IOException)
 import Foreign.Marshal.Alloc (alloca, allocaBytes)
 import Foreign.Marshal.Utils (maybeWith, with)
 import GHC.IO (unsafePerformIO)
 import GHC.IO.Exception (IOErrorType(NoSuchThing))
 import System.IO.Error (ioeSetErrorString, mkIOError)
+import Text.Read (readEither)
 
 import Network.Socket.Imports
 import Network.Socket.Internal
+import Network.Socket.Syscall (socket)
 import Network.Socket.Types
 
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -262,7 +265,9 @@ showDefaultHints AddrInfo{..} = concat [
 --
 -- >>> addr:_ <- getAddrInfo (Just hints) (Just "127.0.0.1") (Just "http")
 -- >>> addrAddress addr
--- 127.0.0.1:80
+-- SockAddrInet 80 16777343
+-- >>> showSockAddr (addrAddress addr)
+-- "127.0.0.1:80"
 
 getAddrInfo
     :: Maybe AddrInfo -- ^ preferred socket type or protocol
@@ -433,24 +438,89 @@ unpackBits ((k,v):xs) r
     | otherwise    = unpackBits xs r
 
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--- SockAddr
-
-instance Show SockAddr where
-#if defined(DOMAIN_SOCKET_SUPPORT)
-  showsPrec _ (SockAddrUnix str) = showString str
-#else
-  showsPrec _ SockAddrUnix{} = error "showsPrec: not supported"
-#endif
-  showsPrec _ addr@(SockAddrInet port _)
+-- SockName, SockAddr
+
+-- | Read a string representing a socket name.
+readSockName :: PortNumber -> String -> Either String SockName
+readSockName defPort hostport = case hostport of
+  '/':_ -> Right $ SockAddr $ SockAddrUnix hostport
+  '[':tl -> case span ((/=) ']') tl of
+    (_, []) -> Left $ "unterminated IPv6 address: " <> hostport
+    (ipv6, _:port) -> case readAddr ipv6 of
+      Nothing -> Left $ "invalid IPv6 address: " <> ipv6
+      Just addr -> SockAddr . sockAddrPort addr <$> readPort port
+  _ -> case span ((/=) ':') hostport of
+    (host, port) -> case readAddr host of
+      Nothing -> SockName host <$> readPort port
+      Just addr -> SockAddr . sockAddrPort addr <$> readPort port
+ where
+  readPort "" = Right defPort
+  readPort ":" = Right defPort
+  readPort (':':port) = case readEither port of
+    Right p -> Right p
+    Left _ -> Left $ "bad port: " <> port
+  readPort x = Left $ "bad port: " <> x
+  hints = Just $ defaultHints { addrFlags = [AI_NUMERICHOST] }
+  readAddr host = case unsafePerformIO (try (getAddrInfo hints (Just host) Nothing)) of
+    Left e -> Nothing where _ = e :: IOException
+    Right r -> Just (addrAddress (head r))
+  sockAddrPort h p = case h of
+    SockAddrInet _ a -> SockAddrInet p a
+    SockAddrInet6 _ f a s -> SockAddrInet6 p f a s
+    x -> x
+
+showSockName :: SockName -> String
+showSockName n = case n of
+  SockName h p -> h <> ":" <> show p
+  SockAddr a -> showSockAddr a
+
+-- | Read a string representing a socket address.
+readSockAddr :: PortNumber -> String -> Either String SockAddr
+readSockAddr defPort hostport = readSockName defPort hostport >>= \r -> case r of
+  SockName h _ -> Left $ "expected address but got hostname: " <> h
+  SockAddr a -> Right a
+
+showSockAddr :: SockAddr -> String
+showSockAddr sa = showsAddr sa "" where
+  showsAddr (SockAddrUnix str) = showString str
+  showsAddr addr@(SockAddrInet port _)
    = showString (unsafePerformIO $
                  fst <$> getNameInfo [NI_NUMERICHOST] True False addr >>=
                  maybe (fail "showsPrec: impossible internal error") return)
    . showString ":"
    . shows port
-  showsPrec _ addr@(SockAddrInet6 port _ _ _)
+  showsAddr addr@(SockAddrInet6 port _ _ _)
    = showChar '['
    . showString (unsafePerformIO $
                  fst <$> getNameInfo [NI_NUMERICHOST] True False addr >>=
                  maybe (fail "showsPrec: impossible internal error") return)
    . showString "]:"
    . shows port
+
+-- | Resolve a socket name into a list of socket addresses.
+--  The result is always non-empty; Haskell throws an exception if name
+--  resolution fails.
+sockNameToAddr :: SockName -> IO [SockAddr]
+sockNameToAddr name = case name of
+  SockAddr a -> pure [a]
+  SockName host port -> fmap addrAddress <$> getAddrInfo hints (Just host) (Just (show port))
+ where
+  hints = Just $ defaultHints { addrSocketType = Stream }
+  -- prevents duplicates, otherwise getAddrInfo returns all socket types
+
+-- | Shortcut for creating a socket from a socket name.
+--
+-- >>> import Network.Socket
+-- >>> let Right sn = readSockName 0 "0.0.0.0:0"
+-- >>> (s, a) <- socketFromName sn head Stream defaultProtocol
+-- >>> bind s a
+socketFromName
+  :: SockName
+  -> ([SockAddr] -> SockAddr)
+  -> SocketType
+  -> ProtocolNumber
+  -> IO (Socket, SockAddr)
+socketFromName sname select stype protocol = do
+  a <- select <$> sockNameToAddr sname
+  s <- socket (sockAddrFamily a) stype protocol
+  pure (s, a)
diff --git a/Network/Socket/SockAddr.hs b/Network/Socket/SockAddr.hs
index a16b2e2b..3aae8eec 100644
--- a/Network/Socket/SockAddr.hs
+++ b/Network/Socket/SockAddr.hs
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ module Network.Socket.SockAddr (
     , recvBufFrom
     ) where
 
+import Control.Exception (try, throwIO, IOException)
+import System.Directory (removeFile)
+import System.IO.Error (isAlreadyInUseError, isDoesNotExistError)
+
 import qualified Network.Socket.Buffer as G
 import qualified Network.Socket.Name as G
 import qualified Network.Socket.Syscall as G
@@ -32,7 +36,27 @@ connect = G.connect
 -- 'defaultPort' is passed then the system assigns the next available
 -- use port.
 bind :: Socket -> SockAddr -> IO ()
-bind = G.bind
+bind s a = case a of
+  SockAddrUnix p -> do
+    -- gracefully handle the fact that UNIX systems don't clean up closed UNIX
+    -- domain sockets, inspired by https://stackoverflow.com/a/13719866
+    res <- try (G.bind s a)
+    case res of
+      Right () -> pure ()
+      Left e -> if not (isAlreadyInUseError (e :: IOException))
+        then throwIO e
+        else do
+          -- socket might be in use, try to connect
+          res2 <- try (G.connect s a)
+          case res2 of
+            Right () -> close s >> throwIO e
+            Left e2 -> if not (isDoesNotExistError (e2 :: IOException))
+              then throwIO e
+              else do
+                -- socket not actually in use, remove it and retry bind
+                removeFile p
+                G.bind s a
+  _ -> G.bind s a
 
 -- | Accept a connection.  The socket must be bound to an address and
 -- listening for connections.  The return value is a pair @(conn,
diff --git a/Network/Socket/Syscall.hs b/Network/Socket/Syscall.hs
index 57e3e34a..31ef4837 100644
--- a/Network/Socket/Syscall.hs
+++ b/Network/Socket/Syscall.hs
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ import Network.Socket.Types
 -- >>> sock <- socket (addrFamily addr) (addrSocketType addr) (addrProtocol addr)
 -- >>> Network.Socket.bind sock (addrAddress addr)
 -- >>> getSocketName sock
--- 127.0.0.1:5000
+-- SockAddrInet 5000 16777343
 socket :: Family         -- Family Name (usually AF_INET)
        -> SocketType     -- Socket Type (usually Stream)
        -> ProtocolNumber -- Protocol Number (getProtocolByName to find value)
diff --git a/Network/Socket/Types.hsc b/Network/Socket/Types.hsc
index bcb42950..3a0d82c4 100644
--- a/Network/Socket/Types.hsc
+++ b/Network/Socket/Types.hsc
@@ -42,7 +42,9 @@ module Network.Socket.Types (
     , withNewSocketAddress
 
     -- * Socket address type
+    , SockName(..)
     , SockAddr(..)
+    , sockAddrFamily
     , isSupportedSockAddr
     , HostAddress
     , hostAddressToTuple
@@ -970,6 +972,17 @@ type FlowInfo = Word32
 -- | Scope identifier.
 type ScopeID = Word32
 
+-- | Socket names.
+--  A wrapper around socket addresses that also accommodates the
+--  popular usage of specifying them by name, e.g. "example.com:80".
+--  Note that we don't support service names here because they also
+--  imply a particular socket type, which is outside of the scope of
+--  what this data type represents.
+data SockName
+  = SockName !String !PortNumber
+  | SockAddr !SockAddr
+  deriving (Eq, Ord, Typeable, Read, Show)
+
 -- | Socket addresses.
 --  The existence of a constructor does not necessarily imply that
 --  that socket address type is supported on your system: see
@@ -986,13 +999,19 @@ data SockAddr
   -- | The path must have fewer than 104 characters. All of these characters must have code points less than 256.
   | SockAddrUnix
         String           -- sun_path
-  deriving (Eq, Ord, Typeable)
+  deriving (Eq, Ord, Typeable, Read, Show)
 
 instance NFData SockAddr where
   rnf (SockAddrInet _ _) = ()
   rnf (SockAddrInet6 _ _ _ _) = ()
   rnf (SockAddrUnix str) = rnf str
 
+sockAddrFamily :: SockAddr -> Family
+sockAddrFamily addr = case addr of
+  SockAddrInet _ _ -> AF_INET
+  SockAddrInet6 _ _ _ _ -> AF_INET6
+  SockAddrUnix _ -> AF_UNIX
+
 -- | Is the socket address type supported on this system?
 isSupportedSockAddr :: SockAddr -> Bool
 isSupportedSockAddr addr = case addr of
diff --git a/network.cabal b/network.cabal
index 713e7e92..89f4e364 100644
--- a/network.cabal
+++ b/network.cabal
@@ -83,7 +83,8 @@ library
   build-depends:
     base >= 4.7 && < 5,
     bytestring == 0.10.*,
-    deepseq
+    deepseq,
+    directory
 
   include-dirs: include
   includes: HsNet.h HsNetDef.h