diff --git a/daemon/tcp_listener.c b/daemon/tcp_listener.c
index 332304f61..a3047db9d 100644
--- a/daemon/tcp_listener.c
+++ b/daemon/tcp_listener.c
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ static int tcp_listener_init(socket_t *sock, const endpoint_t *ep,
 
 	if (!open_socket(sock, SOCK_STREAM, ep->port, &ep->address))
 		goto fail;
-	if (sock->family->listen(sock, 5))
+	if (!sock->family->listen(sock, 5))
 		goto fail;
 
 	ZERO(i);
diff --git a/lib/socket.c b/lib/socket.c
index 091b6bb81..a6342cb1d 100644
--- a/lib/socket.c
+++ b/lib/socket.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ static bool __ip4_is_specified(const sockaddr_t *a);
 static bool __ip6_is_specified(const sockaddr_t *a);
 static bool __ip_bind(socket_t *s, unsigned int, const sockaddr_t *);
 static bool __ip_connect(socket_t *s, const endpoint_t *);
-static int __ip_listen(socket_t *s, int backlog);
+static bool __ip_listen(socket_t *s, int backlog);
 static int __ip_accept(socket_t *s, socket_t *new_sock);
 static int __ip_timestamping(socket_t *s);
 static int __ip4_pktinfo(socket_t *s);
@@ -289,8 +289,8 @@ static bool __ip_connect(socket_t *s, const endpoint_t *ep) {
 	}
 	return true;
 }
-static int __ip_listen(socket_t *s, int backlog) {
-	return listen(s->fd, backlog);
+static bool __ip_listen(socket_t *s, int backlog) {
+	return listen(s->fd, backlog) == 0;
 }
 static int __ip_accept(socket_t *s, socket_t *newsock) {
 	int nfd;
diff --git a/lib/socket.h b/lib/socket.h
index 64ea13388..e95a62be4 100644
--- a/lib/socket.h
+++ b/lib/socket.h
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ struct socket_family {
 	bool				(*addrport2sockaddr)(void *, const sockaddr_t *, unsigned int);
 	bool				(*bind)(socket_t *, unsigned int, const sockaddr_t *);
 	bool				(*connect)(socket_t *, const endpoint_t *);
-	int				(*listen)(socket_t *, int);
+	bool				(*listen)(socket_t *, int);
 	int				(*accept)(socket_t *, socket_t *);
 	int				(*timestamping)(socket_t *);
 	int				(*pktinfo)(socket_t *);