diff --git a/qemu-sockets.c b/qemu-sockets.c
index bd49d29a48..732d3e09cf 100644
--- a/qemu-sockets.c
+++ b/qemu-sockets.c
@@ -29,6 +29,19 @@
 static int sockets_debug = 0;
 static const int on=1, off=0;
 
+/* used temporarely until all users are converted to QemuOpts */
+QemuOptsList dummy_opts = {
+    .name = "dummy",
+    .head = TAILQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(dummy_opts.head),
+    .desc = {
+        {
+            .name = "path",
+            .type = QEMU_OPT_STRING,
+        },
+        { /* end if list */ }
+    },
+};
+
 static int inet_getport(struct addrinfo *e)
 {
     struct sockaddr_in *i4;
@@ -376,11 +389,17 @@ err:
     return -1;
 }
 
-int unix_connect(const char *path)
+int unix_connect_opts(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
     struct sockaddr_un un;
+    const char *path = qemu_opt_get(opts, "path");
     int sock;
 
+    if (NULL == path) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "unix connect: no path specified\n");
+        return -1;
+    }
+
     sock = socket(PF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
     if (sock < 0) {
         perror("socket(unix)");
@@ -400,6 +419,19 @@ int unix_connect(const char *path)
     return sock;
 }
 
+/* compatibility wrapper */
+int unix_connect(const char *path)
+{
+    QemuOpts *opts;
+    int sock;
+
+    opts = qemu_opts_create(&dummy_opts, NULL, 0);
+    qemu_opt_set(opts, "path", path);
+    sock = unix_connect_opts(opts);
+    qemu_opts_del(opts);
+    return sock;
+}
+
 #else
 
 int unix_listen(const char *path, char *ostr, int olen)
diff --git a/qemu_socket.h b/qemu_socket.h
index fc5b5889b7..7ca4af7e0f 100644
--- a/qemu_socket.h
+++ b/qemu_socket.h
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ int inet_aton(const char *cp, struct in_addr *ia);
 
 #endif /* !_WIN32 */
 
+#include "qemu-option.h"
+
 /* misc helpers */
 void socket_set_nonblock(int fd);
 int send_all(int fd, const void *buf, int len1);
@@ -39,6 +41,7 @@ int inet_listen(const char *str, char *ostr, int olen,
 int inet_connect(const char *str, int socktype);
 
 int unix_listen(const char *path, char *ostr, int olen);
+int unix_connect_opts(QemuOpts *opts);
 int unix_connect(const char *path);
 
 /* Old, ipv4 only bits.  Don't use for new code. */