diff --git a/kernel-src/fs/sockfs.c b/kernel-src/fs/sockfs.c
index c35d4b12..df3edbcb 100644
--- a/kernel-src/fs/sockfs.c
+++ b/kernel-src/fs/sockfs.c
@@ -198,7 +198,6 @@ int sockfs_newsocket(vnode_t **nodep, socket_t *socket) {
 
 	node->socket = socket;
 	*nodep = vnode;
-	POLL_INITHEADER(&socket->pollheader);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/kernel-src/io/net/socket.c b/kernel-src/io/net/socket.c
index 6ffb99ca..58059a16 100644
--- a/kernel-src/io/net/socket.c
+++ b/kernel-src/io/net/socket.c
@@ -8,5 +8,11 @@ static socket_t *(*createsocket[])() = {
 
 socket_t *socket_create(int type) {
 	__assert(type < sizeof(createsocket) / sizeof(createsocket[0]));
-	return createsocket[type]();
+	socket_t *socket = createsocket[type]();
+	if (socket == NULL)
+		return NULL;
+
+	POLL_INITHEADER(&socket->pollheader);
+
+	return socket;
 }