diff --git a/clients/lcdexec/lcdexec.c b/clients/lcdexec/lcdexec.c
index 2ea0fbe..f3b7aea 100644
--- a/clients/lcdexec/lcdexec.c
+++ b/clients/lcdexec/lcdexec.c
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ int connect_and_setup()
 	report(RPT_INFO, "Connecting to %s:%d", address, port);
 
 	sock = sock_connect(address, port);
-	if (sock <= 0) {
+	if (sock < 0) {
 		return -1;
 	}
 
diff --git a/clients/lcdproc/iface.c b/clients/lcdproc/iface.c
index fbb2077..f94d8f2 100644
--- a/clients/lcdproc/iface.c
+++ b/clients/lcdproc/iface.c
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 	/* Try to connect to server */
 	sock = sock_connect(server, port);
 
-	if (sock <= 0) {  /* there was some error and exit */
+	if (sock < 0) {  /* there was some error and exit */
 		fprintf(stderr, "Error: Could not connect to %s:%d\n", server, port);
 		exit(0);
 	}
diff --git a/clients/lcdproc/main.c b/clients/lcdproc/main.c
index e3963ff..80a13c6 100644
--- a/clients/lcdproc/main.c
+++ b/clients/lcdproc/main.c
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ fprintf(stderr, "%s%s\n", (state) ? "" : "!", name);
 	// Connect to the server...
 	usleep(500000);		// wait for the server to start up
 	sock = sock_connect(server, port);
-	if (sock <= 0) {
+	if (sock < 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Error connecting to LCD server %s on port %d.\n"
 		                "Check to see that the server is running and operating normally.\n",
 				server, port);
diff --git a/clients/lcdvc/lcd_link.c b/clients/lcdvc/lcd_link.c
index a72b09c..8b7b2f1 100644
--- a/clients/lcdvc/lcd_link.c
+++ b/clients/lcdvc/lcd_link.c
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ int connect_and_setup()
 	report(RPT_INFO, "Connecting to %s:%d", address, port);
 
 	sock = sock_connect(address, port);
-	if (sock <= 0) {
+	if (sock < 0) {
 		report(RPT_ERR, "Connecting to %s:%d failed", address, port);
 		return -1;
 	}
diff --git a/shared/sockets.c b/shared/sockets.c
index 8d3645c..0a5dd57 100644
--- a/shared/sockets.c
+++ b/shared/sockets.c
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ sock_connect (char *host, unsigned short int port)
 #endif
 		report (RPT_ERR, "sock_connect: connect failed");
 		shutdown (sock, SHUT_RDWR);
-		return 0;					  // Normal exit if server doesn't exist...
+		return -1;
 	}
 
 #ifndef WINSOCK2