diff --git a/lib/cf-socket.c b/lib/cf-socket.c
index 986294f2f0..838a3855a2 100644
--- a/lib/cf-socket.c
+++ b/lib/cf-socket.c
@@ -84,13 +84,13 @@
 
 
 /* retrieves ip address and port from a sockaddr structure. note it calls
- * curlx_inet_ntop() and returns CURLcode.
+ * curlx_inet_ntop() and optionally returns socket error.
  * @unittest 1607
  */
 UNITTEST bool sockaddr2string(struct sockaddr *sa, curl_socklen_t salen,
-                              char *addr, uint16_t *port, CURLcode *result);
+                              char *addr, uint16_t *port, int *sockerr);
 UNITTEST bool sockaddr2string(struct sockaddr *sa, curl_socklen_t salen,
-                              char *addr, uint16_t *port, CURLcode *result)
+                              char *addr, uint16_t *port, int *sockerr)
 {
   struct sockaddr_in *si = NULL;
 #ifdef USE_IPV6
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ UNITTEST bool sockaddr2string(struct sockaddr *sa, curl_socklen_t salen,
   case AF_INET:
     si = (struct sockaddr_in *)(void *)sa;
     if(curlx_inet_ntop(sa->sa_family, &si->sin_addr, addr, MAX_IPADR_LEN,
-                       result)) {
+                       sockerr)) {
       *port = ntohs(si->sin_port);
       return TRUE;
     }
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ UNITTEST bool sockaddr2string(struct sockaddr *sa, curl_socklen_t salen,
   case AF_INET6:
     si6 = (struct sockaddr_in6 *)(void *)sa;
     if(curlx_inet_ntop(sa->sa_family, &si6->sin6_addr, addr, MAX_IPADR_LEN,
-                       result)) {
+                       sockerr)) {
       *port = ntohs(si6->sin6_port);
       return TRUE;
     }
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ UNITTEST bool sockaddr2string(struct sockaddr *sa, curl_socklen_t salen,
     else
       addr[0] = 0; /* socket with no name */
     *port = 0;
+    *sockerr = 0;
     return TRUE;
 #endif
   default:
@@ -138,7 +139,7 @@ UNITTEST bool sockaddr2string(struct sockaddr *sa, curl_socklen_t salen,
 
   addr[0] = '\0';
   *port = 0;
-  *result = CURLE_UNSUPPORTED_PROTOCOL;
+  *sockerr = SOCKEAFNOSUPPORT;
   return FALSE;
 }
 
@@ -1084,21 +1085,23 @@ static void set_local_ip(struct Curl_cfilter *cf,
 #ifdef HAVE_GETSOCKNAME
   if((ctx->sock != CURL_SOCKET_BAD) &&
      !(data->conn->scheme->protocol & CURLPROTO_TFTP)) {
-    CURLcode result;
+    int sockerr;
     /* TFTP does not connect, so it cannot get the IP like this */
     struct Curl_sockaddr_storage ssloc;
     curl_socklen_t slen = sizeof(struct Curl_sockaddr_storage);
+    VERBOSE(char buffer[STRERROR_LEN]);
 
     memset(&ssloc, 0, sizeof(ssloc));
     if(getsockname(ctx->sock, (struct sockaddr *)&ssloc, &slen)) {
-      VERBOSE(char buffer[STRERROR_LEN]);
-      VERBOSE(int sockerr = SOCKERRNO);
+      sockerr = SOCKERRNO;
       infof(data, "getsockname() failed with errno %d: %s",
             sockerr, curlx_strerror(sockerr, buffer, sizeof(buffer)));
     }
     else if(!sockaddr2string((struct sockaddr *)&ssloc, slen,
-                             ctx->ip.local_ip, &ctx->ip.local_port, &result)) {
-      infof(data, "ssloc inet_ntop() failed with %d", (int)result);
+                             ctx->ip.local_ip, &ctx->ip.local_port,
+                             &sockerr)) {
+      infof(data, "ssloc inet_ntop() failed with errno %d: %s",
+            sockerr, curlx_strerror(sockerr, buffer, sizeof(buffer)));
     }
   }
 #else
@@ -1110,19 +1113,18 @@ static CURLcode set_remote_ip(struct Curl_cfilter *cf,
                               struct Curl_easy *data)
 {
   struct cf_socket_ctx *ctx = cf->ctx;
-  CURLcode result;
+  int sockerr;
 
   /* store remote address and port used in this connection attempt */
   ctx->ip.transport = ctx->transport;
   if(!sockaddr2string(&ctx->addr.curl_sa_addr,
                       (curl_socklen_t)ctx->addr.addrlen,
-                      ctx->ip.remote_ip, &ctx->ip.remote_port, &result)) {
-    /* using bare errno instead of SOCKERRNO is safe here, because
-       sockaddr2string() calls curlx_inet_ntop(), and they both report failures
-       via errno (even on Windows builds). */
-    ctx->sockerr = errno;
+                      ctx->ip.remote_ip, &ctx->ip.remote_port, &sockerr)) {
+    char buffer[STRERROR_LEN];
+    ctx->sockerr = sockerr;
     /* malformed address or bug in inet_ntop, try next address */
-    failf(data, "curl_sa_addr inet_ntop() failed with %d", (int)result);
+    failf(data, "curl_sa_addr inet_ntop() failed with errno %d: %s",
+          sockerr, curlx_strerror(sockerr, buffer, sizeof(buffer)));
     return CURLE_FAILED_INIT;
   }
   return CURLE_OK;
@@ -2105,7 +2107,8 @@ static void cf_tcp_set_accepted_remote_ip(struct Curl_cfilter *cf,
 {
   struct cf_socket_ctx *ctx = cf->ctx;
 #ifdef HAVE_GETPEERNAME
-  CURLcode result;
+  char buffer[STRERROR_LEN];
+  int sockerr;
   struct Curl_sockaddr_storage ssrem;
   curl_socklen_t plen;
 
@@ -2114,15 +2117,15 @@ static void cf_tcp_set_accepted_remote_ip(struct Curl_cfilter *cf,
   plen = sizeof(ssrem);
   memset(&ssrem, 0, plen);
   if(getpeername(ctx->sock, (struct sockaddr *)&ssrem, &plen)) {
-    char buffer[STRERROR_LEN];
-    int sockerr = SOCKERRNO;
+    sockerr = SOCKERRNO;
     failf(data, "getpeername() failed with errno %d: %s",
           sockerr, curlx_strerror(sockerr, buffer, sizeof(buffer)));
     return;
   }
   if(!sockaddr2string((struct sockaddr *)&ssrem, plen,
-                      ctx->ip.remote_ip, &ctx->ip.remote_port, &result)) {
-    failf(data, "ssrem inet_ntop() failed with %d", (int)result);
+                      ctx->ip.remote_ip, &ctx->ip.remote_port, &sockerr)) {
+    failf(data, "ssrem inet_ntop() failed with errno %d: %s",
+          sockerr, curlx_strerror(sockerr, buffer, sizeof(buffer)));
     return;
   }
 #else
diff --git a/lib/curlx/inet_ntop.c b/lib/curlx/inet_ntop.c
index b975325dd2..62a1a84c59 100644
--- a/lib/curlx/inet_ntop.c
+++ b/lib/curlx/inet_ntop.c
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
  *  - takes an unsigned char* not an in_addr as input
  */
 static char *inet_ntop4(const unsigned char *src, char *dst, size_t size,
-                        CURLcode *result)
+                        int *sockerr)
 {
   char tmp[sizeof("255.255.255.255")];
   size_t len;
@@ -70,12 +70,12 @@ static char *inet_ntop4(const unsigned char *src, char *dst, size_t size,
 
   len = strlen(tmp);
   if(len == 0 || len >= size) {
-    if(result)
-      *result = CURLE_BAD_FUNCTION_ARGUMENT;
+    if(sockerr)
+      *sockerr = SOCKEINVAL;
     return NULL;
   }
-  if(result)
-    *result = CURLE_OK;
+  if(sockerr)
+    *sockerr = 0;
   curlx_strcopy(dst, size, tmp, len);
   return dst;
 }
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ static char *inet_ntop4(const unsigned char *src, char *dst, size_t size,
  * Convert IPv6 binary address into presentation (printable) format.
  */
 static char *inet_ntop6(const unsigned char *src, char *dst, size_t size,
-                        CURLcode *result)
+                        int *sockerr)
 {
   /*
    * Note that int32_t and int16_t need only be "at least" large enough
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ static char *inet_ntop6(const unsigned char *src, char *dst, size_t size,
      */
     if(i == 6 && best.base == 0 &&
        (best.len == 6 || (best.len == 5 && words[5] == 0xffff))) {
-      if(!inet_ntop4(src + 12, tp, sizeof(tmp) - (tp - tmp), result)) {
+      if(!inet_ntop4(src + 12, tp, sizeof(tmp) - (tp - tmp), sockerr)) {
         return NULL;
       }
       tp += strlen(tp);
@@ -183,12 +183,12 @@ static char *inet_ntop6(const unsigned char *src, char *dst, size_t size,
 
   /* Check for overflow, copy, and we are done. */
   if((size_t)(tp - tmp) >= size) {
-    if(result)
-      *result = CURLE_BAD_FUNCTION_ARGUMENT;
+    if(sockerr)
+      *sockerr = SOCKEINVAL;
     return NULL;
   }
-  if(result)
-    *result = CURLE_OK;
+  if(sockerr)
+    *sockerr = 0;
   curlx_strcopy(dst, size, tmp, tp - tmp);
   return dst;
 }
@@ -198,19 +198,19 @@ static char *inet_ntop6(const unsigned char *src, char *dst, size_t size,
  *
  * Returns pointer to presentation format address (`buf').
  * Returns NULL on error and errno set with the specific
- * error, EAFNOSUPPORT or ENOSPC.
+ * error, SOCKEAFNOSUPPORT or SOCKEINVAL.
  */
 char *curlx_inet_ntop(int af, const void *src, char *buf, size_t size,
-                      CURLcode *result)
+                      int *sockerr)
 {
   switch(af) {
   case AF_INET:
-    return inet_ntop4((const unsigned char *)src, buf, size, result);
+    return inet_ntop4((const unsigned char *)src, buf, size, sockerr);
   case AF_INET6:
-    return inet_ntop6((const unsigned char *)src, buf, size, result);
+    return inet_ntop6((const unsigned char *)src, buf, size, sockerr);
   default:
-    if(result)
-      *result = CURLE_UNSUPPORTED_PROTOCOL;
+    if(sockerr)
+      *sockerr = SOCKEAFNOSUPPORT;
     return NULL;
   }
 }
diff --git a/lib/curlx/inet_ntop.h b/lib/curlx/inet_ntop.h
index 6dfae295f4..421a14036a 100644
--- a/lib/curlx/inet_ntop.h
+++ b/lib/curlx/inet_ntop.h
@@ -26,6 +26,6 @@
 #include "curl_setup.h"
 
 char *curlx_inet_ntop(int af, const void *src, char *buf, size_t size,
-                      CURLcode *result);
+                      int *sockerr);
 
 #endif /* HEADER_CURL_INET_NTOP_H */
diff --git a/tests/unit/unit1607.c b/tests/unit/unit1607.c
index 51b651707e..f234588466 100644
--- a/tests/unit/unit1607.c
+++ b/tests/unit/unit1607.c
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ static CURLcode test_unit1607(const char *arg)
     for(j = 0; j < addressnum; ++j) {
       uint16_t port = 0;
       char ipaddress[MAX_IPADR_LEN] = { 0 };
-      CURLcode result;
+      int sockerr;
 
       if(!addr && !tests[i].address[j])
         break;
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ static CURLcode test_unit1607(const char *arg)
         continue;
 
       if(addr && !sockaddr2string(addr->ai_addr, addr->ai_addrlen,
-                                  ipaddress, &port, &result)) {
+                                  ipaddress, &port, &sockerr)) {
         curl_mfprintf(stderr, "%s:%d tests[%zu] failed. "
                       "getaddressinfo failed.\n",
                       __FILE__, __LINE__, i);
diff --git a/tests/unit/unit1609.c b/tests/unit/unit1609.c
index 1ed1734074..614170b946 100644
--- a/tests/unit/unit1609.c
+++ b/tests/unit/unit1609.c
@@ -142,13 +142,13 @@ static CURLcode test_unit1609(const char *arg)
     for(j = 0; j < addressnum; ++j) {
       uint16_t port = 0;
       char ipaddress[MAX_IPADR_LEN] = { 0 };
-      CURLcode result;
+      int sockerr;
 
       if(!addr && !tests[i].address[j])
         break;
 
       if(addr && !sockaddr2string(addr->ai_addr, addr->ai_addrlen,
-                                  ipaddress, &port, &result)) {
+                                  ipaddress, &port, &sockerr)) {
         curl_mfprintf(stderr,
                       "%s:%d tests[%zu] failed. Curl_addr2string failed.\n",
                       __FILE__, __LINE__, i);