diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-native.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-native.c
index 02868f5ce..52e778582 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-native.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-native.c
@@ -570,7 +570,7 @@ static const struct pw_protocol_native_connection_events conn_events = {
 	.need_flush = on_need_flush,
 };
 
-static int impl_connect_fd(struct pw_protocol_client *client, int fd)
+static int impl_connect_fd(struct pw_protocol_client *client, int fd, bool do_close)
 {
 	struct client *impl = SPA_CONTAINER_OF(client, struct client, this);
 	struct pw_remote *remote = client->remote;
@@ -589,14 +589,15 @@ static int impl_connect_fd(struct pw_protocol_client *client, int fd)
         impl->source = pw_loop_add_io(remote->core->main_loop,
                                       fd,
                                       SPA_IO_IN | SPA_IO_HUP | SPA_IO_ERR,
-                                      true, on_remote_data, impl);
+                                      do_close, on_remote_data, impl);
 	if (impl->source == NULL)
 		goto error_close;
 
 	return 0;
 
       error_close:
-        close(fd);
+	if (do_close)
+	        close(fd);
         return -ENOMEM;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-native/local-socket.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-native/local-socket.c
index b701e2da8..3af4241e1 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-native/local-socket.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-native/local-socket.c
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ int pw_protocol_native_connect_local_socket(struct pw_protocol_client *client,
                 goto error_close;
 	}
 
-	res = pw_protocol_client_connect_fd(client, fd);
+	res = pw_protocol_client_connect_fd(client, fd, true);
 
 	done_callback(data, res);
 
diff --git a/src/pipewire/protocol.h b/src/pipewire/protocol.h
index 98ce5bed0..809ddcb70 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/protocol.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/protocol.h
@@ -49,14 +49,14 @@ struct pw_protocol_client {
 	int (*connect) (struct pw_protocol_client *client,
 			void (*done_callback) (void *data, int result),
 			void *data);
-	int (*connect_fd) (struct pw_protocol_client *client, int fd);
+	int (*connect_fd) (struct pw_protocol_client *client, int fd, bool close);
 	int (*steal_fd) (struct pw_protocol_client *client);
 	void (*disconnect) (struct pw_protocol_client *client);
 	void (*destroy) (struct pw_protocol_client *client);
 };
 
 #define pw_protocol_client_connect(c,cb,d)	((c)->connect(c,cb,d))
-#define pw_protocol_client_connect_fd(c,fd)	((c)->connect_fd(c,fd))
+#define pw_protocol_client_connect_fd(c,fd,cl)	((c)->connect_fd(c,fd,cl))
 #define pw_protocol_client_steal_fd(c)		((c)->steal_fd(c))
 #define pw_protocol_client_disconnect(c)	((c)->disconnect(c))
 #define pw_protocol_client_destroy(c)		((c)->destroy(c))
diff --git a/src/pipewire/remote.c b/src/pipewire/remote.c
index 8c8658d74..3a47ebd0d 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/remote.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/remote.c
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ void pw_remote_destroy(struct pw_remote *remote)
 	spa_list_consume(stream, &remote->stream_list, link)
 		pw_stream_destroy(stream);
 
-	pw_protocol_client_destroy (remote->conn);
+	pw_protocol_client_destroy(remote->conn);
 
 	spa_list_remove(&remote->link);
 
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ int pw_remote_connect(struct pw_remote *remote)
 
 	pw_remote_update_state(remote, PW_REMOTE_STATE_CONNECTING, NULL);
 
-	if ((res = pw_protocol_client_connect (remote->conn, done_connect, remote)) < 0) {
+	if ((res = pw_protocol_client_connect(remote->conn, done_connect, remote)) < 0) {
 		pw_remote_update_state(remote, PW_REMOTE_STATE_ERROR,
 				"connect failed %s", spa_strerror(res));
 		return res;
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ int pw_remote_connect_fd(struct pw_remote *remote, int fd)
 
 	pw_remote_update_state(remote, PW_REMOTE_STATE_CONNECTING, NULL);
 
-	if ((res = pw_protocol_client_connect_fd (remote->conn, fd)) < 0) {
+	if ((res = pw_protocol_client_connect_fd(remote->conn, fd, false)) < 0) {
 		pw_remote_update_state(remote, PW_REMOTE_STATE_ERROR,
 				"connect_fd failed %s", spa_strerror(res));
 		return res;
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ int pw_remote_disconnect(struct pw_remote *remote)
 	spa_list_for_each_safe(stream, s2, &remote->stream_list, link)
 		pw_stream_disconnect(stream);
 
-	pw_protocol_client_disconnect (remote->conn);
+	pw_protocol_client_disconnect(remote->conn);
 
 	remote->core_proxy = NULL;
 	remote->client_proxy = NULL;
diff --git a/src/pipewire/remote.h b/src/pipewire/remote.h
index 3591ecea1..0cf837239 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/remote.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/remote.h
@@ -178,7 +178,8 @@ void pw_remote_add_listener(struct pw_remote *remote,
 int pw_remote_connect(struct pw_remote *remote);
 
 /** Connect to a remote PipeWire on the given socket \memberof pw_remote
- * \param fd the connected socket to use
+ * \param fd the connected socket to use, the socket will not be closed
+ *	automatically on disconnect or error.
  * \return 0 on success, < 0 on error */
 int pw_remote_connect_fd(struct pw_remote *remote, int fd);