diff --git a/cmd/utils/flags.go b/cmd/utils/flags.go
index 0131fb5e13..706025d4a7 100644
--- a/cmd/utils/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/utils/flags.go
@@ -616,7 +616,17 @@ func IpcSocketPath(ctx *cli.Context) (ipcpath string) {
 }
 
 func StartIPC(ethereum *eth.Ethereum, ctx *cli.Context) error {
+	config := comms.IpcConfig{
+		Endpoint: IpcSocketPath(ctx),
+	}
+
 	if ctx.GlobalIsSet(IPCExperimental.Name) {
+
+		listener, err := comms.CreateListener(config)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
 		server := rpc.NewServer()
 
 		server.RegisterName("eth", accounts.NewAccountService(ethereum.AccountManager()))
@@ -631,18 +641,13 @@ func StartIPC(ethereum *eth.Ethereum, ctx *cli.Context) error {
 		server.RegisterName("personal", accounts.NewPersonalService(ethereum.AccountManager()))
 		server.RegisterName("shh", whisper.NewWhisperService(ethereum.Whisper()))
 
-		ipcEndpoint := IpcSocketPath(ctx)
-		os.RemoveAll(ipcEndpoint)
-		l, err := net.ListenUnix("unix", &net.UnixAddr{Name: ipcEndpoint, Net: "unix"})
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
 		go func() {
-			glog.Infof("IPC endpoint(%s)\n", ipcEndpoint)
+			glog.Infof("IPC Service endpoint(%s)\n", config.Endpoint)
 			for {
-				conn, err := l.Accept()
+				conn, err := listener.Accept()
 				if err != nil {
-					panic(err)
+					glog.Errorf("%v\n", err)
+					continue
 				}
 				codec := rpc.NewJSONCodec(conn)
 				go server.ServeCodec(codec)
@@ -652,11 +657,6 @@ func StartIPC(ethereum *eth.Ethereum, ctx *cli.Context) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-
-	config := comms.IpcConfig{
-		Endpoint: IpcSocketPath(ctx),
-	}
-
 	initializer := func(conn net.Conn) (comms.Stopper, shared.EthereumApi, error) {
 		fe := useragent.NewRemoteFrontend(conn, ethereum.AccountManager())
 		xeth := xeth.New(ethereum, fe)
diff --git a/rpc/comms/ipc.go b/rpc/comms/ipc.go
index 67edbe9aea..16d735c687 100644
--- a/rpc/comms/ipc.go
+++ b/rpc/comms/ipc.go
@@ -124,6 +124,11 @@ func StartIpc(cfg IpcConfig, codec codec.Codec, initializer InitFunc) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// CreateListener creates an listener, on Unix platforms this is a unix socket, on Windows this is a named pipe
+func CreateListener(cfg IpcConfig) (net.Listener, error) {
+	return ipcListen(cfg)
+}
+
 func ipcLoop(cfg IpcConfig, codec codec.Codec, initializer InitFunc, l net.Listener) {
 	glog.V(logger.Info).Infof("IPC service started (%s)\n", cfg.Endpoint)
 	defer os.Remove(cfg.Endpoint)