diff --git a/base-linux/include/base/native_types.h b/base-linux/include/base/native_types.h
index a91e4ecbe..39c141bc7 100644
--- a/base-linux/include/base/native_types.h
+++ b/base-linux/include/base/native_types.h
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ namespace Genode {
 	 */
 	struct Native_thread : Native_thread_id
 	{
-		int socket;  /* server-entrypoint socket */
+		bool is_ipc_server;
 
 		/**
 		 * Opaque pointer to additional thread-specific meta data
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ namespace Genode {
 		 */
 		Thread_meta_data *meta_data;
 
-		Native_thread() : socket(-1), meta_data(0) { }
+		Native_thread() : is_ipc_server(false), meta_data(0) { }
 	};
 
 	inline bool operator == (Native_thread_id t1, Native_thread_id t2) {
diff --git a/base-linux/src/base/ipc/ipc.cc b/base-linux/src/base/ipc/ipc.cc
index 150d50fc2..098c7af46 100644
--- a/base-linux/src/base/ipc/ipc.cc
+++ b/base-linux/src/base/ipc/ipc.cc
@@ -203,10 +203,33 @@ void Ipc_server::_reply_wait()
 
 
 Ipc_server::Ipc_server(Msgbuf_base *snd_msg, Msgbuf_base *rcv_msg)
-: Ipc_istream(rcv_msg),
-  Ipc_ostream(Native_capability(), snd_msg), _reply_needed(false)
+:
+	Ipc_istream(rcv_msg),
+	Ipc_ostream(Native_capability(), snd_msg), _reply_needed(false)
 {
+	Thread_base *thread = Thread_base::myself();
+
+	/*
+	 * If 'thread' is 0, the constructor was called by the main thread. By
+	 * definition, main is never an RPC entrypoint. However, the main thread
+	 * may call 'sleep_forever()', which instantiates 'Ipc_server'.
+	 */
+
+	if (thread && thread->tid().is_ipc_server) {
+		PRAW("unexpected multiple instantiation of Ipc_server by one thread");
+		struct Ipc_server_multiple_instance { };
+		throw Ipc_server_multiple_instance();
+	}
+
 	_rcv_cs = lx_server_socket(Thread_base::myself());
+	if (_rcv_cs < 0) {
+		PRAW("lx_server_socket failed (error %d)", _rcv_cs);
+		struct Ipc_socket_creation_failed { };
+		throw Ipc_socket_creation_failed();
+	}
+
+	if (thread)
+		thread->tid().is_ipc_server = true;
 
 	_prepare_next_reply_wait();
 }
diff --git a/base-linux/src/platform/linux_socket.h b/base-linux/src/platform/linux_socket.h
index 9d527cd12..5dafb9aee 100644
--- a/base-linux/src/platform/linux_socket.h
+++ b/base-linux/src/platform/linux_socket.h
@@ -3,13 +3,8 @@
  * \author Christian Helmuth
  * \date   2012-01-17
  *
- * We create two sockets under lx_rpath() for each thread: client and server
- * role. The naming is 'ep-<thread id>-<role>'. The socket descriptors are
- * cached in Thread_base::_tid.
- *
- * Currently two socket files are needed, as the client does not send the reply
- * socket access-rights in a combined message with the payload. In the future,
- * only server sockets must be bound in lx_rpath().
+ * We create one socket under lx_rpath() for each 'Ipc_server'. The naming is
+ * 'ep-<thread id>-<role>'.
  */
 
 /*
@@ -146,29 +141,28 @@ namespace {
  */
 static int lx_server_socket(Genode::Thread_base *thread)
 {
+	int sd = lx_socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_DGRAM | SOCK_CLOEXEC, 0);
+	if (sd < 0)
+		return sd;
+
 	/*
-	 * Main thread uses Ipc_server for sleep_forever() only.
+	 * Main thread uses 'Ipc_server' for 'sleep_forever()' only. No need
+	 * for binding.
 	 */
 	if (!thread)
-		return lx_socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_DGRAM | SOCK_CLOEXEC, 0);
+		return sd;
 
-	if (thread->tid().socket == -1) {
-		int sd = lx_socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_DGRAM | SOCK_CLOEXEC, 0);
-		if (sd < 0) return -1;
+	sockaddr_un addr;
+	lx_create_server_addr(&addr, thread->tid().tid);
 
-		sockaddr_un addr;
-		lx_create_server_addr(&addr, thread->tid().tid);
+	/* make sure bind succeeds */
+	lx_unlink(addr.sun_path);
 
-		/* make sure bind succeeds */
-		lx_unlink(addr.sun_path);
+	int const bind_ret = lx_bind(sd, (sockaddr *)&addr, sizeof(addr));
+	if (bind_ret < 0)
+		return bind_ret;
 
-		if (lx_bind(sd, (sockaddr *)&addr, sizeof(addr)) < 0)
-			return -2;
-
-		thread->tid().socket = sd;
-	}
-
-	return thread->tid().socket;
+	return sd;
 }