diff --git a/include/villas/nodes/socket.h b/include/villas/nodes/socket.h
index 796e90e84..52bb2f3c3 100644
--- a/include/villas/nodes/socket.h
+++ b/include/villas/nodes/socket.h
@@ -58,7 +58,8 @@ struct io_format;
 enum socket_layer {
 	SOCKET_LAYER_ETH,
 	SOCKET_LAYER_IP,
-	SOCKET_LAYER_UDP
+	SOCKET_LAYER_UDP,
+	SOCKET_LAYER_UNIX
 };
 
 union sockaddr_union {
diff --git a/lib/nodes/socket.c b/lib/nodes/socket.c
index 0afe867a1..18959e6b1 100644
--- a/lib/nodes/socket.c
+++ b/lib/nodes/socket.c
@@ -66,6 +66,11 @@ int socket_init(struct super_node *sn)
 		struct socket *s = (struct socket *) n->_vd;
 		struct rtnl_link *link;
 
+		if (s->layer != SOCKET_LAYER_ETH ||
+		    s->layer != SOCKET_LAYER_IP ||
+		    s->layer != SOCKET_LAYER_UDP)
+			    continue;
+
 		/* Determine outgoing interface */
 		ret = if_get_egress((struct sockaddr *) &s->remote, &link);
 		if (ret) {
@@ -130,6 +135,7 @@ char * socket_print(struct node *n)
 		case SOCKET_LAYER_UDP:	layer = "udp";	break;
 		case SOCKET_LAYER_IP:	layer = "ip";	break;
 		case SOCKET_LAYER_ETH:	layer = "eth";	break;
+		case SOCKET_LAYER_UNIX:	layer = "unix";	break;
 	}
 
 	char *local = socket_print_addr((struct sockaddr *) &s->local);
@@ -163,16 +169,9 @@ int socket_start(struct node *n)
 	int ret;
 
 	/* Some checks on the addresses */
-	if (s->local.sa.sa_family != s->remote.sa.sa_family)
-		error("Address families of local and remote must match!");
-
-	if (s->multicast.enabled) {
-		if (s->local.sa.sa_family != AF_INET)
-			error("Multicast is only supported by IPv4 for node %s", node_name(n));
-
-		uint32_t addr = ntohl(s->multicast.mreq.imr_multiaddr.s_addr);
-		if ((addr >> 28) != 14)
-			error("Multicast group address of node %s must be within 224.0.0.0/4", node_name(n));
+	if (s->layer != SOCKET_LAYER_UNIX) {
+		if (s->local.sa.sa_family != s->remote.sa.sa_family)
+			error("Address families of local and remote must match!");
 	}
 
 	if (s->layer == SOCKET_LAYER_IP) {
@@ -189,6 +188,15 @@ int socket_start(struct node *n)
 	}
 #endif /* __linux__ */
 
+	if (s->multicast.enabled) {
+		if (s->local.sa.sa_family != AF_INET)
+			error("Multicast is only supported by IPv4 for node %s", node_name(n));
+
+		uint32_t addr = ntohl(s->multicast.mreq.imr_multiaddr.s_addr);
+		if ((addr >> 28) != 14)
+			error("Multicast group address of node %s must be within 224.0.0.0/4", node_name(n));
+	}
+
 	/* Create socket */
 	switch (s->layer) {
 		case SOCKET_LAYER_UDP:	s->sd = socket(s->local.sa.sa_family, SOCK_DGRAM,	IPPROTO_UDP); break;
@@ -196,6 +204,7 @@ int socket_start(struct node *n)
 #ifdef __linux__
 		case SOCKET_LAYER_ETH:	s->sd = socket(s->local.sa.sa_family, SOCK_DGRAM,	s->local.sll.sll_protocol); break;
 #endif /* __linux__ */
+		case SOCKET_LAYER_UNIX:	s->sd = socket(s->local.sa.sa_family, SOCK_DGRAM,	0); break;
 		default:
 			error("Invalid socket type!");
 	}
@@ -204,7 +213,18 @@ int socket_start(struct node *n)
 		serror("Failed to create socket");
 
 	/* Bind socket for receiving */
-	ret = bind(s->sd, (struct sockaddr *) &s->local, sizeof(s->local));
+	socklen_t addrlen = 0;
+	if (s->layer == SOCKET_LAYER_UNIX) {
+		ret = unlink(s->local.sun.sun_path);
+		if (ret)
+			return ret;
+
+		addrlen = SUN_LEN(&s->local.sun);
+	}
+	else
+		addrlen = sizeof(s->local);
+
+	ret = bind(s->sd, (struct sockaddr *) &s->local, addrlen);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		serror("Failed to bind socket");
 
@@ -284,8 +304,11 @@ int socket_stop(struct node *n)
 			serror("Failed to leave multicast group");
 	}
 
-	if (s->sd >= 0)
-		close(s->sd);
+	if (s->sd >= 0) {
+		ret = close(s->sd);
+		if (ret)
+			return ret;
+	}
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -370,9 +393,18 @@ int socket_write(struct node *n, struct sample *smps[], unsigned cnt)
 		return 0;
 
 	/* Send message */
-	bytes = sendto(s->sd, data, wbytes, 0, (struct sockaddr *) &s->remote, sizeof(s->remote));
+	socklen_t addrlen = 0;
+	switch (s->layer) {
+		case SOCKET_LAYER_UDP:
+		case SOCKET_LAYER_IP:
+		case SOCKET_LAYER_ETH:	addrlen = sizeof(s->remote); break;
+		case SOCKET_LAYER_UNIX:	addrlen = SUN_LEN(&s->remote.sun); break;
+	}
+
+	bytes = sendto(s->sd, data, wbytes, 0, (struct sockaddr *) &s->remote, addrlen);
 	if (bytes < 0) {
-		if (errno == EPERM)
+		if ((errno == EPERM) ||
+		    (errno == ENOENT && s->layer == SOCKET_LAYER_UNIX))
 			warn("Failed send to node %s: %s", node_name(n), strerror(errno));
 		else
 			serror("Failed send to node %s", node_name(n));
@@ -395,11 +427,15 @@ int socket_parse(struct node *n, json_t *cfg)
 	int ret;
 
 	json_t *json_multicast = NULL;
+	json_t *json_netem = NULL;
 	json_error_t err;
 
 	/* Default values */
 	s->layer = SOCKET_LAYER_UDP;
 	s->verify_source = 0;
+#ifdef WITH_NETEM
+	s->tc_qdisc = NULL;
+#endif /* WITH_NETEM */
 
 	ret = json_unpack_ex(cfg, &err, 0, "{ s?: s, s: s, s: s, s?: b, s?: o, s?: s }",
 		"layer", &layer,
@@ -427,22 +463,24 @@ int socket_parse(struct node *n, json_t *cfg)
 #endif /*__linux__ */
 		else if (!strcmp(layer, "udp"))
 			s->layer = SOCKET_LAYER_UDP;
+		else if (!strcmp(layer, "unix") || !strcmp(layer, "local"))
+			s->layer = SOCKET_LAYER_UNIX;
 		else
 			error("Invalid layer '%s' for node %s", layer, node_name(n));
 	}
 
-	ret = socket_parse_addr(local, (struct sockaddr *) &s->local, s->layer, AI_PASSIVE);
-	if (ret) {
-		error("Failed to resolve local address '%s' of node %s: %s",
-			local, node_name(n), gai_strerror(ret));
-	}
-
 	ret = socket_parse_addr(remote, (struct sockaddr *) &s->remote, s->layer, 0);
 	if (ret) {
 		error("Failed to resolve remote address '%s' of node %s: %s",
 			remote, node_name(n), gai_strerror(ret));
 	}
 
+	ret = socket_parse_addr(local, (struct sockaddr *) &s->local, s->layer, AI_PASSIVE);
+	if (ret) {
+		error("Failed to resolve local address '%s' of node %s: %s",
+			local, node_name(n), gai_strerror(ret));
+	}
+
 	if (json_multicast) {
 		const char *group, *interface = NULL;
 
@@ -477,11 +515,8 @@ int socket_parse(struct node *n, json_t *cfg)
 		}
 	}
 
-#ifdef WITH_NETEM
-	json_t *json_netem;
-
-	json_netem = json_object_get(cfg, "netem");
 	if (json_netem) {
+#ifdef WITH_NETEM
 		int enabled = 1;
 
 		ret = json_unpack_ex(json_netem, &err, 0, "{ s?: b }",  "enabled", &enabled);
@@ -492,10 +527,8 @@ int socket_parse(struct node *n, json_t *cfg)
 			tc_parse(&s->tc_qdisc, json_netem);
 		else
 			s->tc_qdisc = NULL;
-	}
-	else
-		s->tc_qdisc = NULL;
 #endif /* WITH_NETEM */
+	}
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -522,6 +555,9 @@ char * socket_print_addr(struct sockaddr *saddr)
 				strcatf(&buf, ":%02x", sa->sll.sll_addr[i]);
 			break;
 #endif /* __linux__ */
+		case AF_UNIX:
+			strcatf(&buf, "%s", sa->sun.sun_path);
+			break;
 
 		default:
 			error("Unknown address family: '%u'", sa->sa.sa_family);
@@ -559,8 +595,15 @@ int socket_parse_addr(const char *addr, struct sockaddr *saddr, enum socket_laye
 	char *copy = strdup(addr);
 	int ret;
 
+	if (layer == SOCKET_LAYER_UNIX) { /* Format: "/path/to/socket" */
+		sa->sun.sun_family = AF_UNIX;
+
+		strncpy(sa->sun.sun_path, addr, sizeof(sa->sun.sun_path));
+
+		ret = 0;
+	}
 #ifdef __linux__
-	if (layer == SOCKET_LAYER_ETH) { /* Format: "ab:cd:ef:12:34:56%ifname:protocol" */
+	else if (layer == SOCKET_LAYER_ETH) { /* Format: "ab:cd:ef:12:34:56%ifname:protocol" */
 		/* Split string */
 		char *node = strtok(copy, "%");
 		char *ifname = strtok(NULL, ":");
@@ -587,8 +630,8 @@ int socket_parse_addr(const char *addr, struct sockaddr *saddr, enum socket_laye
 
 		ret = 0;
 	}
-	else {	/* Format: "192.168.0.10:12001" */
 #endif /* __linux__ */
+	else {	/* Format: "192.168.0.10:12001" */
 		struct addrinfo hint = {
 			.ai_flags = flags,
 			.ai_family = AF_UNSPEC
@@ -633,9 +676,8 @@ int socket_parse_addr(const char *addr, struct sockaddr *saddr, enum socket_laye
 			memcpy(sa, result->ai_addr, result->ai_addrlen);
 			freeaddrinfo(result);
 		}
-#ifdef __linux__
 	}
-#endif /* __linux__ */
+
 	free(copy);
 
 	return ret;
@@ -676,6 +718,7 @@ int socket_compare_addr(struct sockaddr *x, struct sockaddr *y)
 			CMP(xu->sll.sll_halen, yu->sll.sll_halen);
 			return memcmp(xu->sll.sll_addr, yu->sll.sll_addr, xu->sll.sll_halen);
 #endif /* __linux__ */
+
 		default:
 			return -1;
 	}
@@ -713,3 +756,4 @@ static struct plugin p = {
 
 REGISTER_PLUGIN(&p)
 LIST_INIT_STATIC(&p.node.instances)
+