diff --git a/lib/client-handshake.c b/lib/client-handshake.c
index cd93a0b9..004ed939 100644
--- a/lib/client-handshake.c
+++ b/lib/client-handshake.c
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ struct libwebsocket *libwebsocket_client_connect_2(
 		freeaddrinfo(result);
 	}
 
-	if (wsi->sock < 0) {
+	if (!lws_socket_is_valid(wsi->sock)) {
 
 #ifdef LWS_USE_IPV6
 		if (LWS_IPV6_ENABLED(context))
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ struct libwebsocket *libwebsocket_client_connect_2(
 #endif
 			wsi->sock = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
 
-		if (wsi->sock < 0) {
+		if (!lws_socket_is_valid(wsi->sock)) {
 			lwsl_warn("Unable to open socket\n");
 			goto oom4;
 		}
diff --git a/lib/private-libwebsockets.h b/lib/private-libwebsockets.h
index a96e2952..6a31dcae 100644
--- a/lib/private-libwebsockets.h
+++ b/lib/private-libwebsockets.h
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@
 		amount = _amount; \
 	}
 #define lws_set_blocking_send(wsi) wsi->sock_send_blocking = TRUE
+#define lws_socket_is_valid(x) (!!x)
+#define LWS_SOCK_INVALID 0 
 #include <winsock2.h>
 #include <windows.h>
 #include <tchar.h>
@@ -143,6 +145,8 @@
 #define compatible_file_read(amount, fd, buf, len) \
 		amount = read(fd, buf, len);
 #define lws_set_blocking_send(wsi)
+#define lws_socket_is_valid(x) (x >= 0)
+#define LWS_SOCK_INVALID (-1)
 #endif
 
 #ifndef LWS_HAVE_BZERO
diff --git a/lib/server.c b/lib/server.c
index b98bf1e9..0b46402f 100644
--- a/lib/server.c
+++ b/lib/server.c
@@ -618,7 +618,8 @@ libwebsocket_create_new_server_wsi(struct libwebsocket_context *context)
 	new_wsi->protocol = context->protocols;
 	new_wsi->user_space = NULL;
 	new_wsi->ietf_spec_revision = 0;
-
+	new_wsi->sock = LWS_SOCK_INVALID;
+	
 	/*
 	 * outermost create notification for wsi
 	 * no user_space because no protocol selection