diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/IOActor.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/IOActor.scala
index fffc6896d9..c10e807f5a 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/IOActor.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/IOActor.scala
@@ -380,6 +380,28 @@ class IOActorSpec extends AkkaSpec with DefaultTimeout {
         if (!s.isClosed) s.close()
       }
     }
+
+    "fail when listening on an invalid address" in {
+      implicit val self = testActor
+      val address = new InetSocketAddress("irate.elephant", 9999)
+      IOManager(system).listen(address)
+      expectMsgType[Status.Failure](1 seconds)
+    }
+
+    "fail when listening on a privileged port" in {
+      implicit val self = testActor
+      val address = new InetSocketAddress("localhost", 80) // Assumes test not run as root
+      IOManager(system).listen(address)
+      expectMsgType[Status.Failure](1 seconds)
+    }
+
+    "fail when connecting to an invalid address" in {
+      implicit val self = testActor
+      val address = new InetSocketAddress("irate.elephant", 80)
+      IOManager(system).connect(address)
+      expectMsgType[Status.Failure](1 seconds)
+    }
+
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/IO.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/IO.scala
index de598210b2..2f75a22165 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/IO.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/IO.scala
@@ -1016,31 +1016,43 @@ final class IOManagerActor(val settings: Settings) extends Actor with ActorLoggi
 
     case IO.Listen(server, address, options) ⇒
       val channel = ServerSocketChannel open ()
-      channel configureBlocking false
-
-      var backlog = defaultBacklog
-      val sock = channel.socket
-      options foreach {
-        case IO.ReceiveBufferSize(size) ⇒ forwardFailure(sock.setReceiveBufferSize(size))
-        case IO.ReuseAddress(on)        ⇒ forwardFailure(sock.setReuseAddress(on))
-        case IO.PerformancePreferences(connTime, latency, bandwidth) ⇒
-          forwardFailure(sock.setPerformancePreferences(connTime, latency, bandwidth))
-        case IO.Backlog(number) ⇒ backlog = number
+      try {
+        channel configureBlocking false
+        var backlog = defaultBacklog
+        val sock = channel.socket
+        options foreach {
+          case IO.ReceiveBufferSize(size) ⇒ forwardFailure(sock.setReceiveBufferSize(size))
+          case IO.ReuseAddress(on)        ⇒ forwardFailure(sock.setReuseAddress(on))
+          case IO.PerformancePreferences(connTime, latency, bandwidth) ⇒
+            forwardFailure(sock.setPerformancePreferences(connTime, latency, bandwidth))
+          case IO.Backlog(number) ⇒ backlog = number
+        }
+        sock bind (address, backlog)
+        channels update (server, channel)
+        channel register (selector, OP_ACCEPT, server)
+        server.owner ! IO.Listening(server, sock.getLocalSocketAddress())
+      } catch {
+        case NonFatal(e) ⇒ {
+          channel close ()
+          sender ! Status.Failure(e)
+        }
       }
-
-      channel.socket bind (address, backlog)
-      channels update (server, channel)
-      channel register (selector, OP_ACCEPT, server)
-      server.owner ! IO.Listening(server, sock.getLocalSocketAddress())
       run()
 
     case IO.Connect(socket, address, options) ⇒
       val channel = SocketChannel open ()
-      channel configureBlocking false
-      channel connect address
-      setSocketOptions(channel.socket, options)
-      channels update (socket, channel)
-      channel register (selector, OP_CONNECT | OP_READ, socket)
+      try {
+        channel configureBlocking false
+        channel connect address
+        setSocketOptions(channel.socket, options)
+        channels update (socket, channel)
+        channel register (selector, OP_CONNECT | OP_READ, socket)
+      } catch {
+        case NonFatal(e) ⇒ {
+          channel close ()
+          sender ! Status.Failure(e)
+        }
+      }
       run()
 
     case IO.Accept(socket, server, options) ⇒