diff --git a/lib/xcore.js b/lib/xcore.js
index 5766dc6..912357e 100644
--- a/lib/xcore.js
+++ b/lib/xcore.js
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ var em = require('./eventmask').eventMask;
 function XClient(stream, displayNum, screenNum, options)
 {
     EventEmitter.call(this);
-    this.stream = stream;
     this.options = options ? options : {};
 
     // TODO: this is probably not used
@@ -33,6 +32,12 @@ function XClient(stream, displayNum, screenNum, options)
     this.displayNum = displayNum;
     this.screenNum = screenNum;
     this.authHost = os.hostname();
+}
+util.inherits(XClient, EventEmitter);
+
+XClient.prototype.init = function(stream)
+{
+    this.stream = stream;
 
     var pack_stream = new PackStream();
 
@@ -108,7 +113,6 @@ function XClient(stream, displayNum, screenNum, options)
     this.startHandshake();
     this._closing = false;
 }
-util.inherits(XClient, EventEmitter);
 
 // TODO: close() = set 'closing' flag, watch it in replies and writeQueue, terminate if empty
 XClient.prototype.terminate = function()
@@ -569,6 +573,8 @@ module.exports.createClient = function(options, initCb)
 
     // open stream
     var stream;
+    var connected = false;
+    var cbCalled = false;
     var socketPath;
 
     // try local socket on non-windows platforms
@@ -585,18 +591,35 @@ module.exports.createClient = function(options, initCb)
             socketPath = '/tmp/.X11-unix/X' + displayNum;
     }
     //socketPath = '/tmp/.X11-unix/X' + displayNum;
-    if(socketPath)
-    {
-      stream = net.createConnection(socketPath);
-    }
-    else
-    {
-      stream = net.createConnection(6000 + parseInt(displayNum), host);
-    }
-    var client = new XClient(stream, displayNum, screenNum, options);
+    var client = new XClient(displayNum, screenNum, options);
+
+    var connectStream = function() {
+        if (socketPath) {
+            stream = net.createConnection(socketPath);
+        } else {
+            stream = net.createConnection(6000 + parseInt(displayNum), host);
+        }
+        stream.on('connect', function() {
+            connected = true;
+            client.init(stream);
+        });
+        stream.on('error', function(err) {
+            if (!connected && socketPath && err.code === 'ENOENT') {
+                // Retry connection with TCP on localhost
+                socketPath = null;
+                host = 'localhost';
+                connectStream();
+            } else if (initCb && !cbCalled) {
+                cbCalled = true;
+                initCb(err);
+            } else {
+                client.emit('error', err);
+            }
+        });
+    };
+    connectStream();
     if (initCb)
     {
-	var cbCalled = false;
         client.on('connect', function(display) {
             // opt-in BigReq
             if (!options.disableBigRequests) {
@@ -614,14 +637,6 @@ module.exports.createClient = function(options, initCb)
                 initCb(undefined, display);
             }
         });
-        stream.on('error', function(err) {
-	  if (cbCalled)
-	    client.emit('error', err);
-	  else {
-	    cbCalled = true;
-            initCb(err);
-	  }
-	});
     }
     return client;
 }