diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_proc.c b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_proc.c
index b4d00c3..17fded7 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_proc.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_proc.c
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <sys/file.h>
 #include <sys/time.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/socket.h>
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@
 #include "eal_internal_cfg.h"
 
 static int mp_fd = -1;
+static int lock_fd = -1;
 static char mp_filter[PATH_MAX];   /* Filter for secondary process sockets */
 static char mp_dir_path[PATH_MAX]; /* The directory path for all mp sockets */
 static pthread_mutex_t mp_mutex_action = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
@@ -104,6 +106,46 @@ find_sync_request(const char *dst, const char *act_name)
 	return r;
 }
 
+static void
+create_socket_path(const char *name, char *buf, int len)
+{
+	const char *prefix = eal_mp_socket_path();
+	if (strlen(name) > 0)
+		snprintf(buf, len, "%s_%s", prefix, name);
+	else
+		snprintf(buf, len, "%s", prefix);
+}
+
+static void
+create_lockfile_path(const char *name, char *buf, int len)
+{
+	const char *prefix = eal_mp_socket_path();
+	if (strlen(name) > 1)
+		snprintf(buf, len, "%slock_%s", prefix, name);
+	else
+		snprintf(buf, len, "%slock", prefix);
+}
+
+static const char *
+get_peer_name(const char *socket_full_path)
+{
+	char buf[PATH_MAX] = {0};
+	int len;
+
+	/* primary process has no peer name */
+	if (strcmp(socket_full_path, eal_mp_socket_path()) == 0)
+		return NULL;
+
+	/* construct dummy socket file name - make it one character long so that
+	 * we hit the code path where underscores are added
+	 */
+	create_socket_path("a", buf, sizeof(buf));
+
+	/* we want to get everything after /path/.rte_unix_, so discard 'a' */
+	len = strlen(buf) - 1;
+	return &socket_full_path[len];
+}
+
 int
 rte_eal_primary_proc_alive(const char *config_file_path)
 {
@@ -330,8 +372,29 @@ mp_handle(void *arg __rte_unused)
 static int
 open_socket_fd(void)
 {
+	char peer_name[PATH_MAX] = {0};
+	char lockfile[PATH_MAX] = {0};
 	struct sockaddr_un un;
-	const char *prefix = eal_mp_socket_path();
+
+	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_SECONDARY)
+		snprintf(peer_name, sizeof(peer_name), "%d_%"PRIx64,
+			 getpid(), rte_rdtsc());
+
+	/* try to create lockfile */
+	create_lockfile_path(peer_name, lockfile, sizeof(lockfile));
+
+	lock_fd = open(lockfile, O_CREAT | O_RDWR);
+	if (lock_fd < 0) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "failed to open '%s': %s\n", lockfile,
+			strerror(errno));
+		return -1;
+	}
+	if (flock(lock_fd, LOCK_EX | LOCK_NB)) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "failed to lock '%s': %s\n", lockfile,
+			strerror(errno));
+		return -1;
+	}
+	/* no need to downgrade to shared lock */
 
 	mp_fd = socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_DGRAM, 0);
 	if (mp_fd < 0) {
@@ -341,13 +404,11 @@ open_socket_fd(void)
 
 	memset(&un, 0, sizeof(un));
 	un.sun_family = AF_UNIX;
-	if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_PRIMARY)
-		snprintf(un.sun_path, sizeof(un.sun_path), "%s", prefix);
-	else {
-		snprintf(un.sun_path, sizeof(un.sun_path), "%s_%d_%"PRIx64,
-			 prefix, getpid(), rte_rdtsc());
-	}
+
+	create_socket_path(peer_name, un.sun_path, sizeof(un.sun_path));
+
 	unlink(un.sun_path); /* May still exist since last run */
+
 	if (bind(mp_fd, (struct sockaddr *)&un, sizeof(un)) < 0) {
 		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "failed to bind %s: %s\n",
 			un.sun_path, strerror(errno));
@@ -359,6 +420,44 @@ open_socket_fd(void)
 	return mp_fd;
 }
 
+/* find corresponding lock file and try to lock it */
+static int
+socket_is_active(const char *peer_name)
+{
+	char lockfile[PATH_MAX] = {0};
+	int fd, ret = -1;
+
+	/* construct lockfile filename */
+	create_lockfile_path(peer_name, lockfile, sizeof(lockfile));
+
+	/* try to lock it */
+	fd = open(lockfile, O_CREAT | O_RDWR);
+	if (fd < 0) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Cannot open '%s': %s\n", lockfile,
+			strerror(errno));
+		return -1;
+	}
+	ret = flock(fd, LOCK_EX | LOCK_NB);
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		if (errno == EWOULDBLOCK) {
+			/* file is locked */
+			ret = 1;
+		} else {
+			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Cannot lock '%s': %s\n", lockfile,
+				strerror(errno));
+			ret = -1;
+		}
+	} else {
+		ret = 0;
+		/* unlink lockfile automatically */
+		unlink(lockfile);
+		flock(fd, LOCK_UN);
+	}
+	close(fd);
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
 static int
 unlink_sockets(const char *filter)
 {
@@ -374,28 +473,33 @@ unlink_sockets(const char *filter)
 	dir_fd = dirfd(mp_dir);
 
 	while ((ent = readdir(mp_dir))) {
-		if (fnmatch(filter, ent->d_name, 0) == 0)
+		if (fnmatch(filter, ent->d_name, 0) == 0) {
+			const char *peer_name;
+			char path[PATH_MAX];
+			int ret;
+
+			snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "%s/%s", mp_dir_path,
+				 ent->d_name);
+			peer_name = get_peer_name(path);
+
+			ret = socket_is_active(peer_name);
+			if (ret < 0) {
+				RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Error getting socket active status\n");
+				return -1;
+			} else if (ret == 1) {
+				RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Socket is active (old secondary process still running?)\n");
+				return -1;
+			}
+			RTE_LOG(DEBUG, EAL, "Removing stale socket file '%s'\n",
+					ent->d_name);
 			unlinkat(dir_fd, ent->d_name, 0);
+		}
 	}
 
 	closedir(mp_dir);
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static void
-unlink_socket_by_path(const char *path)
-{
-	char *filename;
-	char *fullpath = strdup(path);
-
-	if (!fullpath)
-		return;
-	filename = basename(fullpath);
-	unlink_sockets(filename);
-	free(fullpath);
-	RTE_LOG(INFO, EAL, "Remove socket %s\n", path);
-}
-
 int
 rte_mp_channel_init(void)
 {
@@ -485,10 +589,25 @@ send_msg(const char *dst_path, struct rte_mp_msg *msg, int type)
 		rte_errno = errno;
 		/* Check if it caused by peer process exits */
 		if (errno == ECONNREFUSED) {
-			/* We don't unlink the primary's socket here */
-			if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_PRIMARY)
-				unlink_socket_by_path(dst_path);
-			return 0;
+			const char *peer_name = get_peer_name(dst_path);
+			int active, ret = 0;
+
+			active = rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_PRIMARY ?
+					socket_is_active(peer_name) :
+					rte_eal_primary_proc_alive(NULL);
+
+			if (active > 0) {
+				RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Couldn't communicate with active peer\n");
+			} else if (active < 0) {
+				RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Couldn't get peer status\n");
+				ret = -1;
+			} else if (rte_eal_process_type() == RTE_PROC_PRIMARY) {
+				/* peer isn't active anymore, so unlink its
+				 * socket.
+				 */
+				unlink(dst_path);
+			}
+			return ret;
 		}
 		if (errno == ENOBUFS) {
 			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Peer cannot receive message %s\n",
@@ -506,7 +625,7 @@ send_msg(const char *dst_path, struct rte_mp_msg *msg, int type)
 static int
 mp_send(struct rte_mp_msg *msg, const char *peer, int type)
 {
-	int ret = 0;
+	int dir_fd, ret = 0;
 	DIR *mp_dir;
 	struct dirent *ent;
 
@@ -528,15 +647,28 @@ mp_send(struct rte_mp_msg *msg, const char *peer, int type)
 		rte_errno = errno;
 		return -1;
 	}
+	dir_fd = dirfd(mp_dir);
 	while ((ent = readdir(mp_dir))) {
 		char path[PATH_MAX];
+		const char *peer_name;
+		int active;
 
 		if (fnmatch(mp_filter, ent->d_name, 0) != 0)
 			continue;
 
 		snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "%s/%s", mp_dir_path,
 			 ent->d_name);
-		if (send_msg(path, msg, type) < 0)
+		peer_name = get_peer_name(path);
+
+		/* only send if we can expect to receive a reply, otherwise
+		 * remove the socket.
+		 */
+		active = socket_is_active(peer_name);
+		if (active < 0)
+			ret = -1;
+		else if (active == 0)
+			unlinkat(dir_fd, ent->d_name, 0);
+		else if (active > 0 && send_msg(path, msg, type) < 0)
 			ret = -1;
 	}
 
@@ -661,7 +793,7 @@ int __rte_experimental
 rte_mp_request(struct rte_mp_msg *req, struct rte_mp_reply *reply,
 		const struct timespec *ts)
 {
-	int ret = 0;
+	int dir_fd, ret = 0;
 	DIR *mp_dir;
 	struct dirent *ent;
 	struct timeval now;
@@ -696,15 +828,29 @@ rte_mp_request(struct rte_mp_msg *req, struct rte_mp_reply *reply,
 		rte_errno = errno;
 		return -1;
 	}
+	dir_fd = dirfd(mp_dir);
 
 	while ((ent = readdir(mp_dir))) {
+		const char *peer_name;
 		char path[PATH_MAX];
+		int active;
 
 		if (fnmatch(mp_filter, ent->d_name, 0) != 0)
 			continue;
 
 		snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "%s/%s", mp_dir_path,
 			 ent->d_name);
+		peer_name = get_peer_name(path);
+
+		active = socket_is_active(peer_name);
+
+		if (active < 0) {
+			ret = -1;
+			break;
+		} else if (active == 0) {
+			unlinkat(dir_fd, ent->d_name, 0);
+			continue;
+		}
 
 		if (mp_request_one(path, req, reply, &end))
 			ret = -1;
