diff --git a/ext/mysqli/mysqli_api.c b/ext/mysqli/mysqli_api.c
index c4086909728..6bfd7346e4e 100644
--- a/ext/mysqli/mysqli_api.c
+++ b/ext/mysqli/mysqli_api.c
@@ -1360,6 +1360,10 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(mysqli_real_connect)
 		flags ^= CLIENT_LOCAL_FILES;
 	}
 
+	if (!socket) {
+		socket = MyG(default_socket);
+	}
+
 	if (mysql_real_connect(mysql->mysql,hostname,username,passwd,dbname,port,socket,flags) == NULL) {
 		
 		php_mysqli_set_error(mysql_errno(mysql->mysql), (char *) mysql_error(mysql->mysql) TSRMLS_CC);