diff --git a/common/init.c b/common/init.c
index dbdf40527..073c5cd8a 100644
--- a/common/init.c
+++ b/common/init.c
@@ -161,6 +161,17 @@ _init_common_subsystems (gpg_err_source_t errsource, int *argcp, char ***argvp)
   /* Try to auto set the character set.  */
   set_native_charset (NULL);
 
+#ifdef HAVE_W32_SYSTEM
+  /* For W32 we need to initialize the socket layer.  This is because
+     we use recv and send in libassuan as well as at some other
+     places.  */
+  {
+    WSADATA wsadat;
+
+    WSAStartup (0x202, &wsadat);
+  }
+#endif
+
 #ifdef HAVE_W32CE_SYSTEM
   /* Register the sleep exit function before the estream init so that
      the sleep will be called after the estream registered atexit
diff --git a/dirmngr/dirmngr-client.c b/dirmngr/dirmngr-client.c
index f65a7fcfa..1ea10a8ad 100644
--- a/dirmngr/dirmngr-client.c
+++ b/dirmngr/dirmngr-client.c
@@ -208,6 +208,16 @@ main (int argc, char **argv )
    * init_common_subsystems, but we don't need that here.  */
   gpgrt_set_fixed_string_mapper (map_static_macro_string);
 
+  /* For W32 we need to initialize the socket subsystem.  Because we
+     don't use Pth we need to do this explicit. */
+#ifdef HAVE_W32_SYSTEM
+ {
+   WSADATA wsadat;
+
+   WSAStartup (0x202, &wsadat);
+ }
+#endif /*HAVE_W32_SYSTEM*/
+
   /* Init Assuan.  */
   assuan_set_assuan_log_prefix (log_get_prefix (NULL));
   assuan_set_gpg_err_source (GPG_ERR_SOURCE_DEFAULT);