diff --git a/weed/command/filer.go b/weed/command/filer.go
index 245182117a..7a9c1300f2 100644
--- a/weed/command/filer.go
+++ b/weed/command/filer.go
@@ -525,19 +525,27 @@ func (fo *FilerOptions) startFiler() {
 	var socketServer *http.Server
 	if runtime.GOOS != "windows" {
 		localSocket := *fo.localSocket
-		if localSocket == "" {
+		explicit := localSocket != ""
+		if !explicit {
 			localSocket = fmt.Sprintf("/tmp/seaweedfs-filer-%d.sock", *fo.port)
 		}
 		if err := os.Remove(localSocket); err != nil && !os.IsNotExist(err) {
-			glog.Fatalf("Failed to remove %s, error: %s", localSocket, err.Error())
+			if explicit {
+				glog.Fatalf("Failed to remove %s, error: %s", localSocket, err.Error())
+			}
+			glog.Warningf("Failed to remove %s, error: %s", localSocket, err.Error())
 		}
 		filerSocketListener, err := net.Listen("unix", localSocket)
 		if err != nil {
-			glog.Fatalf("Failed to listen on %s: %v", localSocket, err)
+			if explicit {
+				glog.Fatalf("Failed to listen on %s: %v", localSocket, err)
+			}
+			glog.Errorf("Failed to listen on %s, skipping local socket server: %v", localSocket, err)
+		} else {
+			socketServer = newHttpServer(defaultHandler, nil)
+			httpServers = append(httpServers, socketServer)
+			go socketServer.Serve(filerSocketListener)
 		}
-		socketServer = newHttpServer(defaultHandler, nil)
-		httpServers = append(httpServers, socketServer)
-		go socketServer.Serve(filerSocketListener)
 	}
 
 	if viper.GetString("https.filer.key") != "" {
diff --git a/weed/command/s3.go b/weed/command/s3.go
index 958afb8eab..a37d7c8179 100644
--- a/weed/command/s3.go
+++ b/weed/command/s3.go
@@ -429,23 +429,31 @@ func (s3opt *S3Options) startS3Server() bool {
 
 	if runtime.GOOS != "windows" {
 		localSocket := *s3opt.localSocket
-		if localSocket == "" {
+		explicit := localSocket != ""
+		if !explicit {
 			localSocket = fmt.Sprintf("/tmp/seaweedfs-s3-%d.sock", *s3opt.port)
 		}
 		if err := os.Remove(localSocket); err != nil && !os.IsNotExist(err) {
-			glog.Fatalf("Failed to remove %s, error: %s", localSocket, err.Error())
+			if explicit {
+				glog.Fatalf("Failed to remove %s, error: %s", localSocket, err.Error())
+			}
+			glog.Warningf("Failed to remove %s, error: %s", localSocket, err.Error())
 		}
 		s3SocketListener, err := net.Listen("unix", localSocket)
 		if err != nil {
-			glog.Fatalf("Failed to listen on %s: %v", localSocket, err)
-		}
-		socketServer := newHttpServer(router, nil)
-		httpServers = append(httpServers, socketServer)
-		go func() {
-			if err := socketServer.Serve(s3SocketListener); err != nil && err != http.ErrServerClosed {
-				glog.Fatalf("Failed to start S3 http server: %v", err)
+			if explicit {
+				glog.Fatalf("Failed to listen on %s: %v", localSocket, err)
 			}
-		}()
+			glog.Errorf("Failed to listen on %s, skipping local socket server: %v", localSocket, err)
+		} else {
+			socketServer := newHttpServer(router, nil)
+			httpServers = append(httpServers, socketServer)
+			go func() {
+				if err := socketServer.Serve(s3SocketListener); err != nil && err != http.ErrServerClosed {
+					glog.Errorf("Failed to start S3 http server on %s: %v", localSocket, err)
+				}
+			}()
+		}
 	}
 
 	listenAddress := fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", *s3opt.bindIp, *s3opt.port)
diff --git a/weed/command/sftp.go b/weed/command/sftp.go
index ed4a28b79c..054096392d 100644
--- a/weed/command/sftp.go
+++ b/weed/command/sftp.go
@@ -180,20 +180,28 @@ func (sftpOpt *SftpOptions) startSftpServer() bool {
 	// Set up Unix socket if on non-Windows platforms
 	if runtime.GOOS != "windows" {
 		localSocket := *sftpOpt.localSocket
-		if localSocket == "" {
+		explicit := localSocket != ""
+		if !explicit {
 			localSocket = fmt.Sprintf("/tmp/seaweedfs-sftp-%d.sock", *sftpOpt.port)
 		}
 		if err := os.Remove(localSocket); err != nil && !os.IsNotExist(err) {
-			glog.Fatalf("Failed to remove %s, error: %s", localSocket, err.Error())
+			if explicit {
+				glog.Fatalf("Failed to remove %s, error: %s", localSocket, err.Error())
+			}
+			glog.Warningf("Failed to remove %s, error: %s", localSocket, err.Error())
 		}
 		go func() {
 			// start on local unix socket
 			sftpSocketListener, err := net.Listen("unix", localSocket)
 			if err != nil {
-				glog.Fatalf("Failed to listen on %s: %v", localSocket, err)
+				if explicit {
+					glog.Fatalf("Failed to listen on %s: %v", localSocket, err)
+				}
+				glog.Errorf("Failed to listen on %s, skipping local socket server: %v", localSocket, err)
+				return
 			}
 			if err := service.Serve(sftpSocketListener); err != nil {
-				glog.Fatalf("Failed to serve SFTP on socket %s: %v", localSocket, err)
+				glog.Errorf("Failed to serve SFTP on socket %s: %v", localSocket, err)
 			}
 		}()
 	}