diff --git a/logback-classic/src/test/java/ch/qos/logback/classic/net/SocketReceiverTest.java b/logback-classic/src/test/java/ch/qos/logback/classic/net/SocketReceiverTest.java
index a44ad1022e..f0cb97f52d 100644
--- a/logback-classic/src/test/java/ch/qos/logback/classic/net/SocketReceiverTest.java
+++ b/logback-classic/src/test/java/ch/qos/logback/classic/net/SocketReceiverTest.java
@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@ public class SocketReceiverTest {
   private static final String TEST_HOST_NAME = "NOT.A.VALID.HOST.NAME";
 
   private ServerSocket serverSocket;
-  private Socket socket;
   private MockSocketFactory socketFactory = new MockSocketFactory();
   private MockAppender mockAppender = new MockAppender();
   private LoggerContext receiversLoggerContext = new LoggerContext();
@@ -75,8 +74,6 @@ public void setUp() throws Exception {
 
     serverSocket = ServerSocketUtil.createServerSocket();
     port = serverSocket.getLocalPort();
-    socket = new Socket(serverSocket.getInetAddress(), port);
-
     mockAppender.start();
     logger = receiversLoggerContext.getLogger(getClass());
     logger.addAppender(mockAppender);
@@ -89,7 +86,6 @@ public void tearDown() throws Exception {
     ExecutorService executor = receiversLoggerContext.getExecutorService();
     executor.shutdownNow();
     assertTrue(executor.awaitTermination(DELAY, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS));
-    socket.close();
     serverSocket.close();
     receiversLoggerContext.stop();
   }
diff --git a/logback-core/src/test/java/ch/qos/logback/core/net/server/ServerSocketUtil.java b/logback-core/src/test/java/ch/qos/logback/core/net/server/ServerSocketUtil.java
index 3dd87f276a..9c2feffb7e 100644
--- a/logback-core/src/test/java/ch/qos/logback/core/net/server/ServerSocketUtil.java
+++ b/logback-core/src/test/java/ch/qos/logback/core/net/server/ServerSocketUtil.java
@@ -49,21 +49,21 @@ public static ServerSocket createServerSocket() throws IOException {
    */
   public static ServerSocket createServerSocket(
       ServerSocketFactory socketFactory) throws IOException {
-    ServerSocket socket = null;
+    ServerSocket serverSocket = null;
     int retries = 10;
-    while (retries-- > 0 && socket == null) {
+    while (retries-- > 0 && serverSocket == null) {
       int port = (int)((65536 - 1024) * Math.random()) + 1024;
       try {
-        socket = socketFactory.createServerSocket(port);
+        serverSocket = socketFactory.createServerSocket(port);
       }
       catch (BindException ex) {
         // try again with different port
       }
     }
-    if (socket == null) {
+    if (serverSocket == null) {
       throw new BindException("cannot find an unused port to bind");
     }
-    return socket;
+    return serverSocket;
   }
   
 }