diff --git a/Lib/ftplib.py b/Lib/ftplib.py
index 4aa6244c5e9..4d5ac1abd1f 100644
--- a/Lib/ftplib.py
+++ b/Lib/ftplib.py
@@ -122,7 +122,8 @@ class FTP:
                 self.sock = socket.socket(af, socktype, proto)
                 self.sock.connect(sa)
             except socket.error, msg:
-                self.sock.close()
+                if self.sock:
+                    self.sock.close()
                 self.sock = None
                 continue
             break
@@ -272,13 +273,15 @@ class FTP:
     def makeport(self):
         '''Create a new socket and send a PORT command for it.'''
         msg = "getaddrinfo returns an empty list"
+        sock = None
         for res in socket.getaddrinfo(None, 0, self.af, socket.SOCK_STREAM, 0, socket.AI_PASSIVE):
             af, socktype, proto, canonname, sa = res
             try:
                 sock = socket.socket(af, socktype, proto)
                 sock.bind(sa)
             except socket.error, msg:
-                sock.close()
+                if sock:
+                    sock.close()
                 sock = None
                 continue
             break
diff --git a/Lib/httplib.py b/Lib/httplib.py
index 0e0ec56d28e..fa63787ef6d 100644
--- a/Lib/httplib.py
+++ b/Lib/httplib.py
@@ -368,7 +368,8 @@ class HTTPConnection:
             except socket.error, msg:
                 if self.debuglevel > 0:
                     print 'connect fail:', (self.host, self.port)
-                self.sock.close()
+                if self.sock:
+                    self.sock.close()
                 self.sock = None
                 continue
             break
diff --git a/Lib/poplib.py b/Lib/poplib.py
index 98b81ce620e..cb3e0046408 100644
--- a/Lib/poplib.py
+++ b/Lib/poplib.py
@@ -76,13 +76,15 @@ class POP3:
         self.host = host
         self.port = port
         msg = "getaddrinfo returns an empty list"
+        self.sock = None
         for res in socket.getaddrinfo(self.host, self.port, 0, socket.SOCK_STREAM):
             af, socktype, proto, canonname, sa = res
             try:
                 self.sock = socket.socket(af, socktype, proto)
                 self.sock.connect(sa)
             except socket.error, msg:
-                self.sock.close()
+                if self.sock:
+                    self.sock.close()
                 self.sock = None
                 continue
             break
diff --git a/Lib/smtplib.py b/Lib/smtplib.py
index 4527a846b94..8e986080531 100755
--- a/Lib/smtplib.py
+++ b/Lib/smtplib.py
@@ -265,6 +265,7 @@ class SMTP:
         if not port: port = SMTP_PORT
         if self.debuglevel > 0: print 'connect:', (host, port)
         msg = "getaddrinfo returns an empty list"
+        self.sock = None
         for res in socket.getaddrinfo(host, port, 0, socket.SOCK_STREAM):
             af, socktype, proto, canonname, sa = res
             try:
@@ -273,7 +274,8 @@ class SMTP:
                 self.sock.connect(sa)
             except socket.error, msg:
                 if self.debuglevel > 0: print 'connect fail:', (host, port)
-                self.sock.close()
+                if self.sock:
+                    self.sock.close()
                 self.sock = None
                 continue
             break
diff --git a/Lib/telnetlib.py b/Lib/telnetlib.py
index c8ddd972cec..15721c6e6f4 100644
--- a/Lib/telnetlib.py
+++ b/Lib/telnetlib.py
@@ -210,7 +210,8 @@ class Telnet:
                 self.sock = socket.socket(af, socktype, proto)
                 self.sock.connect(sa)
             except socket.error, msg:
-                self.sock.close()
+                if self.sock:
+                    self.sock.close()
                 self.sock = None
                 continue
             break