diff --git a/command/agent/agent.go b/command/agent/agent.go
index 9454dba4c0..e73af4222d 100644
--- a/command/agent/agent.go
+++ b/command/agent/agent.go
@@ -23,13 +23,6 @@ const (
 	// Path to save local agent checks
 	checksDir = "checks"
 
-	// errSocketFileExists is the human-friendly error message displayed when
-	// trying to bind a socket to an existing file.
-	errSocketFileExists = "A file exists at the requested socket path %q. " +
-		"If Consul was not shut down properly, the socket file may " +
-		"be left behind. If the path looks correct, remove the file " +
-		"and try again."
-
 	// The ID of the faux health checks for maintenance mode
 	serviceMaintCheckPrefix = "_service_maintenance"
 	nodeMaintCheckID        = "_node_maintenenace"
diff --git a/command/agent/command.go b/command/agent/command.go
index 3368918776..96b2a0ef9d 100644
--- a/command/agent/command.go
+++ b/command/agent/command.go
@@ -295,11 +295,15 @@ func (c *Command) setupAgent(config *Config, logOutput io.Writer, logWriter *log
 		return err
 	}
 
-	// Error if we are trying to bind a domain socket to an existing path
-	if path, ok := unixSocketAddr(config.Addresses.RPC); ok {
-		if _, err := os.Stat(path); err == nil || !os.IsNotExist(err) {
-			c.Ui.Output(fmt.Sprintf(errSocketFileExists, path))
-			return fmt.Errorf(errSocketFileExists, path)
+	// Clear the domain socket file if it exists
+	socketPath, isSocket := unixSocketAddr(config.Addresses.RPC)
+	if isSocket {
+		if _, err := os.Stat(socketPath); !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			agent.logger.Printf("[WARN] agent: Replacing socket %q", socketPath)
+		}
+		if err := os.Remove(socketPath); err != nil && !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			c.Ui.Output(fmt.Sprintf("Error removing socket file: %s", err))
+			return err
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -310,6 +314,15 @@ func (c *Command) setupAgent(config *Config, logOutput io.Writer, logWriter *log
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// Set up ownership/permission bits on the socket file
+	if isSocket {
+		if err := setFilePermissions(socketPath, config.UnixSockets); err != nil {
+			agent.Shutdown()
+			c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error setting up socket: %s", err))
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Start the IPC layer
 	c.Ui.Output("Starting Consul agent RPC...")
 	c.rpcServer = NewAgentRPC(agent, rpcListener, logOutput, logWriter)
diff --git a/command/agent/config.go b/command/agent/config.go
index 92b9e64d37..28fb461378 100644
--- a/command/agent/config.go
+++ b/command/agent/config.go
@@ -343,6 +343,9 @@ type Config struct {
 
 	// WatchPlans contains the compiled watches
 	WatchPlans []*watch.WatchPlan `mapstructure:"-" json:"-"`
+
+	// UnixSockets is a map of socket configuration data
+	UnixSockets map[string]string `mapstructure:"unix_sockets"`
 }
 
 // unixSocketAddr tests if a given address describes a domain socket,
@@ -893,6 +896,15 @@ func MergeConfig(a, b *Config) *Config {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if len(b.UnixSockets) != 0 {
+		if result.UnixSockets == nil {
+			result.UnixSockets = make(map[string]string)
+		}
+		for field, value := range b.UnixSockets {
+			result.UnixSockets[field] = value
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Copy the start join addresses
 	result.StartJoin = make([]string, 0, len(a.StartJoin)+len(b.StartJoin))
 	result.StartJoin = append(result.StartJoin, a.StartJoin...)
diff --git a/command/agent/http.go b/command/agent/http.go
index 23e4163048..0d736734c6 100644
--- a/command/agent/http.go
+++ b/command/agent/http.go
@@ -96,9 +96,13 @@ func NewHTTPServers(agent *Agent, config *Config, logOutput io.Writer) ([]*HTTPS
 		}
 
 		// Error if we are trying to bind a domain socket to an existing path
-		if path, ok := unixSocketAddr(config.Addresses.HTTP); ok {
-			if _, err := os.Stat(path); err == nil || !os.IsNotExist(err) {
-				return nil, fmt.Errorf(errSocketFileExists, path)
+		socketPath, isSocket := unixSocketAddr(config.Addresses.HTTP)
+		if isSocket {
+			if _, err := os.Stat(socketPath); !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+				agent.logger.Printf("[WARN] agent: Replacing socket %q", socketPath)
+			}
+			if err := os.Remove(socketPath); err != nil && !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("error removing socket file: %s", err)
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -113,6 +117,13 @@ func NewHTTPServers(agent *Agent, config *Config, logOutput io.Writer) ([]*HTTPS
 			list = tcpKeepAliveListener{ln.(*net.TCPListener)}
 		}
 
+		// Set up ownership/permission bits on the socket file
+		if isSocket {
+			if err := setFilePermissions(socketPath, config.UnixSockets); err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("Failed setting up HTTP socket: %s", err)
+			}
+		}
+
 		// Create the mux
 		mux := http.NewServeMux()
 
diff --git a/command/agent/util.go b/command/agent/util.go
index d8cb465299..a9c897d482 100644
--- a/command/agent/util.go
+++ b/command/agent/util.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"runtime"
+	"strconv"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/go-msgpack/codec"
@@ -97,3 +98,43 @@ func encodeMsgPack(msg interface{}) ([]byte, error) {
 func stringHash(s string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%x", md5.Sum([]byte(s)))
 }
+
+// setFilePermissions handles configuring ownership and permissions settings
+// on a given file. It takes a map, which defines the permissions to be set.
+// All permission/ownership settings are optional. If no user or group is
+// specified, the current user/group will be used. Mode is optional, and has
+// no default (the operation is not performed if absent).
+func setFilePermissions(path string, perms map[string]string) error {
+	var err error
+
+	uid, gid := os.Getuid(), os.Getgid()
+	if _, ok := perms["uid"]; ok {
+		if uid, err = strconv.Atoi(perms["uid"]); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("invalid user id specified: %v", perms["uid"])
+		}
+	}
+	if _, ok := perms["gid"]; ok {
+		if gid, err = strconv.Atoi(perms["gid"]); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("invalid group id specified: %v", perms["gid"])
+		}
+	}
+	if err := os.Chown(path, uid, gid); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf(
+			"failed setting ownership to %d:%d on %q: %s",
+			uid, gid, path, err)
+	}
+
+	if _, ok := perms["mode"]; ok {
+		mode, err := strconv.ParseUint(perms["mode"], 8, 32)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("invalid mode specified for %q: %s",
+				path, perms["mode"])
+		}
+		if err := os.Chmod(path, os.FileMode(mode)); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed setting permissions to %d on %q: %s",
+				mode, path, err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}