diff --git a/thirdparty/vschannel/vschannel.c b/thirdparty/vschannel/vschannel.c
index 3ea4891193..74ddc94e30 100644
--- a/thirdparty/vschannel/vschannel.c
+++ b/thirdparty/vschannel/vschannel.c
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ INT     port_number     = 443;
 BOOL    use_proxy       = FALSE;
 DWORD   protocol        = 0;
 ALG_ID  aid_key_exch    = 0;
-WSADATA wsa_data;
 
 // TODO: joe-c
 // socket / tls ctx
@@ -70,7 +69,6 @@ void vschannel_cleanup(TlsContext *tls_ctx) {
 }
 
 void vschannel_init(TlsContext *tls_ctx) {
-	WSAStartup(0x202, &wsa_data);
 	tls_ctx->sspi = InitSecurityInterface();
 
 	if(tls_ctx->sspi == NULL) {
diff --git a/vlib/net/socket_nix.v b/vlib/net/init_nix.v
similarity index 77%
rename from vlib/net/socket_nix.v
rename to vlib/net/init_nix.v
index 6b6b8e1124..4caced4df7 100644
--- a/vlib/net/socket_nix.v
+++ b/vlib/net/init_nix.v
@@ -4,3 +4,5 @@ module net
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <netinet/in.h>
 #include <netdb.h>
+
+fn init() int { return 1 }
diff --git a/vlib/net/init_win.v b/vlib/net/init_win.v
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1155e7fbd8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/net/init_win.v
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+module net
+
+#flag -lws2_32
+#include <winsock2.h>
+#include <Ws2tcpip.h>
+
+struct C.WSAData {
+mut:
+	wVersion u16
+	wHighVersion u16	
+	szDescription [257]byte
+	szSystemStatus [129]byte
+	iMaxSockets u16
+	iMaxUdpDg u16
+	lpVendorInfo byteptr
+}
+
+
+const (
+	WSA_V22 = 0x202 // C.MAKEWORD(2, 2)
+)
+
+fn init() int {
+	mut wsadata := C.WSAData{}
+	res := C.WSAStartup(WSA_V22, &wsadata)
+	if res != 0 {
+		panic('socket: WSAStartup failed')
+	}
+	return 1
+}
+
diff --git a/vlib/net/net.v b/vlib/net/net.v
index b6a157b96c..2101d36cc8 100644
--- a/vlib/net/net.v
+++ b/vlib/net/net.v
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 module net
 
+const (
+	_ = net.init()
+)
+
 // hostname returns the host name reported by the kernel. 
 pub fn hostname() ?string {
   	mut name := [256]byte
@@ -11,3 +15,4 @@ pub fn hostname() ?string {
 	}
   	return tos_clone(name)
 }
+
diff --git a/vlib/net/socket.v b/vlib/net/socket.v
index 3fcbfce2f5..e986ccf5b7 100644
--- a/vlib/net/socket.v
+++ b/vlib/net/socket.v
@@ -8,24 +8,6 @@ pub:
 	proto int
 }
 
-struct C.WSAData {
-mut:
-	wVersion u16
-	wHighVersion u16	
-	szDescription [257]byte
-	szSystemStatus [129]byte
-	iMaxSockets u16
-	iMaxUdpDg u16
-	lpVendorInfo byteptr
-}
-
-const (
-    WSA_V1  = 0x100 // C.MAKEWORD(1, 0)
-    WSA_V11 = 0x101 // C.MAKEWORD(1, 1)
-    WSA_V2  = 0x200 // C.MAKEWORD(2, 0)
-    WSA_V21 = 0x201 // C.MAKEWORD(2, 1)
-    WSA_V22 = 0x202 // C.MAKEWORD(2, 2)
-)
 
 struct C.in_addr {
 mut:
@@ -55,13 +37,6 @@ struct C.sockaddr_storage {}
 
 // create socket
 pub fn socket(family int, _type int, proto int) ?Socket {
-	$if windows {
-		mut wsadata := C.WSAData{}
-		res := C.WSAStartup(WSA_V22, &wsadata)
-		if res != 0 {
-			return error('socket: WSAStartup failed')
-		}
-	}
 
 	sockfd := C.socket(family, _type, proto)
 	one:=1
@@ -316,5 +291,3 @@ pub fn (s Socket) get_port() int {
 	sockname_res := C.getsockname(s.sockfd, &addr, &size)
 	return int(C.ntohs(addr.sin_port))
 }
-
-
diff --git a/vlib/net/socket_win.v b/vlib/net/socket_win.v
deleted file mode 100644
index b50da976fd..0000000000
--- a/vlib/net/socket_win.v
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-module net
-
-#flag -lws2_32
-#include <winsock2.h>
-#include <Ws2tcpip.h>