diff --git a/util/message.cpp b/util/message.cpp
index b2fda9920f7..ea8da69e06e 100644
--- a/util/message.cpp
+++ b/util/message.cpp
@@ -35,9 +35,11 @@ namespace mongo {
 #define mmm(x)
 
 #ifdef MSG_NOSIGNAL
-        const int portSendFlags = MSG_NOSIGNAL;
+    const int portSendFlags = MSG_NOSIGNAL;
+    const int portRecvFlags = MSG_NOSIGNAL;
 #else
-        const int portSendFlags = 0;
+    const int portSendFlags = 0;
+    const int portRecvFlags = 0;
 #endif
 
     /* listener ------------------------------------------------------------------- */
@@ -117,7 +119,7 @@ namespace mongo {
             if ( _buf == _cur )
                 return 0;
 
-            int x = ::send( _port->sock , _buf , len() , 0 );
+            int x = _port->send( _buf , len() );
             _cur = _buf;
             return x;
         }
@@ -263,7 +265,7 @@ again:
         char *lenbuf = (char *) &len;
         int lft = 4;
         while ( 1 ) {
-            int x = ::recv(sock, lenbuf, lft, 0);
+            int x = recv( lenbuf, lft );
             if ( x == 0 ) {
                 DEV out() << "MessagingPort recv() conn closed? " << farEnd.toString() << endl;
                 m.reset();
@@ -286,7 +288,7 @@ again:
             if ( len == -1 ) {
                 // Endian check from the database, after connecting, to see what mode server is running in.
                 unsigned foo = 0x10203040;
-                int x = ::send(sock, (char *) &foo, 4,  portSendFlags );
+                int x = send( (char *) &foo, 4 );
                 if ( x <= 0 ) {
                     log() << "MessagingPort endian send() " << OUTPUT_ERRNO << ' ' << farEnd.toString() << endl;
                     return false;
@@ -301,7 +303,7 @@ again:
                 stringstream ss;
                 ss << "HTTP/1.0 200 OK\r\nConnection: close\r\nContent-Type: text/plain\r\nContent-Length: " << msg.size() << "\r\n\r\n" << msg;
                 string s = ss.str();
-                ::send( sock , s.c_str(), s.size(), 0 );
+                send( s.c_str(), s.size() );
                 return false;
             }
             log() << "bad recv() len: " << len << '\n';
@@ -321,7 +323,7 @@ again:
         char *p = (char *) &md->id;
         int left = len -4;
         while ( 1 ) {
-            int x = ::recv(sock, p, left, 0);
+            int x = recv( p, left );
             if ( x == 0 ) {
                 DEV out() << "MessagingPort::recv(): conn closed? " << farEnd.toString() << endl;
                 m.reset();
@@ -395,7 +397,7 @@ again:
         }
 
         if ( x == -100 )
-            x = ::send(sock, (char*)toSend.data, toSend.data->len , portSendFlags );
+            x = send( (char*)toSend.data, toSend.data->len );
         
         if ( x <= 0 ) {
             log() << "MessagingPort say send() " << OUTPUT_ERRNO << ' ' << farEnd.toString() << endl;
@@ -404,6 +406,14 @@ again:
 
     }
 
+    int MessagingPort::send( const char * data , const int len ){
+        return ::send( sock , data , len , portSendFlags );
+    }
+    
+    int MessagingPort::recv( char * buf , int max ){
+        return ::recv( sock , buf , max , portRecvFlags );
+    }
+
     void MessagingPort::piggyBack( Message& toSend , int responseTo ) {
 
         if ( toSend.data->len > 1300 ) {
diff --git a/util/message.h b/util/message.h
index 82ddf505e16..5891563c205 100644
--- a/util/message.h
+++ b/util/message.h
@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@ namespace mongo {
         void piggyBack( Message& toSend , int responseTo = -1 );
 
         virtual unsigned remotePort();
+
+        int send( const char * data , const int len );
+        int recv( char * data , int max );
     private:
         int sock;
         PiggyBackData * piggyBackData;