diff --git a/source/glest_game/main/main.cpp b/source/glest_game/main/main.cpp
index 47a4157d7..e8710631c 100644
--- a/source/glest_game/main/main.cpp
+++ b/source/glest_game/main/main.cpp
@@ -126,6 +126,9 @@ static Program *mainProgram 					= NULL;
 static FileCRCPreCacheThread *preCacheThread	= NULL;
 #ifdef WIN32
 static string runtimeErrorMsg 					= "";
+// keeps in scope for duration of the application
+auto_ptr<SocketManager> winSockManager(new SocketManager());
+
 #endif
 
 #ifdef HAVE_GOOGLE_BREAKPAD
@@ -4246,9 +4249,9 @@ int glestMain(int argc, char** argv) {
 
 
 
-#ifdef WIN32
-	SocketManager winSockManager;
-#endif
+//#ifdef WIN32
+	//SocketManager winSockManager;
+//#endif
 
     bool haveSpecialOutputCommandLineOption = false;
 
diff --git a/source/shared_lib/include/platform/posix/socket.h b/source/shared_lib/include/platform/posix/socket.h
index 637685774..e75f2bb11 100644
--- a/source/shared_lib/include/platform/posix/socket.h
+++ b/source/shared_lib/include/platform/posix/socket.h
@@ -129,9 +129,9 @@ public:
 class Socket {
 
 protected:
-#ifdef WIN32
-	static SocketManager wsaManager;
-#endif
+//#ifdef WIN32
+	//static SocketManager wsaManager;
+//#endif
 	PLATFORM_SOCKET sock;
 	time_t lastDebugEvent;
 	static int broadcast_portno;
diff --git a/source/shared_lib/sources/platform/posix/socket.cpp b/source/shared_lib/sources/platform/posix/socket.cpp
index d82aad968..bc6dda040 100644
--- a/source/shared_lib/sources/platform/posix/socket.cpp
+++ b/source/shared_lib/sources/platform/posix/socket.cpp
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ Mutex UPNP_Tools::mutexUPNP;
 	}
 
 	// keeps in scope for duration of the application
-	SocketManager Socket::wsaManager;
+	//SocketManager Socket::wsaManager;
 
 	SocketManager::SocketManager() {
 		WSADATA wsaData;