diff --git a/src/error.rs b/src/error.rs
index f3baaf0..10edb2e 100644
--- a/src/error.rs
+++ b/src/error.rs
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ pub enum FromEnvErrorKind {
     /// is negative, which means it is disabled for this process
     /// ([GNU `make` manual: POSIX Jobserver Interaction](https://www.gnu.org/software/make/manual/make.html#POSIX-Jobserver)).
     NegativeFd,
-    /// File descriptor from the jobserver environment variable value is not a pipe.
-    NotAPipe,
+    /// File descriptor from the jobserver environment variable value is not a pipe or socket.
+    NotAPipeOrSocket,
     /// Jobserver inheritance is not supported on this platform.
     Unsupported,
 }
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ impl FromEnvError {
             FromEnvErrorInner::CannotOpenPath(..) => FromEnvErrorKind::CannotOpenPath,
             FromEnvErrorInner::CannotOpenFd(..) => FromEnvErrorKind::CannotOpenFd,
             FromEnvErrorInner::NegativeFd(..) => FromEnvErrorKind::NegativeFd,
-            FromEnvErrorInner::NotAPipe(..) => FromEnvErrorKind::NotAPipe,
+            FromEnvErrorInner::NotAPipeOrSocket(..) => FromEnvErrorKind::NotAPipeOrSocket,
             FromEnvErrorInner::Unsupported => FromEnvErrorKind::Unsupported,
         }
     }
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@ impl std::fmt::Display for FromEnvError {
             FromEnvErrorInner::CannotOpenPath(s, err) => write!(f, "cannot open path or name {s} from the jobserver environment variable value: {err}"),
             FromEnvErrorInner::CannotOpenFd(fd, err) => write!(f, "cannot open file descriptor {fd} from the jobserver environment variable value: {err}"),
             FromEnvErrorInner::NegativeFd(fd) => write!(f, "file descriptor {fd} from the jobserver environment variable value is negative"),
-            FromEnvErrorInner::NotAPipe(fd, None) => write!(f, "file descriptor {fd} from the jobserver environment variable value is not a pipe"),
-            FromEnvErrorInner::NotAPipe(fd, Some(err)) => write!(f, "file descriptor {fd} from the jobserver environment variable value is not a pipe: {err}"),
+            FromEnvErrorInner::NotAPipeOrSocket(fd, None) => write!(f, "file descriptor {fd} from the jobserver environment variable value is not a pipe or socket"),
+            FromEnvErrorInner::NotAPipeOrSocket(fd, Some(err)) => write!(f, "file descriptor {fd} from the jobserver environment variable value is not a pipe or socket: {err}"),
             FromEnvErrorInner::Unsupported => write!(f, "jobserver inheritance is not supported on this platform"),
         }
     }
@@ -73,9 +73,8 @@ impl std::error::Error for FromEnvError {
     fn source(&self) -> Option<&(dyn std::error::Error + 'static)> {
         match &self.inner {
             FromEnvErrorInner::CannotOpenPath(_, err) => Some(err),
-            FromEnvErrorInner::NotAPipe(_, Some(err)) | FromEnvErrorInner::CannotOpenFd(_, err) => {
-                Some(err)
-            }
+            FromEnvErrorInner::NotAPipeOrSocket(_, Some(err))
+            | FromEnvErrorInner::CannotOpenFd(_, err) => Some(err),
             _ => None,
         }
     }
@@ -90,6 +89,6 @@ pub(crate) enum FromEnvErrorInner {
     CannotOpenPath(String, std::io::Error),
     CannotOpenFd(RawFd, std::io::Error),
     NegativeFd(RawFd),
-    NotAPipe(RawFd, Option<std::io::Error>),
+    NotAPipeOrSocket(RawFd, Option<std::io::Error>),
     Unsupported,
 }
diff --git a/src/unix.rs b/src/unix.rs
index 2758e31..7b9c804 100644
--- a/src/unix.rs
+++ b/src/unix.rs
@@ -165,10 +165,10 @@ impl Client {
         // then we'll have `MAKEFLAGS` env vars but won't actually have
         // access to the file descriptors.
         //
-        // `NotAPipe` is a worse error, return it if it's reported for any of the two fds.
+        // `NotAPipeOrSocket` is a worse error, return it if it's reported for any of the two fds.
         match (fd_check(read, check_pipe), fd_check(write, check_pipe)) {
-            (read_err @ Err(FromEnvErrorInner::NotAPipe(..)), _) => read_err?,
-            (_, write_err @ Err(FromEnvErrorInner::NotAPipe(..))) => write_err?,
+            (read_err @ Err(FromEnvErrorInner::NotAPipeOrSocket(..)), _) => read_err?,
+            (_, write_err @ Err(FromEnvErrorInner::NotAPipeOrSocket(..))) => write_err?,
             (read_err, write_err) => {
                 read_err?;
                 write_err?;
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ unsafe fn fd_check(fd: c_int, check_pipe: bool) -> Result<(), FromEnvErrorInner>
         if libc::fstat(fd, &mut stat) == -1 {
             let last_os_error = io::Error::last_os_error();
             fcntl_check(fd)?;
-            Err(FromEnvErrorInner::NotAPipe(fd, Some(last_os_error)))
+            Err(FromEnvErrorInner::NotAPipeOrSocket(fd, Some(last_os_error)))
         } else {
             // On android arm and i686 mode_t is u16 and st_mode is u32,
             // this generates a type mismatch when S_IFIFO (declared as mode_t)
@@ -495,7 +495,14 @@ unsafe fn fd_check(fd: c_int, check_pipe: bool) -> Result<(), FromEnvErrorInner>
             if stat.st_mode & s_ififo == s_ififo {
                 return Ok(());
             }
-            Err(FromEnvErrorInner::NotAPipe(fd, None))
+            // Also allow sockets (S_IFSOCK)
+            #[allow(unused_assignments)]
+            let mut s_ifsock = stat.st_mode;
+            s_ifsock = libc::S_IFSOCK as _;
+            if stat.st_mode & s_ifsock == s_ifsock {
+                return Ok(());
+            }
+            Err(FromEnvErrorInner::NotAPipeOrSocket(fd, None))
         }
     } else {
         fcntl_check(fd)