diff --git a/portfwd.c b/portfwd.c
index 2fbaa299..8e5f087c 100644
--- a/portfwd.c
+++ b/portfwd.c
@@ -1120,6 +1120,19 @@ bool portfwdmgr_unlisten(PortFwdManager *mgr, const char *host, int port)
     return true;
 }
 
+struct portfwdmgr_connect_ctx {
+    SockAddr *addr;
+    int port;
+    char *canonical_hostname;
+    Conf *conf;
+};
+static Socket *portfwdmgr_connect_helper(void *vctx, Plug *plug)
+{
+    struct portfwdmgr_connect_ctx *ctx = (struct portfwdmgr_connect_ctx *)vctx;
+    return new_connection(ctx->addr, ctx->canonical_hostname, ctx->port,
+                          false, true, false, false, plug, ctx->conf);
+}
+
 /*
  * Called when receiving a PORT OPEN from the server to make a
  * connection to a destination host.
@@ -1131,26 +1144,39 @@ char *portfwdmgr_connect(PortFwdManager *mgr, Channel **chan_ret,
                          char *hostname, int port, SshChannel *c,
                          int addressfamily)
 {
-    SockAddr *addr;
-    const char *err;
-    char *dummy_realhost = NULL;
-    struct PortForwarding *pf;
+    struct portfwdmgr_connect_ctx ctx[1];
+    const char *err_retd;
+    char *err_toret;
 
     /*
      * Try to find host.
      */
-    addr = name_lookup(hostname, port, &dummy_realhost, mgr->conf,
-                       addressfamily, NULL, NULL);
-    if ((err = sk_addr_error(addr)) != NULL) {
-        char *err_ret = dupstr(err);
-        sk_addr_free(addr);
-        sfree(dummy_realhost);
-        return err_ret;
+    ctx->addr = name_lookup(hostname, port, &ctx->canonical_hostname,
+                            mgr->conf, addressfamily, NULL, NULL);
+    if ((err_retd = sk_addr_error(ctx->addr)) != NULL) {
+        err_toret = dupstr(err_retd);
+        goto out;
     }
 
-    /*
-     * Open socket.
-     */
+    ctx->conf = mgr->conf;
+    ctx->port = port;
+
+    err_toret = portfwdmgr_connect_socket(
+        mgr, chan_ret, portfwdmgr_connect_helper, ctx, c);
+
+  out:
+    sk_addr_free(ctx->addr);
+    sfree(ctx->canonical_hostname);
+    return err_toret;
+}
+
+char *portfwdmgr_connect_socket(PortFwdManager *mgr, Channel **chan_ret,
+                                Socket *(*connect)(void *, Plug *), void *ctx,
+                                SshChannel *c)
+{
+    struct PortForwarding *pf;
+    const char *err;
+
     pf = new_portfwd_state();
     *chan_ret = &pf->chan;
     pf->plug.vt = &PortForwarding_plugvt;
@@ -1162,9 +1188,7 @@ char *portfwdmgr_connect(PortFwdManager *mgr, Channel **chan_ret,
     pf->cl = mgr->cl;
     pf->socks_state = SOCKS_NONE;
 
-    pf->s = new_connection(addr, dummy_realhost, port,
-                           false, true, false, false, &pf->plug, mgr->conf);
-    sfree(dummy_realhost);
+    pf->s = connect(ctx, &pf->plug);
     if ((err = sk_socket_error(pf->s)) != NULL) {
         char *err_ret = dupstr(err);
         sk_close(pf->s);
diff --git a/ssh.h b/ssh.h
index 2a023121..e3acf5be 100644
--- a/ssh.h
+++ b/ssh.h
@@ -380,6 +380,9 @@ void portfwdmgr_close_all(PortFwdManager *mgr);
 char *portfwdmgr_connect(PortFwdManager *mgr, Channel **chan_ret,
                          char *hostname, int port, SshChannel *c,
                          int addressfamily);
+char *portfwdmgr_connect_socket(PortFwdManager *mgr, Channel **chan_ret,
+                                Socket *(*connect)(void *, Plug *), void *ctx,
+                                SshChannel *c);
 bool portfwdmgr_listen(PortFwdManager *mgr, const char *host, int port,
                        const char *keyhost, int keyport, Conf *conf);
 bool portfwdmgr_unlisten(PortFwdManager *mgr, const char *host, int port);