diff --git a/components/engine/opts.go b/components/engine/opts.go
index ea5163e619..3119f9dd10 100644
--- a/components/engine/opts.go
+++ b/components/engine/opts.go
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ func ValidateEnv(val string) (string, error) {
 }
 
 func ValidateHost(val string) (string, error) {
-	host, err := utils.ParseHost(DEFAULTHTTPHOST, DEFAULTHTTPPORT, val)
+	host, err := utils.ParseHost(DEFAULTHTTPHOST, DEFAULTHTTPPORT, DEFAULTUNIXSOCKET, val)
 	if err != nil {
 		return val, err
 	}
diff --git a/components/engine/utils/utils.go b/components/engine/utils/utils.go
index 6864dddf82..c592b4ebfc 100644
--- a/components/engine/utils/utils.go
+++ b/components/engine/utils/utils.go
@@ -776,11 +776,21 @@ func GetNameserversAsCIDR(resolvConf []byte) []string {
 	return nameservers
 }
 
-func ParseHost(host string, port int, addr string) (string, error) {
-	var proto string
+// FIXME: Change this not to receive default value as parameter
+func ParseHost(defaultHost string, defaultPort int, defaultUnix, addr string) (string, error) {
+	var (
+		proto string
+		host  string
+		port  int
+	)
+
 	switch {
 	case strings.HasPrefix(addr, "unix://"):
-		return addr, nil
+		proto = "unix"
+		addr = strings.TrimPrefix(addr, "unix://")
+		if addr == "" {
+			addr = defaultUnix
+		}
 	case strings.HasPrefix(addr, "tcp://"):
 		proto = "tcp"
 		addr = strings.TrimPrefix(addr, "tcp://")
@@ -791,19 +801,29 @@ func ParseHost(host string, port int, addr string) (string, error) {
 		proto = "tcp"
 	}
 
-	if strings.Contains(addr, ":") {
+	if proto != "unix" && strings.Contains(addr, ":") {
 		hostParts := strings.Split(addr, ":")
 		if len(hostParts) != 2 {
 			return "", fmt.Errorf("Invalid bind address format: %s", addr)
 		}
 		if hostParts[0] != "" {
 			host = hostParts[0]
+		} else {
+			host = defaultHost
 		}
-		if p, err := strconv.Atoi(hostParts[1]); err == nil {
+
+		if p, err := strconv.Atoi(hostParts[1]); err == nil && p != 0 {
 			port = p
+		} else {
+			port = defaultPort
 		}
+
 	} else {
 		host = addr
+		port = defaultPort
+	}
+	if proto == "unix" {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%s://%s", proto, host), nil
 	}
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s://%s:%d", proto, host, port), nil
 }
diff --git a/components/engine/utils/utils_test.go b/components/engine/utils/utils_test.go
index 350ebb911f..4470666641 100644
--- a/components/engine/utils/utils_test.go
+++ b/components/engine/utils/utils_test.go
@@ -299,22 +299,28 @@ func assertRAMInBytes(t *testing.T, size string, expectError bool, expectedBytes
 }
 
 func TestParseHost(t *testing.T) {
-	if addr, err := ParseHost("127.0.0.1", 4243, "0.0.0.0"); err != nil || addr != "tcp://0.0.0.0:4243" {
+	if addr, err := ParseHost("127.0.0.1", 4243, "/var/run/docker.sock", "0.0.0.0"); err != nil || addr != "tcp://0.0.0.0:4243" {
 		t.Errorf("0.0.0.0 -> expected tcp://0.0.0.0:4243, got %s", addr)
 	}
-	if addr, err := ParseHost("127.0.0.1", 4243, "0.0.0.1:5555"); err != nil || addr != "tcp://0.0.0.1:5555" {
+	if addr, err := ParseHost("127.0.0.1", 4243, "/var/run/docker.sock", "0.0.0.1:5555"); err != nil || addr != "tcp://0.0.0.1:5555" {
 		t.Errorf("0.0.0.1:5555 -> expected tcp://0.0.0.1:5555, got %s", addr)
 	}
-	if addr, err := ParseHost("127.0.0.1", 4243, ":6666"); err != nil || addr != "tcp://127.0.0.1:6666" {
+	if addr, err := ParseHost("127.0.0.1", 4243, "/var/run/docker.sock", ":6666"); err != nil || addr != "tcp://127.0.0.1:6666" {
 		t.Errorf(":6666 -> expected tcp://127.0.0.1:6666, got %s", addr)
 	}
-	if addr, err := ParseHost("127.0.0.1", 4243, "tcp://:7777"); err != nil || addr != "tcp://127.0.0.1:7777" {
+	if addr, err := ParseHost("127.0.0.1", 4243, "/var/run/docker.sock", "tcp://:7777"); err != nil || addr != "tcp://127.0.0.1:7777" {
 		t.Errorf("tcp://:7777 -> expected tcp://127.0.0.1:7777, got %s", addr)
 	}
-	if addr, err := ParseHost("127.0.0.1", 4243, "unix:///var/run/docker.sock"); err != nil || addr != "unix:///var/run/docker.sock" {
+	if addr, err := ParseHost("127.0.0.1", 4243, "/var/run/docker.sock", "unix:///var/run/docker.sock"); err != nil || addr != "unix:///var/run/docker.sock" {
 		t.Errorf("unix:///var/run/docker.sock -> expected unix:///var/run/docker.sock, got %s", addr)
 	}
-	if addr, err := ParseHost("127.0.0.1", 4243, "udp://127.0.0.1"); err == nil {
+	if addr, err := ParseHost("127.0.0.1", 4243, "/var/run/docker.sock", "unix://"); err != nil || addr != "unix:///var/run/docker.sock" {
+		t.Errorf("unix:///var/run/docker.sock -> expected unix:///var/run/docker.sock, got %s", addr)
+	}
+	if addr, err := ParseHost("127.0.0.1", 4243, "/var/run/docker.sock", "udp://127.0.0.1"); err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("udp protocol address expected error return, but err == nil. Got %s", addr)
+	}
+	if addr, err := ParseHost("127.0.0.1", 4243, "/var/run/docker.sock", "udp://127.0.0.1:4243"); err == nil {
 		t.Errorf("udp protocol address expected error return, but err == nil. Got %s", addr)
 	}
 }