diff --git a/bin/cli-flags.js b/bin/cli-flags.js
index 1032bf29ee..f00de7cdad 100644
--- a/bin/cli-flags.js
+++ b/bin/cli-flags.js
@@ -121,12 +121,6 @@ module.exports = {
       describe: 'Will not check the host',
       group: CONNECTION_GROUP,
     },
-    {
-      name: 'socket',
-      type: String,
-      describe: 'Socket to listen',
-      group: CONNECTION_GROUP,
-    },
     {
       name: 'public',
       type: String,
diff --git a/bin/options.js b/bin/options.js
index 5c1cb3159a..4483358997 100644
--- a/bin/options.js
+++ b/bin/options.js
@@ -108,11 +108,6 @@ const options = {
     describe: 'Will not check the host',
     group: CONNECTION_GROUP,
   },
-  socket: {
-    type: 'String',
-    describe: 'Socket to listen',
-    group: CONNECTION_GROUP,
-  },
   public: {
     type: 'string',
     describe: 'The public hostname/ip address of the server',
diff --git a/bin/webpack-dev-server.js b/bin/webpack-dev-server.js
index dc34a05fe0..64dbbeb5fd 100755
--- a/bin/webpack-dev-server.js
+++ b/bin/webpack-dev-server.js
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@
 
 /* eslint-disable no-shadow, no-console */
 
-const fs = require('fs');
-const net = require('net');
 const debug = require('debug')('webpack-dev-server');
 const importLocal = require('import-local');
 const yargs = require('yargs');
@@ -116,51 +114,11 @@ function startDevServer(config, options) {
     throw err;
   }
 
-  if (options.socket) {
-    server.listeningApp.on('error', (e) => {
-      if (e.code === 'EADDRINUSE') {
-        const clientSocket = new net.Socket();
-
-        clientSocket.on('error', (err) => {
-          if (err.code === 'ECONNREFUSED') {
-            // No other server listening on this socket so it can be safely removed
-            fs.unlinkSync(options.socket);
-
-            server.listen(options.socket, options.host, (error) => {
-              if (error) {
-                throw error;
-              }
-            });
-          }
-        });
-
-        clientSocket.connect({ path: options.socket }, () => {
-          throw new Error('This socket is already used');
-        });
-      }
-    });
-
-    server.listen(options.socket, options.host, (err) => {
-      if (err) {
-        throw err;
-      }
-
-      // chmod 666 (rw rw rw)
-      const READ_WRITE = 438;
-
-      fs.chmod(options.socket, READ_WRITE, (err) => {
-        if (err) {
-          throw err;
-        }
-      });
-    });
-  } else {
-    server.listen(options.port, options.host, (err) => {
-      if (err) {
-        throw err;
-      }
-    });
-  }
+  server.listen(options.port, options.host, (err) => {
+    if (err) {
+      throw err;
+    }
+  });
 }
 
 processOptions(config, argv, (config, options) => {
diff --git a/lib/options.json b/lib/options.json
index 82cb4d8869..756ced4225 100644
--- a/lib/options.json
+++ b/lib/options.json
@@ -302,9 +302,6 @@
     "serveIndex": {
       "type": "boolean"
     },
-    "socket": {
-      "type": "string"
-    },
     "staticOptions": {
       "type": "object"
     },
@@ -376,7 +373,6 @@
       "requestCert": "should be {Boolean}",
       "contentBasePublicPath": "should be {String|Array} (https://webpack.js.org/configuration/dev-server/#devservercontentbasepublicpath)",
       "serveIndex": "should be {Boolean} (https://webpack.js.org/configuration/dev-server/#devserverserveindex)",
-      "socket": "should be {String} (https://webpack.js.org/configuration/dev-server/#devserversocket)",
       "staticOptions": "should be {Object} (https://webpack.js.org/configuration/dev-server/#devserverstaticoptions)",
       "transportMode": "should be {String|Object} (https://webpack.js.org/configuration/dev-server/#devservertransportmode)",
       "useLocalIp": "should be {Boolean} (https://webpack.js.org/configuration/dev-server/#devserveruselocalip)",
diff --git a/lib/utils/createConfig.js b/lib/utils/createConfig.js
index 1f23fc0bee..dc8dd6e981 100644
--- a/lib/utils/createConfig.js
+++ b/lib/utils/createConfig.js
@@ -27,10 +27,6 @@ function createConfig(config, argv, { port }) {
     options.public = argv.public;
   }
 
-  if (argv.socket) {
-    options.socket = argv.socket;
-  }
-
   if (argv.liveReload === false) {
     options.liveReload = false;
   }
diff --git a/lib/utils/createDomain.js b/lib/utils/createDomain.js
index 1c9fea6f7b..853fe9cb4c 100644
--- a/lib/utils/createDomain.js
+++ b/lib/utils/createDomain.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ function createDomain(options, server) {
     : options.host || 'localhost';
 
   // eslint-disable-next-line no-nested-ternary
-  const port = options.socket ? 0 : server ? server.address().port : 0;
+  const port = server ? server.address().port : 0;
   // use explicitly defined public url
   // (prefix with protocol if not explicitly given)
   if (options.public) {
diff --git a/lib/utils/processOptions.js b/lib/utils/processOptions.js
index ba224ed690..33a8d4a145 100644
--- a/lib/utils/processOptions.js
+++ b/lib/utils/processOptions.js
@@ -24,21 +24,17 @@ function processOptions(config, argv, callback) {
   // we should use portfinder.
   const options = createConfig(config, argv, { port: defaultPort });
 
-  if (options.socket) {
-    callback(config, options);
-  } else {
-    findPort(options.port)
-      .then((port) => {
-        options.port = port;
-        callback(config, options);
-      })
-      .catch((err) => {
-        // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
-        console.error(err.stack || err);
-        // eslint-disable-next-line no-process-exit
-        process.exit(1);
-      });
-  }
+  findPort(options.port)
+    .then((port) => {
+      options.port = port;
+      callback(config, options);
+    })
+    .catch((err) => {
+      // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+      console.error(err.stack || err);
+      // eslint-disable-next-line no-process-exit
+      process.exit(1);
+    });
 }
 
 module.exports = processOptions;
diff --git a/test/__snapshots__/Validation.test.js.snap b/test/__snapshots__/Validation.test.js.snap
index 9b714cbe1e..0630adc0f6 100644
--- a/test/__snapshots__/Validation.test.js.snap
+++ b/test/__snapshots__/Validation.test.js.snap
@@ -31,5 +31,5 @@ exports[`Validation validation should fail validation for invalid \`overlay\` co
 exports[`Validation validation should fail validation for no additional properties 1`] = `
 "Invalid configuration object. Object has been initialized using a configuration object that does not match the API schema.
  - configuration has an unknown property 'additional'. These properties are valid:
-   object { allowedHosts?, bonjour?, client?, compress?, contentBasePublicPath?, contentBase?, dev?, disableHostCheck?, headers?, historyApiFallback?, host?, hot?, http2?, https?, injectClient?, injectHot?, liveReload?, onAfterSetupMiddleware?, onBeforeSetupMiddleware?, onListening?, open?, openPage?, overlay?, port?, profile?, progress?, proxy?, public?, requestCert?, serveIndex?, socket?, staticOptions?, transportMode?, useLocalIp?, watchContentBase?, watchOptions? }"
+   object { allowedHosts?, bonjour?, client?, compress?, contentBasePublicPath?, contentBase?, dev?, disableHostCheck?, headers?, historyApiFallback?, host?, hot?, http2?, https?, injectClient?, injectHot?, liveReload?, onAfterSetupMiddleware?, onBeforeSetupMiddleware?, onListening?, open?, openPage?, overlay?, port?, profile?, progress?, proxy?, public?, requestCert?, serveIndex?, staticOptions?, transportMode?, useLocalIp?, watchContentBase?, watchOptions? }"
 `;
diff --git a/test/cli/cli.test.js b/test/cli/cli.test.js
index f428fe1cc0..2fa893f319 100644
--- a/test/cli/cli.test.js
+++ b/test/cli/cli.test.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 'use strict';
 
-const { unlink } = require('fs');
-const { join, resolve } = require('path');
+const { resolve } = require('path');
 const execa = require('execa');
 const testBin = require('../helpers/test-bin');
 
@@ -90,27 +89,6 @@ describe('CLI', () => {
       .catch(done);
   });
 
-  // The Unix socket to listen to (instead of a host).
-  it('--socket', (done) => {
-    const socketPath = join('.', 'webpack.sock');
-
-    testBin(`--socket ${socketPath}`)
-      .then((output) => {
-        expect(output.exitCode).toEqual(0);
-
-        if (process.platform === 'win32') {
-          done();
-        } else {
-          expect(output.stderr).toContain(socketPath);
-
-          unlink(socketPath, () => {
-            done();
-          });
-        }
-      })
-      .catch(done);
-  });
-
   it('should accept the promise function of webpack.config.js', (done) => {
     testBin(
       false,
diff --git a/test/fixtures/schema/webpack.config.no-dev-stats.js b/test/fixtures/schema/webpack.config.no-dev-stats.js
index ea5e1c748b..3c5b352eef 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/schema/webpack.config.no-dev-stats.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/schema/webpack.config.no-dev-stats.js
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ module.exports = {
   devServer: {
     host: '_foo',
     public: '_public',
-    socket: '_socket',
     progress: '_progress',
     publicPath: '_publicPath',
     hot: '_hot',
diff --git a/test/options.test.js b/test/options.test.js
index 46da4a0896..b1df23518d 100644
--- a/test/options.test.js
+++ b/test/options.test.js
@@ -389,10 +389,6 @@ describe('options', () => {
         success: [true],
         failure: [''],
       },
-      socket: {
-        success: [''],
-        failure: [false],
-      },
       staticOptions: {
         success: [{}],
         failure: [false],
diff --git a/test/server/utils/__snapshots__/createConfig.test.js.snap b/test/server/utils/__snapshots__/createConfig.test.js.snap
index 05dfd4490a..4091f882b8 100644
--- a/test/server/utils/__snapshots__/createConfig.test.js.snap
+++ b/test/server/utils/__snapshots__/createConfig.test.js.snap
@@ -755,28 +755,6 @@ Object {
 }
 `;
 
-exports[`createConfig socket option (devServer config) 1`] = `
-Object {
-  "dev": Object {
-    "publicPath": "/",
-  },
-  "hot": true,
-  "port": 8080,
-  "socket": "socket",
-}
-`;
-
-exports[`createConfig socket option 1`] = `
-Object {
-  "dev": Object {
-    "publicPath": "/",
-  },
-  "hot": true,
-  "port": 8080,
-  "socket": "socket",
-}
-`;
-
 exports[`createConfig useLocalIp option (in devServer config) 1`] = `
 Object {
   "dev": Object {
diff --git a/test/server/utils/createConfig.test.js b/test/server/utils/createConfig.test.js
index 89b317e145..d38d8bf0f4 100644
--- a/test/server/utils/createConfig.test.js
+++ b/test/server/utils/createConfig.test.js
@@ -159,30 +159,6 @@ describe('createConfig', () => {
     expect(config).toMatchSnapshot();
   });
 
-  it('socket option', () => {
-    const config = createConfig(
-      webpackConfig,
-      Object.assign({}, argv, {
-        socket: 'socket',
-      }),
-      { port: 8080 }
-    );
-
-    expect(config).toMatchSnapshot();
-  });
-
-  it('socket option (devServer config)', () => {
-    const config = createConfig(
-      Object.assign({}, webpackConfig, {
-        devServer: { socket: 'socket' },
-      }),
-      argv,
-      { port: 8080 }
-    );
-
-    expect(config).toMatchSnapshot();
-  });
-
   it('progress option', () => {
     const config = createConfig(
       webpackConfig,