diff --git a/include/libtorrent/aux_/bind_to_device.hpp b/include/libtorrent/aux_/bind_to_device.hpp
index e141f460e..949f2d85b 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/aux_/bind_to_device.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/aux_/bind_to_device.hpp
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
 #include "libtorrent/config.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/socket.hpp"
+#include "libtorrent/error_code.hpp"
 
 #if TORRENT_USE_IFCONF || TORRENT_USE_NETLINK || TORRENT_USE_SYSCTL
 #include <sys/socket.h> // for SO_BINDTODEVICE
@@ -60,13 +61,19 @@ namespace libtorrent { namespace aux {
 		char const* m_value;
 	};
 
+	template <typename T>
+	void bind_device(T& sock, char const* device, error_code& ec)
+	{
+		sock.set_option(bind_to_device(device), ec);
+	}
+
 #define TORRENT_HAS_BINDTODEVICE 1
 
 #elif defined IP_BOUND_IF
 
 	struct bind_to_device
 	{
-		explicit bind_to_device(char const* device): m_value(if_nametoindex(device)) {}
+		explicit bind_to_device(unsigned int idx): m_value(idx) {}
 		template<class Protocol>
 		int level(Protocol const&) const { return IPPROTO_IP; }
 		template<class Protocol>
@@ -79,6 +86,18 @@ namespace libtorrent { namespace aux {
 		unsigned int m_value;
 	};
 
+	template <typename T>
+	void bind_device(T& sock, char const* device, error_code& ec)
+	{
+		unsigned int const if_idx = if_nametoindex(device);
+		if (if_idx == 0)
+		{
+			ec.assign(errno, system_category());
+			return;
+		}
+		sock.set_option(bind_to_device(if_idx), ec);
+	}
+
 #define TORRENT_HAS_BINDTODEVICE 1
 
 #elif defined IP_FORCE_OUT_IFP
@@ -98,6 +117,12 @@ namespace libtorrent { namespace aux {
 		char const* m_value;
 	};
 
+	template <typename T>
+	void bind_device(T& sock, char const* device, error_code& ec)
+	{
+		sock.set_option(bind_to_device(device), ec);
+	}
+
 #define TORRENT_HAS_BINDTODEVICE 1
 
 #else
diff --git a/include/libtorrent/enum_net.hpp b/include/libtorrent/enum_net.hpp
index 152063550..9d7023419 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/enum_net.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/enum_net.hpp
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ namespace libtorrent {
 #if TORRENT_HAS_BINDTODEVICE
 		// try to use SO_BINDTODEVICE here, if that exists. If it fails,
 		// fall back to the mechanism we have below
-		sock.set_option(aux::bind_to_device(device_name), ec);
+		aux::bind_device(sock, device_name, ec);
 		if (ec)
 #endif
 		{
diff --git a/src/session_impl.cpp b/src/session_impl.cpp
index 4beda20f8..8a99847f4 100644
--- a/src/session_impl.cpp
+++ b/src/session_impl.cpp
@@ -1479,7 +1479,7 @@ namespace {
 				// we have an actual device we're interested in listening on, if we
 				// have SO_BINDTODEVICE functionality, use it now.
 #if TORRENT_HAS_BINDTODEVICE
-				ret->sock->set_option(bind_to_device(lep.device.c_str()), ec);
+				bind_device(*ret->sock, lep.device.c_str(), ec);
 #ifndef TORRENT_DISABLE_LOGGING
 				if (ec && should_log())
 				{
@@ -1488,7 +1488,7 @@ namespace {
 				}
 #endif // TORRENT_DISABLE_LOGGING
 				ec.clear();
-#endif
+#endif // TORRENT_HAS_BINDTODEVICE
 			}
 
 			ret->sock->bind(bind_ep, ec);
@@ -1621,7 +1621,7 @@ namespace {
 #if TORRENT_HAS_BINDTODEVICE
 		if (!lep.device.empty())
 		{
-			ret->udp_sock->sock.set_option(bind_to_device(lep.device.c_str()), ec);
+			bind_device(ret->udp_sock->sock, lep.device.c_str(), ec);
 #ifndef TORRENT_DISABLE_LOGGING
 			if (ec && should_log())
 			{