diff --git a/unix/beam.go b/unix/beam.go
index 88d3ea7c79..9e6dc90f1b 100644
--- a/unix/beam.go
+++ b/unix/beam.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package beam
+package unix
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
diff --git a/unix/beam_test.go b/unix/beam_test.go
index 2822861a37..83bd91e0d3 100644
--- a/unix/beam_test.go
+++ b/unix/beam_test.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package beam
+package unix
 
 import (
 	"github.com/dotcloud/docker/pkg/beam/data"
diff --git a/unix/conn.go b/unix/conn.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9f4df82bbd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/unix/conn.go
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+package unix
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/docker/beam"
+	"github.com/docker/beam/data"
+)
+
+func Pair() (*Conn, *Conn, error) {
+	c1, c2, err := USocketPair()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, err
+	}
+	return &Conn{c1}, &Conn{c2}, nil
+}
+
+type Conn struct {
+	*UnixConn
+}
+
+func (c *Conn) Send(msg *beam.Message, mode int) (beam.Receiver, beam.Sender, error) {
+	if mode != 0 {
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("operation not supported")
+	}
+	parts := []string{msg.Name}
+	parts = append(parts, msg.Args...)
+	c.UnixConn.Send([]byte(data.EncodeList(parts)), nil)
+	return nil, nil, nil
+}
+
+func (c *Conn) Receive(mode int) (*beam.Message, beam.Receiver, beam.Sender, error) {
+	if mode != 0 {
+		return nil, nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("operation not supported")
+	}
+	b, _, err := c.UnixConn.Receive()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, nil, err
+	}
+	parts, n, err := data.DecodeList(string(b))
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, nil, err
+	}
+	if n != len(b) {
+		return nil, nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("garbage data %#v", b[:n])
+	}
+	if len(parts) == 0 {
+		return nil, nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("malformed message")
+	}
+	msg := &beam.Message{parts[0], parts[1:]}
+	return msg, nil, nil, nil
+}
diff --git a/unix/conn_test.go b/unix/conn_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..27c031d58b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/unix/conn_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+package unix
+
+import (
+	"github.com/docker/beam"
+	"github.com/dotcloud/docker/pkg/testutils"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestPair(t *testing.T) {
+	r, w, err := Pair()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("Unexpected error")
+	}
+	defer r.Close()
+	defer w.Close()
+	testutils.Timeout(t, func() {
+		go func() {
+			msg, in, out, err := r.Receive(0)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			if msg.Name != "print" {
+				t.Fatalf("%#v", *msg)
+			}
+			if msg.Args[0] != "hello world" {
+				t.Fatalf("%#v", *msg)
+			}
+			if in != nil  && out != nil {
+				t.Fatal("Unexpected return value")
+			}
+		}()
+		_, _, err := w.Send(&beam.Message{Name: "print", Args: []string{"hello world"}}, 0)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	})
+}
diff --git a/unix/unix.go b/unix/unix.go
index b2d0d94150..594eb21b10 100644
--- a/unix/unix.go
+++ b/unix/unix.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package beam
+package unix
 
 import (
 	"bufio"
diff --git a/unix/unix_test.go b/unix/unix_test.go
index 976f089c23..7f947760b3 100644
--- a/unix/unix_test.go
+++ b/unix/unix_test.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package beam
+package unix
 
 import (
 	"fmt"