diff --git a/include/vlc_network.h b/include/vlc_network.h
index c3cc983469..f1befae6a4 100644
--- a/include/vlc_network.h
+++ b/include/vlc_network.h
@@ -101,9 +101,9 @@ static inline int __net_ConnectTCP (vlc_object_t *obj, const char *host, int por
 
 VLC_EXPORT( int, net_AcceptSingle, (vlc_object_t *obj, int lfd) );
 
-VLC_EXPORT( int, __net_Accept, ( vlc_object_t *, int *, mtime_t ) );
-#define net_Accept(a, b, c) \
-      __net_Accept(VLC_OBJECT(a), b, (c == -1) ? -1 : (c ? check_delay(c) : 0))
+VLC_EXPORT( int, net_Accept, ( vlc_object_t *, int * ) );
+#define net_Accept(a, b) \
+        net_Accept(VLC_OBJECT(a), b)
 
 #define net_ConnectDgram(a, b, c, d, e ) __net_ConnectDgram(VLC_OBJECT(a), b, c, d, e)
 VLC_EXPORT( int, __net_ConnectDgram, ( vlc_object_t *p_this, const char *psz_host, int i_port, int hlim, int proto ) );
diff --git a/modules/access/rtmp/access.c b/modules/access/rtmp/access.c
index c9a076b5fc..910ed53cbf 100644
--- a/modules/access/rtmp/access.c
+++ b/modules/access/rtmp/access.c
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ static int Open( vlc_object_t *p_this )
             goto error2;
         }
 
-        p_sys->p_thread->fd = net_Accept( p_access, p_fd_listen, -1 );
+        p_sys->p_thread->fd = net_Accept( p_access, p_fd_listen );
 
         net_ListenClose( p_fd_listen );
 
diff --git a/modules/access_output/rtmp.c b/modules/access_output/rtmp.c
index eac532bc13..b49181a1a8 100644
--- a/modules/access_output/rtmp.c
+++ b/modules/access_output/rtmp.c
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ static int Open( vlc_object_t *p_this )
         }
 
         do
-            p_sys->p_thread->fd = net_Accept( p_access, p_fd_listen, -1 );
+            p_sys->p_thread->fd = net_Accept( p_access, p_fd_listen );
         while( p_sys->p_thread->fd == -1 );
         net_ListenClose( p_fd_listen );
 
diff --git a/modules/control/rc.c b/modules/control/rc.c
index 8e61ee9bc0..b42c0541d9 100644
--- a/modules/control/rc.c
+++ b/modules/control/rc.c
@@ -484,8 +484,7 @@ static void Run( intf_thread_t *p_intf )
             p_intf->p_sys->i_socket == -1 )
         {
             p_intf->p_sys->i_socket =
-                net_Accept( p_intf, p_intf->p_sys->pi_socket_listen,
-                            INTF_IDLE_SLEEP );
+                net_Accept( p_intf, p_intf->p_sys->pi_socket_listen );
             if( p_intf->p_sys->i_socket == -1 ) continue;
         }
 
diff --git a/modules/misc/lua/libs/net.c b/modules/misc/lua/libs/net.c
index dcf2166463..321da9ef27 100644
--- a/modules/misc/lua/libs/net.c
+++ b/modules/misc/lua/libs/net.c
@@ -121,8 +121,7 @@ static int vlclua_net_accept( lua_State *L )
 {
     vlc_object_t *p_this = vlclua_get_this( L );
     int **ppi_fd = (int**)luaL_checkudata( L, 1, "net_listen" );
-    mtime_t i_wait = luaL_optint( L, 2, -1 ); /* default to block */
-    int i_fd = net_Accept( p_this, *ppi_fd, i_wait );
+    int i_fd = net_Accept( p_this, *ppi_fd );
     lua_pushinteger( L, i_fd );
     return 1;
 }
diff --git a/modules/stream_out/rtp.c b/modules/stream_out/rtp.c
index 590e8d0522..e54ef0675a 100644
--- a/modules/stream_out/rtp.c
+++ b/modules/stream_out/rtp.c
@@ -1590,7 +1590,7 @@ static void *rtp_listen_thread( void *data )
 
     for( ;; )
     {
-        int fd = net_Accept( id, id->listen.fd, -1 );
+        int fd = net_Accept( id, id->listen.fd );
         if( fd == -1 )
             continue;
         int canc = vlc_savecancel( );
diff --git a/src/libvlccore.sym b/src/libvlccore.sym
index 7590fdc474..2f39016271 100644
--- a/src/libvlccore.sym
+++ b/src/libvlccore.sym
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ msg_Unsubscribe
 msleep
 mstrtime
 mwait
-__net_Accept
+net_Accept
 net_AcceptSingle
 __net_Connect
 __net_ConnectDgram
diff --git a/src/network/tcp.c b/src/network/tcp.c
index 537c4f919b..4297a20a1e 100644
--- a/src/network/tcp.c
+++ b/src/network/tcp.c
@@ -272,49 +272,46 @@ int net_AcceptSingle (vlc_object_t *obj, int lfd)
 }
 
 
-/*****************************************************************************
- * __net_Accept:
- *****************************************************************************
- * Accept a connection on a set of listening sockets and return it
- *****************************************************************************/
-int __net_Accept( vlc_object_t *p_this, int *pi_fd, mtime_t i_wait )
+#undef net_Accept
+/**
+ * Accepts an new connection on a set of listening sockets.
+ * If there are no pending connections, this function will wait.
+ * @note If the thread needs to handle events other than incoming connections,
+ * you need to use poll() and net_AcceptSingle() instead.
+ *
+ * @param p_this VLC object for logging and object kill signal
+ * @param pi_fd listening socket set
+ * @return -1 on error (may be transient error due to network issues),
+ * a new socket descriptor on success.
+ */
+int net_Accept (vlc_object_t *p_this, int *pi_fd)
 {
-    int timeout = (i_wait < 0) ? -1 : i_wait / 1000;
     int evfd = vlc_object_waitpipe (p_this);
 
-    assert( pi_fd != NULL );
+    assert (pi_fd != NULL);
+
+    unsigned n = 0;
+    while (pi_fd[n] != -1)
+        n++;
+    struct pollfd ufd[n + 1];
+
+    /* Initialize file descriptor set */
+    for (unsigned i = 0; i <= n; i++)
+    {
+        ufd[i].fd = (i < n) ? pi_fd[i] : evfd;
+        ufd[i].events = POLLIN;
+    }
+    ufd[n].revents = 0;
 
     for (;;)
     {
-        unsigned n = 0;
-        while (pi_fd[n] != -1)
-            n++;
-        struct pollfd ufd[n + 1];
-
-        /* Initialize file descriptor set */
-        for (unsigned i = 0; i <= n; i++)
+        while (poll (ufd, n + (evfd != -1), -1) == -1)
         {
-            ufd[i].fd = (i < n) ? pi_fd[i] : evfd;
-            ufd[i].events = POLLIN;
-            ufd[i].revents = 0;
-        }
-
-        switch (poll (ufd, n + (evfd != -1), timeout))
-        {
-            case -1:
-                if (net_errno == EINTR)
-                    continue;
+            if (net_errno != EINTR)
+            {
                 msg_Err (p_this, "poll error: %m");
                 return -1;
-            case 0:
-                errno = ETIMEDOUT;
-                return -1;
-        }
-
-        if (ufd[n].revents)
-        {
-            errno = EINTR;
-            break;
+            }
         }
 
         for (unsigned i = 0; i < n; i++)
@@ -335,6 +332,12 @@ int __net_Accept( vlc_object_t *p_this, int *pi_fd, mtime_t i_wait )
             pi_fd[n - 1] = sfd;
             return fd;
         }
+
+        if (ufd[n].revents)
+        {
+            errno = EINTR;
+            break;
+        }
     }
     return -1;
 }