diff --git a/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/socialbackup/recovery/CustodianTaskImpl.java b/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/socialbackup/recovery/CustodianTaskImpl.java
index a57ce86df..def30433e 100644
--- a/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/socialbackup/recovery/CustodianTaskImpl.java
+++ b/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/socialbackup/recovery/CustodianTaskImpl.java
@@ -6,8 +6,10 @@ import org.briarproject.bramble.api.crypto.AgreementPublicKey;
 import org.briarproject.bramble.api.data.BdfList;
 import org.briarproject.briar.api.socialbackup.recovery.CustodianTask;
 
+import java.io.IOException;
 import java.net.InetAddress;
 import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
+import java.net.Socket;
 import java.security.PublicKey;
 
 import javax.inject.Inject;
@@ -47,6 +49,15 @@ public class CustodianTaskImpl implements CustodianTask {
 		   observer.onStateChanged(new CustodianTask.State.SendingShard());
 	   } catch (Exception e) {
 	   	   observer.onStateChanged(new CustodianTask.State.Failure(State.Failure.Reason.QR_CODE_INVALID));
+	   	   return;
 	   }
+
+	   Socket s = new Socket();
+	   try {
+		   s.connect(remoteSocketAddress);
+	   } catch (IOException e) {
+		   observer.onStateChanged(new CustodianTask.State.Failure(State.Failure.Reason.QR_CODE_INVALID));
+	   }
+	   System.out.println("Connected *****");
 	}
 }
diff --git a/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/socialbackup/recovery/SecretOwnerTaskImpl.java b/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/socialbackup/recovery/SecretOwnerTaskImpl.java
index c35c7eb12..4da5659d8 100644
--- a/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/socialbackup/recovery/SecretOwnerTaskImpl.java
+++ b/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/socialbackup/recovery/SecretOwnerTaskImpl.java
@@ -8,8 +8,10 @@ import org.briarproject.bramble.api.data.BdfList;
 import org.briarproject.bramble.api.lifecycle.IoExecutor;
 import org.briarproject.briar.api.socialbackup.recovery.SecretOwnerTask;
 
+import java.io.IOException;
 import java.net.InetAddress;
 import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
+import java.net.ServerSocket;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
 
 import javax.inject.Inject;
@@ -37,7 +39,18 @@ public class SecretOwnerTaskImpl implements SecretOwnerTask {
 		if (inetAddress == null) observer.onStateChanged(new State.Failure());
 		System.out.println("InetAddress is " + inetAddress);
 		socketAddress = new InetSocketAddress(inetAddress, 3002);
-		// TODO start listening on socketAddress
+
+		// start listening on socketAddress
+		ServerSocket ss = null;
+		try {
+			ss = new ServerSocket();
+			ss.bind(socketAddress);
+		} catch (IOException e) {
+			observer.onStateChanged(new State.Failure());
+			// TODO could try incrementing the port number
+			return;
+		}
+
 		try {
 			// TODO add version number
 			BdfList payloadList = new BdfList();