diff --git a/docs/src/pipe.rst b/docs/src/pipe.rst
index 614bb2e3b1f..9fbb1f6c209 100644
--- a/docs/src/pipe.rst
+++ b/docs/src/pipe.rst
@@ -38,8 +38,7 @@ API
 
     Open an existing file descriptor or HANDLE as a pipe.
 
-    .. note::
-        The user is responsible for setting the file descriptor in non-blocking mode.
+    .. versionchanged:: 1.2.1 the file descriptor is set to non-blocking mode.
 
 .. c:function:: int uv_pipe_bind(uv_pipe_t* handle, const char* name)
 
diff --git a/docs/src/tcp.rst b/docs/src/tcp.rst
index 2c1001b531f..8baedde86c5 100644
--- a/docs/src/tcp.rst
+++ b/docs/src/tcp.rst
@@ -36,9 +36,7 @@ API
 
     Open an existing file descriptor or SOCKET as a TCP handle.
 
-    .. note::
-        The user is responsible for setting the file descriptor in
-        non-blocking mode.
+    .. versionchanged:: 1.2.1 the file descriptor is set to non-blocking mode.
 
 .. c:function:: int uv_tcp_nodelay(uv_tcp_t* handle, int enable)
 
diff --git a/docs/src/udp.rst b/docs/src/udp.rst
index 175ce07a2db..9c4aa2102bd 100644
--- a/docs/src/udp.rst
+++ b/docs/src/udp.rst
@@ -120,6 +120,8 @@ API
     In other words, other datagram-type sockets like raw sockets or netlink
     sockets can also be passed to this function.
 
+    .. versionchanged:: 1.2.1 the file descriptor is set to non-blocking mode.
+
 .. c:function:: int uv_udp_bind(uv_udp_t* handle, const struct sockaddr* addr, unsigned int flags)
 
     Bind the UDP handle to an IP address and port.
diff --git a/src/unix/pipe.c b/src/unix/pipe.c
index ef47700b7a1..ba833d3f547 100644
--- a/src/unix/pipe.c
+++ b/src/unix/pipe.c
@@ -125,9 +125,13 @@ void uv__pipe_close(uv_pipe_t* handle) {
 
 
 int uv_pipe_open(uv_pipe_t* handle, uv_file fd) {
-#if defined(__APPLE__)
   int err;
 
+  err = uv__nonblock(fd, 1);
+  if (err)
+    return err;
+
+#if defined(__APPLE__)
   err = uv__stream_try_select((uv_stream_t*) handle, &fd);
   if (err)
     return err;
diff --git a/src/unix/tcp.c b/src/unix/tcp.c
index 8c19c1ab956..4060e7bd709 100644
--- a/src/unix/tcp.c
+++ b/src/unix/tcp.c
@@ -156,6 +156,12 @@ int uv__tcp_connect(uv_connect_t* req,
 
 
 int uv_tcp_open(uv_tcp_t* handle, uv_os_sock_t sock) {
+  int err;
+
+  err = uv__nonblock(sock, 1);
+  if (err)
+    return err;
+
   return uv__stream_open((uv_stream_t*)handle,
                          sock,
                          UV_STREAM_READABLE | UV_STREAM_WRITABLE);
diff --git a/src/unix/udp.c b/src/unix/udp.c
index 2e1824c358a..941c0aec6e2 100644
--- a/src/unix/udp.c
+++ b/src/unix/udp.c
@@ -565,6 +565,10 @@ int uv_udp_open(uv_udp_t* handle, uv_os_sock_t sock) {
   if (handle->io_watcher.fd != -1)
     return -EALREADY;  /* FIXME(bnoordhuis) Should be -EBUSY. */
 
+  err = uv__nonblock(sock, 1);
+  if (err)
+    return err;
+
   err = uv__set_reuse(sock);
   if (err)
     return err;
diff --git a/test/test-close-fd.c b/test/test-close-fd.c
index 0d17f076615..93a7bd7c021 100644
--- a/test/test-close-fd.c
+++ b/test/test-close-fd.c
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ TEST_IMPL(close_fd) {
   int fd[2];
 
   ASSERT(0 == pipe(fd));
-  ASSERT(0 == fcntl(fd[0], F_SETFL, O_NONBLOCK));
   ASSERT(0 == uv_pipe_init(uv_default_loop(), &pipe_handle, 0));
   ASSERT(0 == uv_pipe_open(&pipe_handle, fd[0]));
   fd[0] = -1;  /* uv_pipe_open() takes ownership of the file descriptor. */
diff --git a/test/test-spawn.c b/test/test-spawn.c
index 5c25f81926b..a229d225f1b 100644
--- a/test/test-spawn.c
+++ b/test/test-spawn.c
@@ -1243,7 +1243,6 @@ TEST_IMPL(closed_fd_events) {
 
   /* create a pipe and share it with a child process */
   ASSERT(0 == pipe(fd));
-  ASSERT(0 == fcntl(fd[0], F_SETFL, O_NONBLOCK));
 
   /* spawn_helper4 blocks indefinitely. */
   init_process_options("spawn_helper4", exit_cb);