diff --git a/metricbeat/module/system/socket/_meta/data.json b/metricbeat/module/system/socket/_meta/data.json
index 81e634a8b70..0a02196601d 100644
--- a/metricbeat/module/system/socket/_meta/data.json
+++ b/metricbeat/module/system/socket/_meta/data.json
@@ -19,16 +19,16 @@
     },
     "process": {
         "args": [
-            "/tmp/go-build122914279/b001/socket.test",
+            "/tmp/go-build701928973/b001/socket.test",
             "-data"
         ],
-        "executable": "/tmp/go-build122914279/b001/socket.test",
+        "executable": "/tmp/go-build701928973/b001/socket.test",
         "name": "socket.test",
-        "pid": 20595
+        "pid": 9578
     },
     "server": {
         "ip": "::",
-        "port": 32915
+        "port": 42573
     },
     "service": {
         "type": "system"
@@ -37,10 +37,10 @@
         "socket": {
             "local": {
                 "ip": "::",
-                "port": 32915
+                "port": 42573
             },
             "process": {
-                "cmdline": "/tmp/go-build122914279/b001/socket.test -data"
+                "cmdline": "/tmp/go-build701928973/b001/socket.test -data"
             }
         }
     },
diff --git a/metricbeat/module/system/socket/_meta/data_inbound.json b/metricbeat/module/system/socket/_meta/data_inbound.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f473886e9fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/metricbeat/module/system/socket/_meta/data_inbound.json
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+{
+    "@timestamp": "2017-10-12T08:05:34.853Z",
+    "agent": {
+        "hostname": "host.example.com",
+        "name": "host.example.com"
+    },
+    "event": {
+        "dataset": "system.socket",
+        "duration": 115000,
+        "module": "system"
+    },
+    "metricset": {
+        "name": "socket"
+    },
+    "network": {
+        "direction": "inbound",
+        "iana_number": "41",
+        "type": "ipv6"
+    },
+    "process": {
+        "pid": -1
+    },
+    "server": {
+        "ip": "::1",
+        "port": 42573
+    },
+    "service": {
+        "type": "system"
+    },
+    "system": {
+        "socket": {
+            "local": {
+                "ip": "::1",
+                "port": 42573
+            },
+            "remote": {
+                "ip": "::1",
+                "port": 37854
+            }
+        }
+    },
+    "user": {
+        "full_name": "root",
+        "id": "0"
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/metricbeat/module/system/socket/_meta/data_outbound.json b/metricbeat/module/system/socket/_meta/data_outbound.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..511c00a6668
--- /dev/null
+++ b/metricbeat/module/system/socket/_meta/data_outbound.json
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+{
+    "@timestamp": "2017-10-12T08:05:34.853Z",
+    "agent": {
+        "hostname": "host.example.com",
+        "name": "host.example.com"
+    },
+    "event": {
+        "dataset": "system.socket",
+        "duration": 115000,
+        "module": "system"
+    },
+    "metricset": {
+        "name": "socket"
+    },
+    "network": {
+        "direction": "outbound",
+        "iana_number": "41",
+        "type": "ipv6"
+    },
+    "process": {
+        "pid": -1
+    },
+    "server": {
+        "ip": "::1",
+        "port": 37858
+    },
+    "service": {
+        "type": "system"
+    },
+    "system": {
+        "socket": {
+            "local": {
+                "ip": "::1",
+                "port": 37858
+            },
+            "remote": {
+                "ip": "::1",
+                "port": 42573
+            }
+        }
+    },
+    "user": {
+        "full_name": "root",
+        "id": "0"
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/metricbeat/module/system/socket/socket_test.go b/metricbeat/module/system/socket/socket_test.go
index d939784ad15..45234816098 100644
--- a/metricbeat/module/system/socket/socket_test.go
+++ b/metricbeat/module/system/socket/socket_test.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 package socket
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"os"
 	"strconv"
@@ -31,20 +32,48 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/libbeat/common"
+	sock "github.com/elastic/beats/metricbeat/helper/socket"
 	mbtest "github.com/elastic/beats/metricbeat/mb/testing"
 )
 
 func TestData(t *testing.T) {
+	directionIs := func(direction string) func(e common.MapStr) bool {
+		return func(e common.MapStr) bool {
+			v, err := e.GetValue("network.direction")
+			return err == nil && v == direction
+		}
+	}
+
+	dataFiles := []struct {
+		direction string
+		path      string
+	}{
+		{sock.ListeningName, "."},
+		{sock.InboundName, "./_meta/data_inbound.json"},
+		{sock.OutboundName, "./_meta/data_outbound.json"},
+	}
+
+	f := mbtest.NewReportingMetricSetV2(t, getConfig())
+
 	ln, err := net.Listen("tcp", ":0")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	defer ln.Close()
 
-	f := mbtest.NewReportingMetricSetV2(t, getConfig())
-	err = mbtest.WriteEventsReporterV2(f, t, ".")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal("write", err)
+	for _, df := range dataFiles {
+		c, err := net.Dial("tcp", ln.Addr().String())
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		c.Close()
+
+		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("direction:%s", df.direction), func(t *testing.T) {
+			err = mbtest.WriteEventsReporterV2Cond(f, t, df.path, directionIs(df.direction))
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal("write", err)
+			}
+		})
 	}
 }