diff --git a/channels.c b/channels.c
index 6b7d259a443..e4c9c9f2edf 100644
--- a/channels.c
+++ b/channels.c
@@ -3683,8 +3683,18 @@ channel_setup_fwd_listener_tcpip(struct ssh *ssh, int type,
 			    strerror(errno));
 			continue;
 		}
-
+#ifndef WINDOWS
+		/*
+		Setting the SO_REUSEADDR flag on a socket behaves differently on Windows than on *NIX OS.
+		On *NIX OS, the flag is used for  handling specific edge cases and allows the port to be reused
+		while busy only during TIME_WAIT state in the short period after termination.
+		On Windows, the option allows a socket to forcibly bind to a port in use by another socket in any
+		state.
+		This was allowing more than one socket to be created in the same port on Windows, which is 
+		unnexpected behavior.
+		*/
 		set_reuseaddr(sock);
+#endif
 		if (ai->ai_family == AF_INET6)
 			sock_set_v6only(sock);
 
diff --git a/sshd.c b/sshd.c
index c209a9c241a..0df7e8a69cb 100644
--- a/sshd.c
+++ b/sshd.c
@@ -1472,7 +1472,9 @@ listen_on_addrs(struct listenaddr *la)
 			continue;
 		}
 		/* Socket options */
+#ifndef WINDOWS
 		set_reuseaddr(listen_sock);
+#endif
 		if (la->rdomain != NULL &&
 		    set_rdomain(listen_sock, la->rdomain) == -1) {
 			close(listen_sock);