diff --git a/vlib/net/address.c.v b/vlib/net/address.c.v
index 3f8c5cf600664a..bc861850cfc6f5 100644
--- a/vlib/net/address.c.v
+++ b/vlib/net/address.c.v
@@ -163,17 +163,20 @@ pub fn resolve_addrs_fuzzy(addr string, @type SocketType) ![]Addr {
 
 // resolve_ipaddrs converts the given `addr`, `family` and `typ` to a list of addresses
 pub fn resolve_ipaddrs(addr string, family AddrFamily, typ SocketType) ![]Addr {
-	address, port := split_address(addr)!
+	mut address, port := split_address(addr)!
 
-	if addr[0] == `:` {
+	if address.starts_with('[') && address.ends_with(']') {
+		address = address[1..address.len - 1]
+	}
+
+	// This is to allow a ":8080" shorthand notation similar to HTTPie
+	// [URL shortcuts for localhost](https://httpie.io/docs/cli/url-shortcuts-for-localhost)
+	// and (net.Dial)(https://pkg.go.dev/net#Dial) in Go.
+	if address == '' {
 		match family {
-			.ip6 {
-				return [new_ip6(port, net.addr_ip6_any)]
-			}
-			.ip, .unspec {
-				return [new_ip(port, net.addr_ip_any)]
-			}
-			else {}
+			.ip6 { return [new_ip6(port, addr_ip6_any)] }
+			.ip, .unspec { return [new_ip(port, addr_ip_any)] }
+			.unix { error('unix address must not be empty') }
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/vlib/net/http/server_test.v b/vlib/net/http/server_test.v
index 098e3260513e1c..11c1eb5559f292 100644
--- a/vlib/net/http/server_test.v
+++ b/vlib/net/http/server_test.v
@@ -127,21 +127,21 @@ fn test_server_custom_handler() {
 	}
 	t := spawn server.listen_and_serve()
 	server.wait_till_running()!
-	x := http.fetch(url: 'http://${server.addr}/endpoint?abc=xyz', data: 'my data')!
+	x := http.fetch(url: 'http://127.0.0.1:${cport}/endpoint?abc=xyz', data: 'my data')!
 	assert x.body == 'my data, /endpoint?abc=xyz'
 	assert x.status_code == 200
 	assert x.status_msg == 'OK'
 	assert x.http_version == '1.1'
-	y := http.fetch(url: 'http://${server.addr}/another/endpoint', data: 'abcde')!
+	y := http.fetch(url: 'http://127.0.0.1:${cport}/another/endpoint', data: 'abcde')!
 	assert y.body == 'abcde, /another/endpoint'
 	assert y.status_code == 200
 	assert x.status_msg == 'OK'
 	assert y.status() == .ok
 	assert y.http_version == '1.1'
 	//
-	http.fetch(url: 'http://${server.addr}/something/else')!
+	http.fetch(url: 'http://127.0.0.1:${cport}/something/else')!
 	//
-	big_url := 'http://${server.addr}/redirect_to_big'
+	big_url := 'http://127.0.0.1:${cport}/redirect_to_big'
 	mut progress_calls := &ProgressCalls{}
 	z := http.fetch(
 		url: big_url
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ fn test_server_custom_handler() {
 	assert progress_calls.chunks[0].bytestr().starts_with('HTTP/1.1 301 Moved permanently')
 	assert progress_calls.chunks[1].bytestr().starts_with('HTTP/1.1 200 OK')
 	assert progress_calls.chunks.last().bytestr().contains('xyz def')
-	assert progress_calls.redirected_to == ['http://${server.addr}/big']
+	assert progress_calls.redirected_to == ['http://127.0.0.1:${cport}/big']
 	//
 	server.stop()
 	t.wait()
@@ -232,7 +232,8 @@ fn test_my_counting_handler_on_random_port() {
 		on_running: fn (mut server http.Server) {
 			spawn fn (mut server http.Server) {
 				log.warn('server started')
-				url := 'http://${server.addr}/count'
+				_, server_port := net.split_address(server.addr) or { panic(err) }
+				url := 'http://127.0.0.1:${server_port}/count'
 				log.info('fetching from url: ${url}')
 				for _ in 0 .. 5 {
 					x := http.fetch(url: url, data: 'my data') or { panic(err) }
diff --git a/vlib/net/tcp.c.v b/vlib/net/tcp.c.v
index 8943fc8a75e484..a108104e0a4d68 100644
--- a/vlib/net/tcp.c.v
+++ b/vlib/net/tcp.c.v
@@ -21,15 +21,6 @@ mut:
 
 pub fn dial_tcp(oaddress string) !&TcpConn {
 	mut address := oaddress
-	$if windows {
-		// resolving 0.0.0.0 to localhost, works on linux and macos, but not on windows, so try to emulate it:
-		if address.starts_with(':::') {
-			address = address.replace_once(':::', 'localhost:')
-		}
-		if address.starts_with('0.0.0.0:') {
-			address = address.replace_once('0.0.0.0:', 'localhost:')
-		}
-	}
 	addrs := resolve_addrs_fuzzy(address, .tcp) or {
 		return error('${err.msg()}; could not resolve address ${address} in dial_tcp')
 	}
diff --git a/vlib/net/tcp_test.v b/vlib/net/tcp_test.v
index f0141aeb160586..6f4b5238396b83 100644
--- a/vlib/net/tcp_test.v
+++ b/vlib/net/tcp_test.v
@@ -1,20 +1,17 @@
-// vtest flaky: true
-// vtest retry: 8
 import net
-import os
 
 const test_port = 45123
 
-fn handle_conn(mut c net.TcpConn) {
+fn handle_conn(mut c net.TcpConn) ! {
 	for {
 		mut buf := []u8{len: 100, init: 0}
 		read := c.read(mut buf) or {
-			println('Server: connection dropped')
-			return
+			eprintln('Server: connection dropped')
+			return err
 		}
 		c.write(buf[..read]) or {
-			println('Server: connection dropped')
-			return
+			eprintln('Server: connection dropped')
+			return err
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -24,40 +21,45 @@ fn one_shot_echo_server(mut l net.TcpListener, ch_started chan int) ! {
 	ch_started <- 1
 	mut new_conn := l.accept() or { return error('could not accept') }
 	eprintln('    > new_conn: ${new_conn}')
-	handle_conn(mut new_conn)
-	new_conn.close() or {}
+	handle_conn(mut new_conn)!
+	new_conn.close()!
 }
 
 fn echo(address string) ! {
 	mut c := net.dial_tcp(address)!
-	defer {
-		c.close() or {}
-	}
 
-	println('local: ' + c.addr()!.str())
-	println(' peer: ' + c.peer_addr()!.str())
+	eprintln('local: ' + c.addr()!.str())
+	eprintln(' peer: ' + c.peer_addr()!.str())
 
 	data := 'Hello from vlib/net!'
 	c.write_string(data)!
 	mut buf := []u8{len: 4096}
-	read := c.read(mut buf) or { panic(err) }
+	read := c.read(mut buf)!
 	assert read == data.len
 	for i := 0; i < read; i++ {
 		assert buf[i] == data[i]
 	}
-	println('Got "${buf.bytestr()}"')
+	c.close()!
 }
 
 fn test_tcp_ip6() {
 	eprintln('\n>>> ${@FN}')
-	address := 'localhost:${test_port}'
-	mut l := net.listen_tcp(.ip6, ':${test_port}') or { panic(err) }
+	address := ':${test_port}'
+	mut l := net.listen_tcp(.ip6, address)!
 	dump(l)
 	start_echo_server(mut l)
-	echo(address) or { panic(err) }
-	l.close() or {}
-	// ensure there is at least one new socket created before the next test
-	l = net.listen_tcp(.ip6, ':${test_port + 1}') or { panic(err) }
+	echo(address)!
+	l.close()!
+}
+
+fn test_tcp_ip6_localhost() {
+	eprintln('\n>>> ${@FN}')
+	address := '[::1]:${test_port}'
+	mut l := net.listen_tcp(.ip6, address)!
+	dump(l)
+	start_echo_server(mut l)
+	echo(address)!
+	l.close()!
 }
 
 fn start_echo_server(mut l net.TcpListener) {
@@ -68,31 +70,31 @@ fn start_echo_server(mut l net.TcpListener) {
 
 fn test_tcp_ip() {
 	eprintln('\n>>> ${@FN}')
-	address := 'localhost:${test_port}'
-	mut l := net.listen_tcp(.ip, address) or { panic(err) }
+	address := ':${test_port}'
+	mut l := net.listen_tcp(.ip, address)!
 	dump(l)
 	start_echo_server(mut l)
-	echo(address) or { panic(err) }
-	l.close() or {}
+	echo(address)!
+	l.close()!
 }
 
-fn test_tcp_unix() {
+fn test_tcp_ip_localhost() {
 	eprintln('\n>>> ${@FN}')
-	// TODO(emily):
-	// whilst windows supposedly supports unix sockets
-	// this doesnt work (wsaeopnotsupp at the call to bind())
-	$if !windows {
-		address := os.real_path('tcp-test.sock')
-		// address := 'tcp-test.sock'
-		println('${address}')
+	address := '127.0.0.1:${test_port}'
+	mut l := net.listen_tcp(.ip, address)!
+	dump(l)
+	start_echo_server(mut l)
+	echo(address)!
+	l.close()!
+}
 
-		mut l := net.listen_tcp(.unix, address) or { panic(err) }
-		start_echo_server(mut l)
-		echo(address) or { panic(err) }
-		l.close() or {}
+fn test_tcp_unix() {
+	eprintln('\n>>> ${@FN}')
+	address := 'tcp-test.sock'
+	eprintln('${address}')
 
-		os.rm(address) or { panic('failed to remove socket file') }
-	}
+	mut l := net.listen_tcp(.unix, address) or { return }
+	assert false
 }
 
 fn testsuite_end() {