diff --git a/ports/espressif/common-hal/socketpool/Socket.c b/ports/espressif/common-hal/socketpool/Socket.c
index c65771fb0b..18237a4d4e 100644
--- a/ports/espressif/common-hal/socketpool/Socket.c
+++ b/ports/espressif/common-hal/socketpool/Socket.c
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ void common_hal_socketpool_socket_connect(socketpool_socket_obj_t *self,
     struct addrinfo *result_i;
     int error = lwip_getaddrinfo(host, NULL, &hints, &result_i);
     if (error != 0 || result_i == NULL) {
-        mp_raise_OSError(EHOSTUNREACH);
+        common_hal_socketpool_socketpool_raise_gaierror(SOCKETPOOL_EAI_NONAME, MP_QSTR_Name_space_or_space_service_space_not_space_known);
     }
 
     // Set parameters
@@ -550,7 +550,7 @@ mp_uint_t common_hal_socketpool_socket_sendto(socketpool_socket_obj_t *self,
     struct addrinfo *result_i;
     int error = lwip_getaddrinfo(host, NULL, &hints, &result_i);
     if (error != 0 || result_i == NULL) {
-        mp_raise_OSError(EHOSTUNREACH);
+        common_hal_socketpool_socketpool_raise_gaierror(SOCKETPOOL_EAI_NONAME, MP_QSTR_Name_space_or_space_service_space_not_space_known);
     }
 
     // Set parameters
diff --git a/ports/raspberrypi/common-hal/socketpool/Socket.c b/ports/raspberrypi/common-hal/socketpool/Socket.c
index be3f2cd087..fe12f461fb 100644
--- a/ports/raspberrypi/common-hal/socketpool/Socket.c
+++ b/ports/raspberrypi/common-hal/socketpool/Socket.c
@@ -872,11 +872,7 @@ bool common_hal_socketpool_socket_bind(socketpool_socket_obj_t *socket,
     ip_addr_t bind_addr;
     const ip_addr_t *bind_addr_ptr = &bind_addr;
     if (hostlen > 0) {
-        int error = socketpool_resolve_host(socket->pool, host, &bind_addr);
-        if (error != 0) {
-            mp_raise_OSError(EHOSTUNREACH);
-        }
-
+        socketpool_resolve_host_raise(socket->pool, host, &bind_addr);
     } else {
         bind_addr_ptr = IP_ANY_TYPE;
     }
@@ -965,10 +961,7 @@ void common_hal_socketpool_socket_connect(socketpool_socket_obj_t *socket,
 
     // get address
     ip_addr_t dest;
-    int error = socketpool_resolve_host(socket->pool, host, &dest);
-    if (error != 0) {
-        mp_raise_OSError(EHOSTUNREACH);
-    }
+    socketpool_resolve_host_raise(socket->pool, host, &dest);
 
     err_t err = ERR_ARG;
     switch (socket->type) {
@@ -1163,10 +1156,7 @@ mp_uint_t common_hal_socketpool_socket_sendto(socketpool_socket_obj_t *socket,
     const char *host, size_t hostlen, uint32_t port, const uint8_t *buf, uint32_t len) {
     int _errno;
     ip_addr_t ip;
-    int error = socketpool_resolve_host(socket->pool, host, &ip);
-    if (error != 0) {
-        mp_raise_OSError(EHOSTUNREACH);
-    }
+    socketpool_resolve_host_raise(socket->pool, host, &ip);
 
     mp_uint_t ret = 0;
     switch (socket->type) {
diff --git a/ports/raspberrypi/common-hal/socketpool/SocketPool.c b/ports/raspberrypi/common-hal/socketpool/SocketPool.c
index d2f403c852..bdbc7f67c5 100644
--- a/ports/raspberrypi/common-hal/socketpool/SocketPool.c
+++ b/ports/raspberrypi/common-hal/socketpool/SocketPool.c
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ STATIC void lwip_getaddrinfo_cb(const char *name, const ip_addr_t *ipaddr, void
     }
 }
 
-int socketpool_resolve_host(socketpool_socketpool_obj_t *self, const char *host, ip_addr_t *addr) {
+STATIC int socketpool_resolve_host(socketpool_socketpool_obj_t *self, const char *host, ip_addr_t *addr) {
 
     getaddrinfo_state_t state;
     state.status = 0;
@@ -94,17 +94,26 @@ int socketpool_resolve_host(socketpool_socketpool_obj_t *self, const char *host,
     return 0;
 }
 
-mp_obj_t common_hal_socketpool_socketpool_gethostbyname(socketpool_socketpool_obj_t *self,
-    const char *host) {
-
-    ip_addr_t addr;
-    int result = socketpool_resolve_host(self, host, &addr);
+void socketpool_resolve_host_raise(socketpool_socketpool_obj_t *self, const char *host, ip_addr_t *addr) {
+    int result = socketpool_resolve_host(self, host, addr);
     if (result < 0) {
+        printf("socket_resolve_host() returned %d\n", result);
+        common_hal_socketpool_socketpool_raise_gaierror(SOCKETPOOL_EAI_NONAME, MP_QSTR_Name_space_or_space_service_space_not_space_known);
         mp_raise_OSError(-result);
     }
+}
+
+mp_obj_t common_hal_socketpool_socketpool_gethostbyname(socketpool_socketpool_obj_t *self, const char *host) {
+
+    ip_addr_t addr;
+    socketpool_resolve_host_raise(self, host, &addr);
 
     char ip_str[IP4ADDR_STRLEN_MAX];
     inet_ntoa_r(addr, ip_str, IP4ADDR_STRLEN_MAX);
     mp_obj_t ip_obj = mp_obj_new_str(ip_str, strlen(ip_str));
     return ip_obj;
 }
+
+mp_obj_t common_hal_socketpool_socketpool_gethostbyname_raise(socketpool_socketpool_obj_t *self, const char *host) {
+    return common_hal_socketpool_socketpool_gethostbyname(self, host);
+}
diff --git a/ports/raspberrypi/common-hal/socketpool/SocketPool.h b/ports/raspberrypi/common-hal/socketpool/SocketPool.h
index 3d498d9a49..a7ad36b92f 100644
--- a/ports/raspberrypi/common-hal/socketpool/SocketPool.h
+++ b/ports/raspberrypi/common-hal/socketpool/SocketPool.h
@@ -32,4 +32,4 @@ typedef struct {
     mp_obj_base_t base;
 } socketpool_socketpool_obj_t;
 
-int socketpool_resolve_host(socketpool_socketpool_obj_t *self, const char *host, ip_addr_t *addr);
+void socketpool_resolve_host_raise(socketpool_socketpool_obj_t *self, const char *host, ip_addr_t *addr);
diff --git a/shared-bindings/socketpool/SocketPool.c b/shared-bindings/socketpool/SocketPool.c
index 4881a0597b..660aba63ed 100644
--- a/shared-bindings/socketpool/SocketPool.c
+++ b/shared-bindings/socketpool/SocketPool.c
@@ -36,8 +36,6 @@
 #include "shared-bindings/socketpool/Socket.h"
 #include "shared-bindings/socketpool/SocketPool.h"
 
-#define SOCKETPOOL_EAI_NONAME (-2)
-
 //| class SocketPool:
 //|     """A pool of socket resources available for the given radio. Only one
 //|     SocketPool can be created for each radio.
@@ -151,15 +149,7 @@ STATIC mp_obj_t socketpool_socketpool_getaddrinfo(size_t n_args, const mp_obj_t
     }
 
     if (ip_str == mp_const_none) {
-        ip_str = common_hal_socketpool_socketpool_gethostbyname(self, host);
-    }
-
-    if (ip_str == mp_const_none) {
-        mp_obj_t exc_args[2] = {
-            MP_OBJ_NEW_SMALL_INT(SOCKETPOOL_EAI_NONAME),
-            MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(MP_QSTR_Name_space_or_space_service_space_not_space_known),
-        };
-        nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_args(&mp_type_gaierror, 2, exc_args));
+        ip_str = common_hal_socketpool_socketpool_gethostbyname_raise(self, host);
     }
 
     mp_obj_tuple_t *tuple = MP_OBJ_TO_PTR(mp_obj_new_tuple(5, NULL));
@@ -203,3 +193,21 @@ const mp_obj_type_t socketpool_socketpool_type = {
     .make_new = socketpool_socketpool_make_new,
     .locals_dict = (mp_obj_dict_t *)&socketpool_socketpool_locals_dict,
 };
+
+MP_WEAK
+mp_obj_t common_hal_socketpool_socketpool_gethostbyname_raise(socketpool_socketpool_obj_t *self, const char *host) {
+    mp_obj_t ip_str = common_hal_socketpool_socketpool_gethostbyname(self, host);
+    if (ip_str == mp_const_none) {
+        common_hal_socketpool_socketpool_raise_gaierror(SOCKETPOOL_EAI_NONAME, MP_QSTR_Name_space_or_space_service_space_not_space_known);
+    }
+    return ip_str;
+}
+
+MP_WEAK NORETURN
+void common_hal_socketpool_socketpool_raise_gaierror(int value, qstr name) {
+    mp_obj_t exc_args[2] = {
+        MP_OBJ_NEW_SMALL_INT(value),
+        MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(name),
+    };
+    nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_args(&mp_type_gaierror, 2, exc_args));
+}
diff --git a/shared-bindings/socketpool/SocketPool.h b/shared-bindings/socketpool/SocketPool.h
index 5a2d9f4337..cecbdd86f1 100644
--- a/shared-bindings/socketpool/SocketPool.h
+++ b/shared-bindings/socketpool/SocketPool.h
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@ typedef enum {
     SOCKETPOOL_TCP_NODELAY = 1,
 } socketpool_socketpool_tcpopt_t;
 
+typedef enum {
+    SOCKETPOOL_EAI_NONAME  = -2,
+} socketpool_eai_t;
+
 void common_hal_socketpool_socketpool_construct(socketpool_socketpool_obj_t *self, mp_obj_t radio);
 
 socketpool_socket_obj_t *common_hal_socketpool_socket(socketpool_socketpool_obj_t *self,
@@ -59,6 +63,9 @@ socketpool_socket_obj_t *common_hal_socketpool_socket(socketpool_socketpool_obj_
 
 mp_obj_t common_hal_socketpool_socketpool_gethostbyname(socketpool_socketpool_obj_t *self,
     const char *host);
+// raises an exception instead of returning mp_const_none in the case of error
+mp_obj_t common_hal_socketpool_socketpool_gethostbyname_raise(socketpool_socketpool_obj_t *self,
+    const char *host);
 
 // Non-allocating version for internal use. These sockets are not registered and, therefore, not
 // closed automatically.
@@ -66,4 +73,6 @@ bool socketpool_socket(socketpool_socketpool_obj_t *self,
     socketpool_socketpool_addressfamily_t family, socketpool_socketpool_sock_t type,
     socketpool_socket_obj_t *sock);
 
+NORETURN void common_hal_socketpool_socketpool_raise_gaierror(int value, qstr name);
+
 #endif // MICROPY_INCLUDED_SHARED_BINDINGS_SOCKETPOOL_SOCKETPOOL_H