diff --git a/hyracks/hyracks-net/pom.xml b/hyracks/hyracks-net/pom.xml
index 5eb88b5..a079306 100644
--- a/hyracks/hyracks-net/pom.xml
+++ b/hyracks/hyracks-net/pom.xml
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@
         <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
         <version>2.0.2</version>
         <configuration>
-          <source>1.7</source>
-          <target>1.7</target>
+          <source>1.6</source>
+          <target>1.6</target>
         </configuration>
       </plugin>
     </plugins>
diff --git a/hyracks/hyracks-net/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/net/protocols/muxdemux/MuxDemux.java b/hyracks/hyracks-net/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/net/protocols/muxdemux/MuxDemux.java
index e4df6b9..c719bc4 100644
--- a/hyracks/hyracks-net/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/net/protocols/muxdemux/MuxDemux.java
+++ b/hyracks/hyracks-net/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/net/protocols/muxdemux/MuxDemux.java
@@ -48,9 +48,9 @@
      * Constructor.
      * 
      * @param localAddress
-     *            - TCP/IP socket address to listen on. Null for non-listening unidirectional sockets
+     *            - TCP/IP socket address to listen on
      * @param listener
-     *            - Callback interface to report channel events. Null for non-listening unidirectional sockets
+     *            - Callback interface to report channel events
      * @param nThreads
      *            - Number of threads to use for data transfer
      * @param maxConnectionAttempts
diff --git a/hyracks/hyracks-net/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/net/protocols/tcp/TCPEndpoint.java b/hyracks/hyracks-net/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/net/protocols/tcp/TCPEndpoint.java
index a9061e1..d13a17e 100644
--- a/hyracks/hyracks-net/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/net/protocols/tcp/TCPEndpoint.java
+++ b/hyracks/hyracks-net/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/net/protocols/tcp/TCPEndpoint.java
@@ -45,23 +45,15 @@
     }
 
     public void start(InetSocketAddress localAddress) throws IOException {
-        // Setup a server socket listening channel only if the TCPEndpoint is a listening endpoint.
-        if (localAddress != null) {
-            serverSocketChannel = ServerSocketChannel.open();
-            ServerSocket serverSocket = serverSocketChannel.socket();
-            serverSocket.bind(localAddress);
-            this.localAddress = (InetSocketAddress) serverSocket.getLocalSocketAddress();
-        }
-
+        serverSocketChannel = ServerSocketChannel.open();
+        ServerSocket serverSocket = serverSocketChannel.socket();
+        serverSocket.bind(localAddress);
+        this.localAddress = (InetSocketAddress) serverSocket.getLocalSocketAddress();
         ioThreads = new IOThread[nThreads];
         for (int i = 0; i < ioThreads.length; ++i) {
             ioThreads[i] = new IOThread();
         }
-
-        if (localAddress != null) {
-            ioThreads[0].registerServerSocket(serverSocketChannel);
-        }
-
+        ioThreads[0].registerServerSocket(serverSocketChannel);
         for (int i = 0; i < ioThreads.length; ++i) {
             ioThreads[i].start();
         }