diff --git a/plugins/transport/socket/main.go b/plugins/transport/socket/main.go
index 186ba2a4..b1aa474f 100644
--- a/plugins/transport/socket/main.go
+++ b/plugins/transport/socket/main.go
@@ -15,7 +15,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/infrawatch/sg-core/pkg/transport"
 )
 
-const maxBufferSize = 16384
+const (
+	maxBufferSize = 65535
+)
 
 var (
 	msgCount int64
@@ -71,22 +73,27 @@ type Socket struct {
 func (s *Socket) Run(ctx context.Context, w transport.WriteFn, done chan bool) {
 
 	var laddr net.UnixAddr
-
 	laddr.Name = s.conf.Path
 	laddr.Net = "unixgram"
 
 	os.Remove(s.conf.Path)
-
 	pc, err := net.ListenUnixgram("unixgram", &laddr)
 	if err != nil {
-		s.logger.Errorf(err, "failed to listen on unix socket %s", laddr.Name)
+		s.logger.Errorf(err, "failed to bind unix socket %s", laddr.Name)
 		return
 	}
+	// create socket file if it does not exist
+	skt, err := pc.File()
+	if err != nil {
+		s.logger.Errorf(err, "failed to retrieve file handle for %s", laddr.Name)
+		return
+	}
+	skt.Close()
 
 	s.logger.Infof("socket listening on %s", laddr.Name)
-	go func(buffSize int64) {
+	go func(maxBuffSize int64) {
+		msgBuffer := make([]byte, maxBuffSize)
 		for {
-			msgBuffer := make([]byte, buffSize)
 			n, err := pc.Read(msgBuffer)
 			if err != nil || n < 1 {
 				if err != nil {
@@ -96,6 +103,11 @@ func (s *Socket) Run(ctx context.Context, w transport.WriteFn, done chan bool) {
 				return
 			}
 
+			// whole buffer was used, so we are potentially handling larger message
+			if n == len(msgBuffer) {
+				s.logger.Warnf("full read buffer used")
+			}
+
 			if s.conf.DumpMessages.Enabled {
 				_, err := s.dumpBuf.Write(msgBuffer[:n])
 				if err != nil {
@@ -107,6 +119,7 @@ func (s *Socket) Run(ctx context.Context, w transport.WriteFn, done chan bool) {
 				}
 				s.dumpBuf.Flush()
 			}
+
 			w(msgBuffer[:n])
 			msgCount++
 		}
diff --git a/plugins/transport/socket/main_test.go b/plugins/transport/socket/main_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..53729195
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/transport/socket/main_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"net"
+	"os"
+	"path"
+	"sync"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/infrawatch/apputils/logging"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"gopkg.in/go-playground/assert.v1"
+)
+
+const regularBuffSize = 16384
+
+func TestSocketTransport(t *testing.T) {
+	tmpdir, err := ioutil.TempDir(".", "socket_test_tmp")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(tmpdir)
+
+	logpath := path.Join(tmpdir, "test.log")
+	logger, err := logging.NewLogger(logging.DEBUG, logpath)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	sktpath := path.Join(tmpdir, "socket")
+	skt, err := os.OpenFile(sktpath, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE, os.ModeSocket|os.ModePerm)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer skt.Close()
+
+	trans := Socket{
+		conf: configT{
+			Path: sktpath,
+		},
+		logger: &logWrapper{
+			l: logger,
+		},
+	}
+
+	t.Run("test large message transport", func(t *testing.T) {
+		msg := make([]byte, regularBuffSize)
+		addition := "wubba lubba dub dub"
+		for i := 0; i < regularBuffSize; i++ {
+			msg[i] = byte('X')
+		}
+		msg[regularBuffSize-1] = byte('$')
+		msg = append(msg, []byte(addition)...)
+
+		// verify transport
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+		wg := sync.WaitGroup{}
+		go trans.Run(ctx, func(mess []byte) {
+			wg.Add(1)
+			strmsg := string(mess)
+			assert.Equal(t, regularBuffSize+len(addition), len(strmsg))   // we received whole message
+			assert.Equal(t, addition, strmsg[len(strmsg)-len(addition):]) // and the out-of-band part is correct
+			wg.Done()
+		}, make(chan bool))
+
+		// wait for socket file to be created
+		for {
+			stat, err := os.Stat(sktpath)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			if stat.Mode()&os.ModeType == os.ModeSocket {
+				break
+			}
+			time.Sleep(250 * time.Millisecond)
+		}
+
+		// write to socket
+		wskt, err := net.DialUnix("unixgram", nil, &net.UnixAddr{Name: sktpath, Net: "unixgram"})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		_, err = wskt.Write(msg)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		cancel()
+		wg.Wait()
+		wskt.Close()
+	})
+}