diff --git a/contrib/sockets/sockets.lisp b/contrib/sockets/sockets.lisp
index 97f1364cc..8138c276b 100755
--- a/contrib/sockets/sockets.lisp
+++ b/contrib/sockets/sockets.lisp
@@ -1180,7 +1180,8 @@ also known as unix-domain sockets."))
 (defun dup (fd)
   (ffi:c-inline (fd) (:int) :int "dup(#0)" :one-liner t))
 
-(defun make-stream-from-fd (fd mode &key buffering external-format (name "FD-STREAM"))
+(defun make-stream-from-fd (fd mode &key buffering element-type external-format
+                            (name "FD-STREAM"))
   (assert (stringp name) (name) "name must be a string.")
   (let* ((smm-mode (ecase mode
 		       (:input (c-constant "smm_input"))
@@ -1193,9 +1194,13 @@ also known as unix-domain sockets."))
 		       #+:wsock
 		       (:input-output-wsock (c-constant "smm_io_wsock"))
 		       ))
-         (stream (ffi:c-inline (name fd smm-mode) (t :int :int) t
-                               "ecl_make_stream_from_fd(#0,#1,(enum ecl_smmode)#2,8,
-                                                        ECL_STREAM_DEFAULT_FORMAT,Cnil)"
+         (stream (ffi:c-inline (name fd smm-mode element-type)
+                               (t :int :int t)
+                               t
+                               "
+ecl_make_stream_from_fd(#0,#1,(enum ecl_smmode)#2,
+			ecl_normalize_stream_element_type(#3),
+                        ECL_STREAM_DEFAULT_FORMAT,Cnil)"
                                :one-liner t)))
     (when buffering
       (si::set-buffering-mode stream buffering))
@@ -1209,7 +1214,7 @@ also known as unix-domain sockets."))
                 "(#0)->stream.flags |= ECL_STREAM_CLOSE_COMPONENTS"
                 :one-liner t))
 
-(defun socket-make-stream-inner (fd input output buffering external-format)
+(defun socket-make-stream-inner (fd input output buffering element-type external-format)
   ;; In Unix we have to create one stream per channel. The reason is
   ;; that buffered I/O is done using ANSI C FILEs which do not support
   ;; concurrent reads and writes -- if one thread is listening to the
@@ -1221,25 +1226,36 @@ also known as unix-domain sockets."))
   (cond ((and input output)
          #+wsock
          (make-stream-from-fd fd :input-output-wsock
-                              :buffering buffering :external-format external-format)
+                              :buffering buffering
+                              :element-type element-type
+                              :external-format external-format)
          #-wsock
-         (let* ((in (socket-make-stream-inner (dup fd) t nil buffering external-format))
-                (out (socket-make-stream-inner fd nil t buffering external-format))
+         (let* ((in (socket-make-stream-inner (dup fd) t nil buffering
+                                              element-type external-format))
+                (out (socket-make-stream-inner fd nil t buffering
+                                               element-type external-format))
                 (stream (make-two-way-stream in out)))
            (auto-close-two-way-stream stream)
            stream))
         (input
          (make-stream-from-fd fd #-wsock :input #+wsock :input-wsock
-                              :buffering buffering :external-format external-format))
+                              :buffering buffering
+                              :element-type element-type
+                              :external-format external-format))
 	(output
 	 (make-stream-from-fd fd #-wsock :output #+wsock :output-wsock
-                              :buffering buffering :external-format external-format))
+                              :buffering buffering
+                              :element-type element-type
+                              :external-format external-format))
 	(t
 	 (error "SOCKET-MAKE-STREAM: at least one of :INPUT or :OUTPUT has to be true."))))
 
 (defmethod socket-make-stream ((socket socket)
-			       &key (input nil input-p) (output nil output-p)
-			       (buffering :full) (external-format :default))
+			       &key (input nil input-p)
+                               (output nil output-p)
+			       (buffering :full)
+                               (element-type 'base-char)
+                               (external-format :default))
   (let ((stream (and (slot-boundp socket 'stream)
 		     (slot-value socket 'stream))))
     (unless stream
@@ -1248,7 +1264,8 @@ also known as unix-domain sockets."))
       (unless (or input-p output-p)
 	(setf input t output t))
       (setf stream (socket-make-stream-inner (socket-file-descriptor socket)
-					     input output buffering external-format))
+					     input output buffering element-type
+                                             external-format))
       (setf (slot-value socket 'stream) stream)
       #+ ignore
       (sb-ext:cancel-finalization socket))
diff --git a/src/CHANGELOG b/src/CHANGELOG
index 86ffe264d..64a4a3501 100755
--- a/src/CHANGELOG
+++ b/src/CHANGELOG
@@ -152,6 +152,8 @@ ECL 11.1.2
 
 * Bugs fixed:
 
+ - Fixed several dozens of typos.
+
  - ENSURE-DIRECTORIES-EXIST did not work properly with logical pathnames.
 
  - EXT:SET-LIMIT with option EXT:FRAME-STACK corrupted the frame stack.
@@ -167,6 +169,7 @@ ECL 11.1.2
    the one stored in *COMMAND-ARGS*, and this may be "cleared" by the
    user.
 
+ - SOCKET-MAKE-STREAM now accepts an :ELEMENT-TYPE argument.
 
 ;;; Local Variables: ***
 ;;; mode:text ***
diff --git a/src/c/file.d b/src/c/file.d
index 3bdd783d0..8ab178dd2 100755
--- a/src/c/file.d
+++ b/src/c/file.d
@@ -4432,12 +4432,22 @@ si_copy_stream(cl_object in, cl_object out)
  * FILE OPENING AND CLOSING
  */
 
-static cl_fixnum
-normalize_stream_element_type(cl_object element_type)
+cl_fixnum
+ecl_normalize_stream_element_type(cl_object element_type)
 {
 	cl_fixnum sign = 0;
 	cl_index size;
-	if (funcall(3, @'subtypep', element_type, @'unsigned-byte') != Cnil) {
+	if (element_type == @'signed-byte') {
+		return -8;
+	} else if (element_type == @'unsigned-byte') {
+		return 8;
+	} else if (element_type == @':default') {
+		return 0;
+        } else if (element_type == @'base-char' || element_type == @'character') {
+                return 0;
+	} else if (funcall(3, @'subtypep', element_type, @'character') != Cnil) {
+		return 0;
+	} else if (funcall(3, @'subtypep', element_type, @'unsigned-byte') != Cnil) {
 		sign = +1;
 	} else if (funcall(3, @'subtypep', element_type, @'signed-byte') != Cnil) {
 		sign = -1;
@@ -4640,19 +4650,7 @@ ecl_open_stream(cl_object fn, enum ecl_smmode smm, cl_object if_exists,
 		FEerror("~S is an illegal DIRECTION for OPEN.",
 			1, direction);
  	}
-	if (element_type == @'signed-byte') {
-		byte_size = -8;
-	} else if (element_type == @'unsigned-byte') {
-		byte_size = 8;
-	} else if (element_type == @':default') {
-		byte_size = 0;
-        } else if (element_type == @'base-char' || element_type == @'character') {
-                byte_size = 0;
-	} else if (funcall(3, @'subtypep', element_type, @'character') != Cnil) {
-		byte_size = 0;
-	} else {
-		byte_size = normalize_stream_element_type(element_type);
-	}
+	byte_size = ecl_normalize_stream_element_type(element_type);
 	if (byte_size != 0) {
 		if (flags & ECL_STREAM_FORMAT) {
 			FEerror("Cannot specify a character external format for binary streams.", 0);
diff --git a/src/h/external.h b/src/h/external.h
index d5a053952..b845d499c 100755
--- a/src/h/external.h
+++ b/src/h/external.h
@@ -714,6 +714,7 @@ extern ECL_API cl_object ecl_file_position(cl_object strm);
 extern ECL_API cl_object ecl_file_position_set(cl_object strm, cl_object disp);
 extern ECL_API cl_object ecl_file_length(cl_object strm);
 extern ECL_API int ecl_file_column(cl_object strm);
+extern ECL_API cl_fixnum ecl_normalize_stream_element_type(cl_object element);
 extern ECL_API cl_object ecl_make_stream_from_fd(cl_object fname, int fd, enum ecl_smmode smm, cl_fixnum byte_size, int flags, cl_object external_format);
 extern ECL_API cl_object ecl_make_stream_from_FILE(cl_object fname, void *fd, enum ecl_smmode smm, cl_fixnum byte_size, int flags, cl_object external_format);
 extern ECL_API cl_object si_file_stream_fd(cl_object s);