diff --git a/docs/source/settings.rst b/docs/source/settings.rst
index e759ded7..a3cb12dd 100644
--- a/docs/source/settings.rst
+++ b/docs/source/settings.rst
@@ -359,21 +359,15 @@ statsd_host
 * ``--statsd-host STATSD_ADDR``
 * ``None``
 
-``host:port`` of the statsd server to log to.
+The address of the StatsD server to log to.
+
+Address is a string of the form:
+
+* ``unix://PATH`` : for a unix domain socket.
+* ``HOST:PORT`` : for a network address
 
 .. versionadded:: 19.1
 
-.. _statsd-socket:
-
-statsd_socket
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
-* ``--statsd-socket STATSD_SOCKET``
-* ``None``
-
-Unix domain socket of the statsd server to log to.
-Supersedes ``statsd_host`` if provided.
-
 .. _dogstatsd-tags:
 
 dogstatsd_tags
diff --git a/gunicorn/config.py b/gunicorn/config.py
index 95b615d4..99b4ba31 100644
--- a/gunicorn/config.py
+++ b/gunicorn/config.py
@@ -144,11 +144,7 @@ class Config(object):
         # if default logger is in use, and statsd is on, automagically switch
         # to the statsd logger
         if uri == LoggerClass.default:
-            statsd_address = 'statsd_socket' in self.settings and \
-                             self.settings['statsd_socket'].value or \
-                             'statsd_host' in self.settings and \
-                             self.settings['statsd_host'].value
-            if statsd_address is not None:
+            if 'statsd_host' in self.settings and self.settings['statsd_host'].value is not None:
                 uri = "gunicorn.instrument.statsd.Statsd"
 
         logger_class = util.load_class(
@@ -499,15 +495,17 @@ def validate_chdir(val):
     return path
 
 
-def validate_hostport(val):
+def validate_address(val):
     val = validate_string(val)
     if val is None:
         return None
-    elements = val.split(":")
-    if len(elements) == 2:
-        return (elements[0], int(elements[1]))
-    else:
-        raise TypeError("Value must consist of: hostname:port")
+
+    try:
+        address = util.parse_address(val, default_port='8125')
+    except RuntimeError:
+        raise TypeError("Value must be one of ('host:port', 'unix://PATH')")
+
+    return address
 
 
 def validate_reload_engine(val):
@@ -1475,25 +1473,18 @@ class StatsdHost(Setting):
     cli = ["--statsd-host"]
     meta = "STATSD_ADDR"
     default = None
-    validator = validate_hostport
+    validator = validate_address
     desc = """\
-    ``host:port`` of the statsd server to log to.
+    The address of the StatsD server to log to.
+
+    Address is a string of the form:
+
+    * ``unix://PATH`` : for a unix domain socket.
+    * ``HOST:PORT`` : for a network address
 
     .. versionadded:: 19.1
     """
 
-class StatsdSocket(Setting):
-    name = "statsd_socket"
-    section = "Logging"
-    cli = ["--statsd-socket"]
-    meta = "STATSD_SOCKET"
-    default = None
-    validator = validate_string
-    desc = """\
-    Unix domain socket of the statsd server to log to.
-    Supersedes ``statsd_host`` if provided.
-    """
-
 # Datadog Statsd (dogstatsd) tags. https://docs.datadoghq.com/developers/dogstatsd/
 class DogstatsdTags(Setting):
     name = "dogstatsd_tags"
diff --git a/gunicorn/instrument/statsd.py b/gunicorn/instrument/statsd.py
index ee6d5308..143d0bbc 100644
--- a/gunicorn/instrument/statsd.py
+++ b/gunicorn/instrument/statsd.py
@@ -23,22 +23,17 @@ class Statsd(Logger):
     """statsD-based instrumentation, that passes as a logger
     """
     def __init__(self, cfg):
-        """host, port: statsD server
-        """
         Logger.__init__(self, cfg)
         self.prefix = sub(r"^(.+[^.]+)\.*$", "\\g<1>.", cfg.statsd_prefix)
 
-        if cfg.statsd_socket:
+        if isinstance(cfg.statsd_host, str):
             address_family = socket.AF_UNIX
-            address = cfg.statsd_socket
-        elif cfg.statsd_host:
+        else:
             address_family = socket.AF_INET
-            host, port = cfg.statsd_host
-            address = (host, int(port))
 
         try:
             self.sock = socket.socket(address_family, socket.SOCK_DGRAM)
-            self.sock.connect(address)
+            self.sock.connect(cfg.statsd_host)
         except Exception:
             self.sock = None
 
diff --git a/tests/test_config.py b/tests/test_config.py
index db108b9b..db33cb3f 100644
--- a/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/tests/test_config.py
@@ -306,20 +306,26 @@ def test_nworkers_changed():
     assert c.nworkers_changed(1, 2, 3) == 3
 
 
-def test_statsd_host_changes_logger():
+def test_statsd_host():
+    c = config.Config()
+    assert c.statsd_host is None
+    c.set("statsd_host", "localhost")
+    assert c.statsd_host == ("localhost", 8125)
+    c.set("statsd_host", "statsd:7777")
+    assert c.statsd_host == ("statsd", 7777)
+    c.set("statsd_host", "unix:/path/to.sock")
+    assert c.statsd_host == "/path/to.sock"
+    pytest.raises(TypeError, c.set, "statsd_host", 666)
+    pytest.raises(TypeError, c.set, "statsd_host", "host:string")
+
+
+def test_statsd_changes_logger():
     c = config.Config()
     assert c.logger_class == glogging.Logger
     c.set('statsd_host', 'localhost:12345')
     assert c.logger_class == statsd.Statsd
 
 
-def test_statsd_socket_changes_logger():
-    c = config.Config()
-    assert c.logger_class == glogging.Logger
-    c.set('statsd_socket', '/var/run/sock')
-    assert c.logger_class == statsd.Statsd
-
-
 class MyLogger(glogging.Logger):
     # dummy custom logger class for testing
     pass
diff --git a/tests/test_statsd.py b/tests/test_statsd.py
index 06c1d964..6f7bf426 100644
--- a/tests/test_statsd.py
+++ b/tests/test_statsd.py
@@ -59,6 +59,18 @@ def test_statsd_fail():
     logger.exception("No impact on logging")
 
 
+def test_statsd_host_initialization():
+    c = Config()
+    c.set('statsd_host', 'unix:test.sock')
+    logger = Statsd(c)
+    logger.info("Can be initialized and used with a UDS socket")
+
+    # Can be initialized and used with a UDP address
+    c.set('statsd_host', 'host:8080')
+    logger = Statsd(c)
+    logger.info("Can be initialized and used with a UDP socket")
+
+
 def test_dogstatsd_tags():
     c = Config()
     tags = 'yucatan,libertine:rhubarb'