A listener operating in user-mode can dispatch control of a client connection to a listener without exposing system memory or other sensitive services or components. For example, a client component requests access to a network component through connection with a user-mode listener. Based on information contained in the client request, the listener passes a call to an application program interface, which returns a first set of data that includes user-mode contextual information. The listener passes this first set of data to the requested network component. Another call is made to an application program interface, which includes the first set of data, and a request for socket duplication. The application program interface returns control of the requested socket to the network component, such that the network component and the client component communicate directly through the requested socket in user-mode.