diff --git a/fairmq/nanomsg/FairMQSocketNN.cxx b/fairmq/nanomsg/FairMQSocketNN.cxx
index 209f0c6e..cb2d6291 100644
--- a/fairmq/nanomsg/FairMQSocketNN.cxx
+++ b/fairmq/nanomsg/FairMQSocketNN.cxx
@@ -33,11 +33,22 @@ FairMQSocketNN::FairMQSocketNN(const string& type, int num, int numIoThreads)
         LOG(INFO) << "number of I/O threads is not used in nanomsg";
     }
 
-    fSocket = nn_socket(AF_SP, GetConstant(type));
-    if (type == "sub")
+    if (type == "router" || type == "dealer")
     {
-        nn_setsockopt(fSocket, NN_SUB, NN_SUB_SUBSCRIBE, NULL, 0);
+        // Additional info about using the sockets ROUTER and DEALER with nanomsg can be found in:
+        // http://250bpm.com/blog:14
+        // http://www.freelists.org/post/nanomsg/a-stupid-load-balancing-question,1
+        fSocket = nn_socket(AF_SP_RAW, GetConstant(type));
     }
+    else
+    {
+        fSocket = nn_socket(AF_SP, GetConstant(type));
+        if (type == "sub")
+        {
+            nn_setsockopt(fSocket, NN_SUB, NN_SUB_SUBSCRIBE, NULL, 0);
+        }
+    }
+
 
     LOG(INFO) << "created socket #" << fId;
 }
@@ -172,7 +183,7 @@ int FairMQSocketNN::GetConstant(const string& constant)
     if (constant == "pub")
         return NN_PUB;
     if (constant == "xsub")
-        return NN_SUB; // TODO: is there XPUB, XSUB for nanomsg?
+        return NN_SUB;
     if (constant == "xpub")
         return NN_PUB;
     if (constant == "push")
@@ -183,10 +194,20 @@ int FairMQSocketNN::GetConstant(const string& constant)
         return NN_REQ;
     if (constant == "rep")
         return NN_REP;
+
+    if (constant == "dealer")
+        return NN_REQ;
+    if (constant == "router")
+        return NN_REP;
+
+    if (constant == "pair")
+        return NN_PAIR;
+
     if (constant == "snd-hwm")
         return NN_SNDBUF;
     if (constant == "rcv-hwm")
         return NN_RCVBUF;
+
     if (constant == "snd-more") {
         LOG(ERROR) << "Multipart messages functionality currently not supported by nanomsg!";
         return -1;
@@ -195,6 +216,7 @@ int FairMQSocketNN::GetConstant(const string& constant)
         LOG(ERROR) << "Multipart messages functionality currently not supported by nanomsg!";
         return -1;
     }
+
     if (constant == "linger")
         return NN_LINGER;
 
diff --git a/fairmq/nanomsg/FairMQSocketNN.h b/fairmq/nanomsg/FairMQSocketNN.h
index 4bdc03af..4496dbb8 100644
--- a/fairmq/nanomsg/FairMQSocketNN.h
+++ b/fairmq/nanomsg/FairMQSocketNN.h
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include <nanomsg/pipeline.h>
 #include <nanomsg/pubsub.h>
 #include <nanomsg/reqrep.h>
+#include <nanomsg/pair.h>
 
 #include "FairMQSocket.h"
 
diff --git a/fairmq/zeromq/FairMQSocketZMQ.cxx b/fairmq/zeromq/FairMQSocketZMQ.cxx
index a776eaf6..d146a2ef 100644
--- a/fairmq/zeromq/FairMQSocketZMQ.cxx
+++ b/fairmq/zeromq/FairMQSocketZMQ.cxx
@@ -228,6 +228,13 @@ int FairMQSocketZMQ::GetConstant(const string& constant)
         return ZMQ_REQ;
     if (constant == "rep")
         return ZMQ_REP;
+    if (constant == "dealer")
+        return ZMQ_DEALER;
+    if (constant == "router")
+        return ZMQ_ROUTER;
+    if (constant == "pair")
+        return ZMQ_PAIR;
+
     if (constant == "snd-hwm")
         return ZMQ_SNDHWM;
     if (constant == "rcv-hwm")
@@ -236,6 +243,7 @@ int FairMQSocketZMQ::GetConstant(const string& constant)
         return ZMQ_SNDMORE;
     if (constant == "rcv-more")
         return ZMQ_RCVMORE;
+
     if (constant == "linger")
         return ZMQ_LINGER;