diff --git a/src/openvpn/options.c b/src/openvpn/options.c
index 8e5cdf7f..767cdaeb 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/options.c
+++ b/src/openvpn/options.c
@@ -1033,67 +1033,6 @@ get_ip_addr(const char *ip_string, int msglevel, bool *error)
     return ret;
 }
 
-/* helper: parse a text string containing an IPv6 address + netbits
- * in "standard format" (2001:dba::/32)
- * "/nn" is optional, default to /64 if missing
- *
- * return true if parsing succeeded, modify *network and *netbits
- */
-bool
-get_ipv6_addr( const char *prefix_str, struct in6_addr *network,
-               unsigned int *netbits, int msglevel)
-{
-    char *sep, *endp;
-    int bits;
-    struct in6_addr t_network;
-
-    sep = strchr( prefix_str, '/' );
-    if (sep == NULL)
-    {
-        bits = 64;
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        bits = strtol( sep+1, &endp, 10 );
-        if (*endp != '\0' || bits < 0 || bits > 128)
-        {
-            msg(msglevel, "IPv6 prefix '%s': invalid '/bits' spec", prefix_str);
-            return false;
-        }
-    }
-
-    /* temporary replace '/' in caller-provided string with '\0', otherwise
-     * inet_pton() will refuse prefix string
-     * (alternative would be to strncpy() the prefix to temporary buffer)
-     */
-
-    if (sep != NULL)
-    {
-        *sep = '\0';
-    }
-
-    if (inet_pton( AF_INET6, prefix_str, &t_network ) != 1)
-    {
-        msg(msglevel, "IPv6 prefix '%s': invalid IPv6 address", prefix_str);
-        return false;
-    }
-
-    if (sep != NULL)
-    {
-        *sep = '/';
-    }
-
-    if (netbits != NULL)
-    {
-        *netbits = bits;
-    }
-    if (network != NULL)
-    {
-        *network = t_network;
-    }
-    return true;                /* parsing OK, values set */
-}
-
 /**
  * Returns newly allocated string containing address part without "/nn".
  *
diff --git a/src/openvpn/options.h b/src/openvpn/options.h
index 035c6d15..d67c2785 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/options.h
+++ b/src/openvpn/options.h
@@ -817,8 +817,4 @@ void options_string_import(struct options *options,
                            unsigned int *option_types_found,
                            struct env_set *es);
 
-bool get_ipv6_addr( const char *prefix_str, struct in6_addr *network,
-                    unsigned int *netbits, int msglevel );
-
-
 #endif /* ifndef OPTIONS_H */
diff --git a/src/openvpn/socket.c b/src/openvpn/socket.c
index 0fc91f21..7f3842da 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/socket.c
+++ b/src/openvpn/socket.c
@@ -74,12 +74,116 @@ sf2gaf(const unsigned int getaddr_flags,
 /*
  * Functions related to the translation of DNS names to IP addresses.
  */
+static int
+get_addr_generic(sa_family_t af, unsigned int flags, const char *hostname,
+                 void *network, unsigned int *netbits,
+                 int resolve_retry_seconds, volatile int *signal_received,
+                 int msglevel)
+{
+    char *endp, *sep, *var_host = NULL;
+    struct addrinfo *ai = NULL;
+    unsigned long bits;
+    uint8_t max_bits;
+    int ret = -1;
+
+    if (!hostname)
+    {
+        msg(M_NONFATAL, "Can't resolve null hostname!");
+        goto out;
+    }
+
+    /* assign family specific default values */
+    switch (af)
+    {
+        case AF_INET:
+            bits = 0;
+            max_bits = sizeof(in_addr_t) * 8;
+            break;
+        case AF_INET6:
+            bits = 64;
+            max_bits = sizeof(struct in6_addr) * 8;
+            break;
+        default:
+            msg(M_WARN,
+                "Unsupported AF family passed to getaddrinfo for %s (%d)",
+                hostname, af);
+            goto out;
+    }
+
+    /* we need to modify the hostname received as input, but we don't want to
+     * touch it directly as it might be a constant string.
+     *
+     * Therefore, we clone the string here and free it at the end of the
+     * function */
+    var_host = strdup(hostname);
+    if (!var_host)
+    {
+        msg(M_NONFATAL | M_ERRNO,
+            "Can't allocate hostname buffer for getaddrinfo");
+        goto out;
+    }
+
+    /* check if this hostname has a /bits suffix */
+    sep = strchr(var_host , '/');
+    if (sep)
+    {
+        bits = strtoul(sep + 1, &endp, 10);
+        if ((*endp != '\0') || (bits > max_bits))
+        {
+            msg(msglevel, "IP prefix '%s': invalid '/bits' spec (%s)", hostname,
+                sep + 1);
+            goto out;
+        }
+        *sep = '\0';
+    }
+
+    ret = openvpn_getaddrinfo(flags & ~GETADDR_HOST_ORDER, var_host, NULL,
+                              resolve_retry_seconds, signal_received, af, &ai);
+    if ((ret == 0) && network)
+    {
+        struct in6_addr *ip6;
+        in_addr_t *ip4;
+
+        switch (af)
+        {
+            case AF_INET:
+                ip4 = network;
+                *ip4 = ((struct sockaddr_in *)ai->ai_addr)->sin_addr.s_addr;
+
+                if (flags & GETADDR_HOST_ORDER)
+                {
+                    *ip4 = ntohl(*ip4);
+                }
+                break;
+            case AF_INET6:
+                ip6 = network;
+                *ip6 = ((struct sockaddr_in6 *)ai->ai_addr)->sin6_addr;
+                break;
+            default:
+                /* can't get here because 'af' was previously checked */
+                msg(M_WARN,
+                    "Unsupported AF family for %s (%d)", var_host, af);
+                goto out;
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (netbits)
+    {
+        *netbits = bits;
+    }
+
+    /* restore '/' separator, if any */
+    if (sep)
+    {
+        *sep = '/';
+    }
+out:
+    freeaddrinfo(ai);
+    free(var_host);
+
+    return ret;
+}
 
-/*
- * Translate IP addr or hostname to in_addr_t.
- * If resolve error, try again for
- * resolve_retry_seconds seconds.
- */
 in_addr_t
 getaddr(unsigned int flags,
         const char *hostname,
@@ -87,20 +191,19 @@ getaddr(unsigned int flags,
         bool *succeeded,
         volatile int *signal_received)
 {
-    struct addrinfo *ai;
+    in_addr_t addr;
     int status;
-    status = openvpn_getaddrinfo(flags & ~GETADDR_HOST_ORDER, hostname, NULL,
-                                 resolve_retry_seconds, signal_received, AF_INET, &ai);
+
+    status = get_addr_generic(AF_INET, flags, hostname, &addr, NULL,
+                              resolve_retry_seconds, signal_received,
+                              M_WARN);
     if (status==0)
     {
-        struct in_addr ia;
         if (succeeded)
         {
             *succeeded = true;
         }
-        ia = ((struct sockaddr_in *)ai->ai_addr)->sin_addr;
-        freeaddrinfo(ai);
-        return (flags & GETADDR_HOST_ORDER) ? ntohl(ia.s_addr) : ia.s_addr;
+        return addr;
     }
     else
     {
@@ -112,6 +215,19 @@ getaddr(unsigned int flags,
     }
 }
 
+bool
+get_ipv6_addr(const char *hostname, struct in6_addr *network,
+              unsigned int *netbits, int msglevel)
+{
+    if (get_addr_generic(AF_INET6, GETADDR_RESOLVE, hostname, network, netbits,
+                         0, NULL, msglevel) < 0)
+    {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    return true;                /* parsing OK, values set */
+}
+
 static inline bool
 streqnull(const char *a, const char *b)
 {
diff --git a/src/openvpn/socket.h b/src/openvpn/socket.h
index 2d7f2187..81e9e9ae 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/socket.h
+++ b/src/openvpn/socket.h
@@ -532,12 +532,24 @@ bool unix_socket_get_peer_uid_gid(const socket_descriptor_t sd, int *uid, int *g
 
 #define GETADDR_CACHE_MASK              (GETADDR_DATAGRAM|GETADDR_PASSIVE)
 
+/**
+ * Translate an IPv4 addr or hostname from string form to in_addr_t
+ *
+ * In case of resolve error, it will try again for
+ * resolve_retry_seconds seconds.
+ */
 in_addr_t getaddr(unsigned int flags,
                   const char *hostname,
                   int resolve_retry_seconds,
                   bool *succeeded,
                   volatile int *signal_received);
 
+/**
+ * Translate an IPv6 addr or hostname from string form to in6_addr
+ */
+bool get_ipv6_addr(const char *hostname, struct in6_addr *network,
+                   unsigned int *netbits, int msglevel);
+
 int openvpn_getaddrinfo(unsigned int flags,
                         const char *hostname,
                         const char *servname,