diff --git a/src/util.c b/src/util.c
index c7f27ea..074009f 100644
--- a/src/util.c
+++ b/src/util.c
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
 
 #include "util.h"
 
+#include <sys/socket.h>
+#include <netdb.h>
 
 
 gboolean
@@ -225,3 +227,52 @@ get_call_icon_symbolic_name (gboolean inbound,
 
   return type_icon_name[index];
 }
+
+/**
+ * get_address_family_for_ip:
+ * @ip: The IP address to check
+ * @only_configured_interfaces: Only consider address families of configured
+ * network interfaces
+ *
+ * Returns: #AF_INET for IPv4, #AF_INET6 for IPv6 and #AF_UNSPEC otherwise.
+ * If @only_configured_interfaces is #TRUE and the resulting address family of @ip
+ * is not configured on any network interface, it will also return #AF_UNSPEC
+ */
+int
+get_address_family_for_ip (const char *ip,
+                           gboolean    only_configured_interfaces)
+{
+  struct addrinfo hints = { 0 };
+  struct addrinfo *result;
+  int family = AF_UNSPEC;
+  int res_gai;
+
+  g_return_val_if_fail (!STR_IS_NULL_OR_EMPTY (ip), AF_UNSPEC);
+
+  hints.ai_flags = AI_V4MAPPED | AI_NUMERICHOST;
+  if (only_configured_interfaces)
+    hints.ai_flags |= AI_ADDRCONFIG;
+  hints.ai_family = AF_UNSPEC;
+
+
+  res_gai = getaddrinfo (ip, NULL, &hints, &result);
+  if (res_gai != 0) {
+    g_info ("Cannot get address information for host %s: %s",
+            ip,
+            gai_strerror (res_gai));
+
+    return AF_UNSPEC;
+  }
+
+  family = result->ai_family;
+
+  freeaddrinfo (result);
+
+  if (family != AF_INET && family != AF_INET6) {
+    g_warning ("Address information for host %s indicates non internet host", ip);
+
+    return AF_UNSPEC;
+  }
+
+  return family;
+}
diff --git a/src/util.h b/src/util.h
index 4f4f88a..9a7e284 100644
--- a/src/util.h
+++ b/src/util.h
@@ -129,5 +129,7 @@ const char *get_protocol_from_address_with_fallback (const char *target);
 gboolean    dtmf_tone_key_is_valid (char key);
 const char *get_call_icon_symbolic_name (gboolean  inbound,
                                           gboolean missed);
+int         get_address_family_for_ip (const char *ip,
+                                        gboolean only_configured_interfaces);
 
 G_END_DECLS
diff --git a/tests/test-util.c b/tests/test-util.c
index 31182b2..3ba0fb3 100644
--- a/tests/test-util.c
+++ b/tests/test-util.c
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@
 
 #include <gtk/gtk.h>
 
+#include <sys/socket.h>
+
+
 static void
 test_protocol_prefix (void)
 {
@@ -69,6 +72,27 @@ test_null_empty_strings (void)
   g_assert_false (STR_IS_NULL_OR_EMPTY ("lorem ipsum"));
 }
 
+
+static void
+test_ip_address_family (void)
+{
+  g_assert_cmpint (get_address_family_for_ip ("10.42.0.1", FALSE), ==, AF_INET);
+  g_assert_cmpint (get_address_family_for_ip ("9.9.9.9", FALSE), ==, AF_INET);
+  g_assert_cmpint (get_address_family_for_ip ("127.0.0.1", FALSE), ==, AF_INET);
+  g_assert_cmpint (get_address_family_for_ip ("0.0.0.0", FALSE), ==, AF_INET);
+
+
+  g_assert_cmpint (get_address_family_for_ip ("FE80:0000:0000:0000:0202:C3DF:FE1E:8329", FALSE), ==, AF_INET6);
+  g_assert_cmpint (get_address_family_for_ip ("FE80::0202:C3DF:FE1E:8329", FALSE), ==, AF_INET6);
+  g_assert_cmpint (get_address_family_for_ip ("fe80::0202:c3df:fe1e:8329", FALSE), ==, AF_INET6);
+  g_assert_cmpint (get_address_family_for_ip ("::", FALSE), ==, AF_INET6);
+  g_assert_cmpint (get_address_family_for_ip ("::1", FALSE), ==, AF_INET6);
+
+  g_assert_cmpint (get_address_family_for_ip ("example.org", FALSE), ==, AF_UNSPEC);
+
+}
+
+
 int
 main (int   argc,
       char *argv[])
@@ -79,6 +103,7 @@ main (int   argc,
   g_test_add_func ("/Calls/util/dtmf_tones", (GTestFunc) test_dtmf_tone_validity);
   g_test_add_func ("/Calls/util/call_icon_names", (GTestFunc) test_call_icon_names);
   g_test_add_func ("/Calls/util/null-or-empty-strings", (GTestFunc) test_null_empty_strings);
+  g_test_add_func ("/Calls/util/ip_address_family", (GTestFunc) test_ip_address_family);
 
   g_test_run ();
 }