diff --git a/mgmtd/assets/beegfs-mgmtd.toml b/mgmtd/assets/beegfs-mgmtd.toml
index c876e21..55acc4f 100644
--- a/mgmtd/assets/beegfs-mgmtd.toml
+++ b/mgmtd/assets/beegfs-mgmtd.toml
@@ -62,10 +62,9 @@
 #
 # interfaces = ["*"]
 
-# Prefers an interfaces ipv6 addresses over ipv4.
-# By default, ipv4 addresses are preferred. If the interface filter is given, the interface
-# order has higher priority than the address family, which is sorted per interface.
-# interfaces_prefer_ipv6 = false
+
+# Force disable IPv6.
+# ipv6_disable = false,
 
 # Maximum number of outgoing connections per node.
 # connection-limit = 12
diff --git a/mgmtd/src/config.rs b/mgmtd/src/config.rs
index 3f1726c..19fe43a 100644
--- a/mgmtd/src/config.rs
+++ b/mgmtd/src/config.rs
@@ -232,6 +232,11 @@ generate_structs! {
     #[arg(value_parser = nic::NicFilter::parse)]
     interfaces: Vec<NicFilter> = vec![],
 
+    /// Force disable IPv6.
+    #[arg(long)]
+    #[arg(num_args = 0..=1, default_missing_value = "true")]
+    ipv6_disable: bool = false,
+
     /// Maximum number of outgoing BeeMsg connections per node. [default: 12]
     #[arg(long)]
     #[arg(value_name = "LIMIT")]
diff --git a/mgmtd/src/grpc.rs b/mgmtd/src/grpc.rs
index 06ceb64..01827fe 100644
--- a/mgmtd/src/grpc.rs
+++ b/mgmtd/src/grpc.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ use sqlite::{TransactionExt, check_affected_rows};
 use sqlite_check::sql;
 use std::fmt::Debug;
 use std::future::Future;
-use std::net::SocketAddr;
+use std::net::{Ipv4Addr, Ipv6Addr, SocketAddr};
 use std::pin::Pin;
 use tonic::transport::{Identity, Server, ServerTlsConfig};
 use tonic::{Code, Request, Response, Status};
@@ -210,7 +210,14 @@ pub(crate) fn serve(ctx: Context, mut shutdown: RunStateHandle) -> Result<()> {
         },
     );
 
-    let serve_addr = shared::nic::select_bind_addr(ctx.info.user_config.grpc_port);
+    let serve_addr = SocketAddr::new(
+        if ctx.info.use_ipv6 {
+            Ipv6Addr::UNSPECIFIED.into()
+        } else {
+            Ipv4Addr::UNSPECIFIED.into()
+        },
+        ctx.info.user_config.grpc_port,
+    );
 
     log::info!("Serving gRPC requests on {serve_addr}");
 
diff --git a/mgmtd/src/lib.rs b/mgmtd/src/lib.rs
index 8f9f69d..cb3eba8 100644
--- a/mgmtd/src/lib.rs
+++ b/mgmtd/src/lib.rs
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ use sqlite::TransactionExt;
 use sqlite_check::sql;
 use std::collections::HashSet;
 use std::future::Future;
+use std::net::{Ipv4Addr, Ipv6Addr, SocketAddr};
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use tokio::net::UdpSocket;
 use tokio::sync::mpsc;
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ pub struct StaticInfo {
     pub user_config: Config,
     pub auth_secret: Option<AuthSecret>,
     pub network_addrs: Vec<Nic>,
+    pub use_ipv6: bool,
 }
 
 /// Starts the management service.
@@ -59,7 +61,14 @@ pub async fn start(info: StaticInfo, license: LicenseVerifier) -> Result<RunCont
     // Static configuration which doesn't change at runtime
     let info = Box::leak(Box::new(info));
 
-    let beemsg_serve_addr = shared::nic::select_bind_addr(info.user_config.beemsg_port);
+    let beemsg_serve_addr = SocketAddr::new(
+        if info.use_ipv6 {
+            Ipv6Addr::UNSPECIFIED.into()
+        } else {
+            Ipv4Addr::UNSPECIFIED.into()
+        },
+        info.user_config.beemsg_port,
+    );
 
     // UDP socket for in- and outgoing messages
     let udp_socket = Arc::new(UdpSocket::bind(beemsg_serve_addr).await?);
@@ -69,6 +78,7 @@ pub async fn start(info: StaticInfo, license: LicenseVerifier) -> Result<RunCont
         udp_socket.clone(),
         info.user_config.connection_limit,
         info.auth_secret,
+        info.use_ipv6,
     );
 
     let mut db = sqlite::Connections::new(info.user_config.db_file.as_path());
diff --git a/mgmtd/src/main.rs b/mgmtd/src/main.rs
index bf3efbe..3a9de7d 100644
--- a/mgmtd/src/main.rs
+++ b/mgmtd/src/main.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ use mgmtd::db::{self};
 use mgmtd::license::LicenseVerifier;
 use mgmtd::{StaticInfo, start};
 use shared::journald_logger;
+use shared::nic::check_ipv6;
 use shared::types::AuthSecret;
 use std::backtrace::{Backtrace, BacktraceStatus};
 use std::fmt::Write;
@@ -97,7 +98,8 @@ doc.beegfs.io.",
         None
     };
 
-    let network_addrs = shared::nic::query_nics(&user_config.interfaces)?;
+    let use_ipv6 = check_ipv6(user_config.beemsg_port, !user_config.ipv6_disable);
+    let network_addrs = shared::nic::query_nics(&user_config.interfaces, use_ipv6)?;
 
     // Configure the tokio runtime
     let rt = tokio::runtime::Builder::new_multi_thread()
@@ -136,6 +138,7 @@ doc.beegfs.io.",
         // Start the actual daemon
         let run = start(
             StaticInfo {
+                use_ipv6,
                 user_config,
                 auth_secret,
                 network_addrs,
diff --git a/shared/src/conn/outgoing.rs b/shared/src/conn/outgoing.rs
index c35bee4..7da48e1 100644
--- a/shared/src/conn/outgoing.rs
+++ b/shared/src/conn/outgoing.rs
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ pub struct Pool {
     store: Store,
     udp_socket: Arc<UdpSocket>,
     auth_secret: Option<AuthSecret>,
+    use_ipv6: bool,
 }
 
 impl Pool {
@@ -34,11 +35,13 @@ impl Pool {
         udp_socket: Arc<UdpSocket>,
         connection_limit: usize,
         auth_secret: Option<AuthSecret>,
+        use_ipv6: bool,
     ) -> Self {
         Self {
             store: Store::new(connection_limit),
             auth_secret,
             udp_socket,
+            use_ipv6,
         }
     }
 
@@ -118,6 +121,10 @@ impl Pool {
             log::debug!("Connecting new stream to {node_uid:?}");
 
             for addr in addrs.iter() {
+                if addr.is_ipv6() && !self.use_ipv6 {
+                    continue;
+                }
+
                 match Stream::connect_tcp(addr).await {
                     Ok(stream) => {
                         let mut stream = StoredStream::from_stream(stream, permit);
@@ -210,6 +217,10 @@ impl Pool {
 
             let mut errs = vec![];
             for addr in addrs.iter() {
+                if addr.is_ipv6() && !self.use_ipv6 {
+                    continue;
+                }
+
                 if let Err(err) = buf.send_to_socket(&self.udp_socket, addr).await {
                     log::debug!(
                         "Sending datagram to node with uid {node_uid} using {addr} failed: {err}"
diff --git a/shared/src/nic.rs b/shared/src/nic.rs
index 6ac8a15..9e53d68 100644
--- a/shared/src/nic.rs
+++ b/shared/src/nic.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use crate::types::NicType;
 use anyhow::{Result, anyhow};
 use serde::Deserializer;
 use serde::de::{Unexpected, Visitor};
-use std::net::{IpAddr, Ipv4Addr, Ipv6Addr, SocketAddr};
+use std::net::{IpAddr, Ipv6Addr};
 use std::os::fd::{AsRawFd, FromRawFd, OwnedFd};
 use std::str::FromStr;
 
@@ -187,11 +187,15 @@ impl Ord for Nic {
 ///
 /// Only interfaces matching one of the given names in `filter` will be returned, unless the list
 /// is empty.
-pub fn query_nics(filter: &[NicFilter]) -> Result<Vec<Nic>> {
+pub fn query_nics(filter: &[NicFilter], use_ipv6: bool) -> Result<Vec<Nic>> {
     let mut filtered_nics = vec![];
 
     for interface in pnet_datalink::interfaces() {
         for ip in interface.ips {
+            if !use_ipv6 && ip.is_ipv6() {
+                continue;
+            }
+
             if let Some(priority) = nic_priority(filter, &interface.name, &ip.ip()) {
                 filtered_nics.push(Nic {
                     name: interface.name.clone(),
@@ -208,17 +212,22 @@ pub fn query_nics(filter: &[NicFilter]) -> Result<Vec<Nic>> {
     Ok(filtered_nics)
 }
 
-/// Selects address to bind to for listening: Checks if IPv6 sockets are available on this host
+/// Checks if IPv6 sockets are available on this host
 /// according to our rules: IPv6 must be enabled during boot and at runtime, and IPv6 sockets must
-/// be dual stack. Then it returns `::` (IPv6), otherwise `0.0.0.0` (IPv4).
-pub fn select_bind_addr(port: u16) -> SocketAddr {
+/// be dual stack.
+pub fn check_ipv6(port: u16, use_ipv6: bool) -> bool {
+    if !use_ipv6 {
+        log::info!("IPv6 is disabled by the configuration, falling back to IPv4 sockets");
+        return false;
+    }
+
     // SAFETY: Any data used in the libc calls is local only
     unsafe {
         // Check if IPv6 socket can be created
         let sock = libc::socket(libc::AF_INET6, libc::SOCK_STREAM, 0);
         if sock < 0 {
             log::info!("IPv6 is unavailable on this host, falling back to IPv4 sockets");
-            return SocketAddr::new(Ipv4Addr::UNSPECIFIED.into(), port);
+            return false;
         }
         // Make sure the socket is closed on drop
         let sock = OwnedFd::from_raw_fd(sock);
@@ -244,7 +253,7 @@ pub fn select_bind_addr(port: u16) -> SocketAddr {
 
         if res < 0 && std::io::Error::last_os_error().raw_os_error() == Some(libc::EADDRNOTAVAIL) {
             log::info!("IPv6 is disabled on this host, falling back to IPv4 sockets");
-            return SocketAddr::new(Ipv4Addr::UNSPECIFIED.into(), port);
+            return false;
         }
 
         // Check if dual stack sockets are enabled by querying the socket option
@@ -263,11 +272,11 @@ pub fn select_bind_addr(port: u16) -> SocketAddr {
             log::info!(
                 "IPv6 dual stack sockets are unavailable on this host, falling back to IPv4 sockets"
             );
-            return SocketAddr::new(Ipv4Addr::UNSPECIFIED.into(), port);
+            return false;
         }
     }
 
-    SocketAddr::new(Ipv6Addr::UNSPECIFIED.into(), port)
+    true
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]