diff --git a/lib/server.js b/lib/server.js
index fd59f52..cf9f0ed 100644
--- a/lib/server.js
+++ b/lib/server.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 var assert = require('assert');
+var net = require('net');
 var dgram = require('dgram');
 var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
 var util = require('util');
@@ -6,7 +7,9 @@ var util = require('util');
 var Query = require('./query');
 var DnsError = require('./errors');
 
-
+function getFamily(ipVersion) {
+  return (ipVersion == 4) ? 'udp4' : 'udp6';
+}
 
 ///--- Globals
 
@@ -50,7 +53,13 @@ Server.prototype.listen = function listen(port, address, callback) {
 
         var self = this;
 
-        this._socket = dgram.createSocket('udp6');
+        var ip_version = net.isIP(address);
+        var ip_family = getFamily(ip_version);
+
+        if (!ip_version)
+            self.emit('error', new Error("Invalid IP address"));
+
+        this._socket = dgram.createSocket(ip_family);
         this._socket.once('listening', function () {
                 self.emit('listening');
                 if (typeof (callback) === 'function')
@@ -71,7 +80,7 @@ Server.prototype.listen = function listen(port, address, callback) {
                 };
 
                 var src = {
-                        family: 'udp6',
+                        family: ip_family,
                         address: rinfo.address,
                         port: rinfo.port
                 };