diff --git a/QnetGateway.cpp b/QnetGateway.cpp
index fb66fdd..38654da 100644
--- a/QnetGateway.cpp
+++ b/QnetGateway.cpp
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ const std::string IRCDDB_VERSION("QnetGateway-9.0");
 
 extern void dstar_dv_init();
 extern int dstar_dv_decode(const unsigned char *d, int data[3]);
-extern std::atomic<int> ircsocketfamily;
 
 static std::atomic<bool> keep_running(true);
 
@@ -2424,7 +2423,7 @@ bool CQnetGateway::Init(char *cfgfile)
 		}
 		rc = ii->getConnectionState();
 	}
-	switch (ircsocketfamily) {
+	switch (ii->GetFamily()) {
 		case AF_INET:
 			printf("IRC server is using IPV4\n");
 			af_family = AF_INET;
@@ -2434,9 +2433,8 @@ bool CQnetGateway::Init(char *cfgfile)
 			af_family = AF_INET6;
 			break;
 		default:
-			printf("IRC server is using unknown protocol!\n");
-			af_family = AF_UNSPEC;
-			break;
+			printf("IRC server is using unknown protocol! Shutting down...\n");
+			return true;
 	}
 
 	/* udp port 40000 must open first */
diff --git a/ircddb/IRCClient.cpp b/ircddb/IRCClient.cpp
index 9b36a50..fe72db9 100644
--- a/ircddb/IRCClient.cpp
+++ b/ircddb/IRCClient.cpp
@@ -3,13 +3,9 @@
 #include <netdb.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <string.h>
-#include <atomic>
 
 #include "IRCClient.h"
 #include "IRCutils.h"
-#include "../TCPReaderWriterClient.h"
-
-std::atomic<int> ircsocketfamily;
 
 
 IRCClient::IRCClient(IRCApplication *app, const std::string &update_channel, const std::string &hostName, unsigned int port, const std::string &callsign, const std::string &password, const std::string &versionInfo)
@@ -58,7 +54,7 @@ void IRCClient::Entry()
 
 	int state = 0;
 	int timer = 0;
-	socklen_t optlen = sizeof(int);
+	socklen_t optlen;
 
 	while (true) {
 
@@ -85,8 +81,8 @@ void IRCClient::Entry()
 
 
             case 4:
-
-				getsockopt(ircSock.GetFD(), SOL_SOCKET, SO_DOMAIN, &ircsocketfamily, &optlen);
+				optlen = sizeof(int);
+				getsockopt(ircSock.GetFD(), SOL_SOCKET, SO_DOMAIN, &family, &optlen);
                 recvQ = new IRCMessageQueue();
                 sendQ = new IRCMessageQueue();
 
@@ -174,3 +170,8 @@ void IRCClient::Entry()
 	}
 	return;
 }
+
+int IRCClient::GetFamily()
+{
+	return family;
+}
diff --git a/ircddb/IRCClient.h b/ircddb/IRCClient.h
index e64d381..e6f58ba 100644
--- a/ircddb/IRCClient.h
+++ b/ircddb/IRCClient.h
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <future>
+#include <atomic>
+#include "../TCPReaderWriterClient.h"
 
 #include "IRCReceiver.h"
 #include "IRCMessageQueue.h"
@@ -15,11 +17,14 @@ public:
 	virtual ~IRCClient();
 	bool startWork();
 	void stopWork();
+	int GetFamily();
 
 protected:
 	virtual void Entry();
 
 private:
+	std::atomic<int> family;
+	std::future<void> client_thread;
 	char host_name[100];
 	char local_addr[100];
 	unsigned int port;
@@ -32,7 +37,6 @@ private:
 	IRCMessageQueue *recvQ;
 	IRCMessageQueue *sendQ;
 	IRCProtocol *proto;
-    std::future<void> client_thread;
 	IRCApplication *app;
 
 };
diff --git a/ircddb/IRCDDB.cpp b/ircddb/IRCDDB.cpp
index 6e0e736..7d3d47f 100644
--- a/ircddb/IRCDDB.cpp
+++ b/ircddb/IRCDDB.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ CIRCDDB::~CIRCDDB()
 	delete d;
 }
 
+int CIRCDDB::GetFamily()
+{
+	return d->client->GetFamily();
+}
+
 
 // A false return implies a network error, or unable to log in
 bool CIRCDDB::open()
diff --git a/ircddb/IRCDDB.h b/ircddb/IRCDDB.h
index 3cbfddf..e06460b 100644
--- a/ircddb/IRCDDB.h
+++ b/ircddb/IRCDDB.h
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ public:
 	CIRCDDB(const std::string &hostName, unsigned int port, const std::string &callsign, const std::string &password, const std::string &versionInfo);
 	~CIRCDDB();
 
+	int GetFamily();
+
 	// A false return implies a network error, or unable to log in
 	bool open();