diff --git a/lib/asyn-ares.c b/lib/asyn-ares.c
index 1f3965541e..cbc0e2ea77 100644
--- a/lib/asyn-ares.c
+++ b/lib/asyn-ares.c
@@ -779,10 +779,9 @@ struct Curl_addrinfo *Curl_resolver_getaddrinfo(struct Curl_easy *data,
       int pf = PF_INET;
       memset(&hints, 0, sizeof(hints));
 #ifdef CURLRES_IPV6
-      if(Curl_ipv6works(data))
+      if((data->conn->ip_version != CURL_IPRESOLVE_V4) && Curl_ipv6works(data))
         /* The stack seems to be IPv6-enabled */
-        if(data->conn->ip_version != CURL_IPRESOLVE_V4)
-          pf = PF_UNSPEC;
+        pf = PF_UNSPEC;
 #endif /* CURLRES_IPV6 */
       hints.ai_family = pf;
       hints.ai_socktype = (data->conn->transport == TRNSPRT_TCP)?
@@ -795,7 +794,7 @@ struct Curl_addrinfo *Curl_resolver_getaddrinfo(struct Curl_easy *data,
 #else
 
 #ifdef HAVE_CARES_IPV6
-    if(Curl_ipv6works(data) && data->conn->ip_version != CURL_IPRESOLVE_V4) {
+    if((data->conn->ip_version != CURL_IPRESOLVE_V4) && Curl_ipv6works(data)) {
       /* The stack seems to be IPv6-enabled */
       res->num_pending = 2;
 
diff --git a/lib/asyn-thread.c b/lib/asyn-thread.c
index 68fddf0b22..8b375eb5ee 100644
--- a/lib/asyn-thread.c
+++ b/lib/asyn-thread.c
@@ -707,7 +707,7 @@ struct Curl_addrinfo *Curl_resolver_getaddrinfo(struct Curl_easy *data,
   *waitp = 0; /* default to synchronous response */
 
 #ifdef CURLRES_IPV6
-  if(Curl_ipv6works(data) && data->conn->ip_version != CURL_IPRESOLVE_V4)
+  if((data->conn->ip_version != CURL_IPRESOLVE_V4) && Curl_ipv6works(data))
     /* The stack seems to be IPv6-enabled */
     pf = PF_UNSPEC;
 #endif /* CURLRES_IPV6 */
diff --git a/lib/doh.c b/lib/doh.c
index 29399772b1..3b1d5d60ef 100644
--- a/lib/doh.c
+++ b/lib/doh.c
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ struct Curl_addrinfo *Curl_doh(struct Curl_easy *data,
     goto error;
   dohp->pending++;
 
-  if(Curl_ipv6works(data) && conn->ip_version != CURL_IPRESOLVE_V4) {
+  if((conn->ip_version != CURL_IPRESOLVE_V4) && Curl_ipv6works(data)) {
     /* create IPv6 DoH request */
     result = dohprobe(data, &dohp->probe[DOH_PROBE_SLOT_IPADDR_V6],
                       DNS_TYPE_AAAA, hostname, data->set.str[STRING_DOH],
diff --git a/lib/hostip.c b/lib/hostip.c
index ec27602dc9..0eb565a2e5 100644
--- a/lib/hostip.c
+++ b/lib/hostip.c
@@ -569,7 +569,11 @@ bool Curl_ipv6works(struct Curl_easy *data)
        have the info kept for fast re-use */
     DEBUGASSERT(data);
     DEBUGASSERT(data->multi);
-    return data->multi->ipv6_works;
+    if(data->multi->ipv6_up == IPV6_UNKNOWN) {
+      bool works = Curl_ipv6works(NULL);
+      data->multi->ipv6_up = works ? IPV6_WORKS : IPV6_DEAD;
+    }
+    return data->multi->ipv6_up == IPV6_WORKS;
   }
   else {
     int ipv6_works = -1;
diff --git a/lib/hostip6.c b/lib/hostip6.c
index 4e8e916ce7..c62c254c72 100644
--- a/lib/hostip6.c
+++ b/lib/hostip6.c
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ struct Curl_addrinfo *Curl_getaddrinfo(struct Curl_easy *data,
 
   *waitp = 0; /* synchronous response only */
 
-  if(Curl_ipv6works(data) && data->conn->ip_version != CURL_IPRESOLVE_V4)
+  if((data->conn->ip_version != CURL_IPRESOLVE_V4) && Curl_ipv6works(data))
     /* The stack seems to be IPv6-enabled */
     pf = PF_UNSPEC;
 
diff --git a/lib/multi.c b/lib/multi.c
index 01b27f7708..d9d7d8c0a3 100644
--- a/lib/multi.c
+++ b/lib/multi.c
@@ -417,7 +417,6 @@ struct Curl_multi *Curl_multi_handle(int hashsize, /* socket hash */
   /* -1 means it not set by user, use the default value */
   multi->maxconnects = -1;
   multi->max_concurrent_streams = 100;
-  multi->ipv6_works = Curl_ipv6works(NULL);
 
 #ifdef USE_WINSOCK
   multi->wsa_event = WSACreateEvent();
diff --git a/lib/multihandle.h b/lib/multihandle.h
index 76a67a89a0..a997784ea3 100644
--- a/lib/multihandle.h
+++ b/lib/multihandle.h
@@ -150,11 +150,13 @@ struct Curl_multi {
                                    0 is used for read, 1 is used for write */
 #endif
 #endif
-  /* multiplexing wanted */
-  bool multiplexing;
-  bool recheckstate; /* see Curl_multi_connchanged */
+#define IPV6_UNKNOWN 0
+#define IPV6_DEAD    1
+#define IPV6_WORKS   2
+  unsigned char ipv6_up;       /* IPV6_* defined */
+  bool multiplexing;           /* multiplexing wanted */
+  bool recheckstate;           /* see Curl_multi_connchanged */
   bool in_callback;            /* true while executing a callback */
-  bool ipv6_works;
 #ifdef USE_OPENSSL
   bool ssl_seeded;
 #endif