diff --git a/lib/hostip.c b/lib/hostip.c
index bd00efff61..2ace940670 100644
--- a/lib/hostip.c
+++ b/lib/hostip.c
@@ -741,36 +741,33 @@ static struct Curl_addrinfo *get_localhost(int port, const char *name)
 }
 
 #ifdef USE_IPV6
+/* the nature of most systems is that IPv6 status does not come and go during a
+   program's lifetime so we only probe the first time and then we have the
+   info kept for fast reuse */
+CURLcode Curl_probeipv6(struct Curl_multi *multi)
+{
+  /* probe to see if we have a working IPv6 stack */
+  curl_socket_t s = CURL_SOCKET(PF_INET6, SOCK_DGRAM, 0);
+  multi->ipv6_works = FALSE;
+  if(s == CURL_SOCKET_BAD) {
+    if(SOCKERRNO == SOCKENOMEM)
+      return CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+  }
+  else {
+    multi->ipv6_works = TRUE;
+    sclose(s);
+  }
+  return CURLE_OK;
+}
+
 /*
  * Curl_ipv6works() returns TRUE if IPv6 seems to work.
  */
 bool Curl_ipv6works(struct Curl_easy *data)
 {
-  if(data) {
-    /* the nature of most system is that IPv6 status does not come and go
-       during a program's lifetime so we only probe the first time and then we
-       have the info kept for fast reuse */
-    DEBUGASSERT(data);
-    DEBUGASSERT(data->multi);
-    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;
-    /* probe to see if we have a working IPv6 stack */
-    curl_socket_t s = CURL_SOCKET(PF_INET6, SOCK_DGRAM, 0);
-    if(s == CURL_SOCKET_BAD)
-      /* an IPv6 address was requested but we cannot get/use one */
-      ipv6_works = 0;
-    else {
-      ipv6_works = 1;
-      sclose(s);
-    }
-    return ipv6_works > 0;
-  }
+  DEBUGASSERT(data);
+  DEBUGASSERT(data->multi);
+  return data ? data->multi->ipv6_works : FALSE;
 }
 #endif /* USE_IPV6 */
 
diff --git a/lib/hostip.h b/lib/hostip.h
index 45d63e97f3..0257e43645 100644
--- a/lib/hostip.h
+++ b/lib/hostip.h
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ struct Curl_easy;
 struct connectdata;
 struct easy_pollset;
 struct Curl_https_rrinfo;
+struct Curl_multi;
 
 enum alpnid {
   ALPN_none = 0,
@@ -104,11 +105,15 @@ CURLcode Curl_resolv_timeout(struct Curl_easy *data,
                              timediff_t timeoutms);
 
 #ifdef USE_IPV6
+
+/* probe if it seems to work */
+CURLcode Curl_probeipv6(struct Curl_multi *multi);
 /*
  * Curl_ipv6works() returns TRUE if IPv6 seems to work.
  */
 bool Curl_ipv6works(struct Curl_easy *data);
 #else
+#define Curl_probeipv6(x) CURLE_OK
 #define Curl_ipv6works(x) FALSE
 #endif
 
diff --git a/lib/multi.c b/lib/multi.c
index 477b0d2243..a7f0d24ee0 100644
--- a/lib/multi.c
+++ b/lib/multi.c
@@ -300,6 +300,9 @@ struct Curl_multi *Curl_multi_handle(uint32_t xfer_table_size,
   }
 #endif
 
+  if(Curl_probeipv6(multi))
+    goto error;
+
   return multi;
 
 error:
diff --git a/lib/multihandle.h b/lib/multihandle.h
index f66853f5f0..7a561124ae 100644
--- a/lib/multihandle.h
+++ b/lib/multihandle.h
@@ -174,10 +174,7 @@ struct Curl_multi {
 #ifdef DEBUGBUILD
   unsigned int now_access_count;
 #endif
-#define IPV6_UNKNOWN 0
-#define IPV6_DEAD    1
-#define IPV6_WORKS   2
-  unsigned char ipv6_up;       /* IPV6_* defined */
+  BIT(ipv6_works);
   BIT(multiplexing);           /* multiplexing wanted */
   BIT(recheckstate);           /* see Curl_multi_connchanged */
   BIT(in_callback);            /* true while executing a callback */