diff --git a/commands.c b/commands.c

index 49619ac..636fb5c 100644

--- a/telnet/commands.c

+++ b/telnet/commands.c

@@ -2267,6 +2267,7 @@ tn(int argc, char *argv[])

     char *srp = 0;

     int srlen;

 #endif

+    int family = AF_UNSPEC;

     char *cmd, *hostp = 0, *portp = 0, *user = 0, *aliasp = 0;

     int retry;

 #ifdef NI_WITHSCOPEID

@@ -2317,6 +2318,21 @@ tn(int argc, char *argv[])

 	    autologin = 1;

 	    continue;

 	}

+	

+	if (strcmp(*argv, "-6") == 0) {

+	    --argc; ++argv;

+#ifdef AF_INET6

+	    family = AF_INET6;

+#else

+	    puts("IPv6 unsupported");

+#endif

+	    continue;

+	}

+	if (strcmp(*argv, "-4") == 0) {

+	    --argc; ++argv;

+	    family = AF_INET;

+	    continue;

+	}

 	if (hostp == 0) {

 	    hostp = *argv++;

 	    --argc;

@@ -2355,7 +2371,7 @@ tn(int argc, char *argv[])

     {

 	hostname = hostp;

 	memset(&hints, 0, sizeof(hints));

-	hints.ai_family = PF_UNSPEC;

+	hints.ai_family = family;

 	hints.ai_socktype = SOCK_STREAM;

 	hints.ai_flags = AI_CANONNAME;

 	if (portp == NULL) {

diff --git a/main.c b/main.c

index 5fa96e8..599f0af 100644

--- a/telnet/main.c

+++ b/telnet/main.c

@@ -80,10 +80,10 @@ usage(void)

 	fprintf(stderr, "Usage: %s %s%s%s%s\n",

 	    prompt,

 #ifdef	AUTHENTICATION

-	    "[-8] [-E] [-K] [-L] [-S tos] [-X atype] [-a] [-c] [-d] [-e char]",

+	    "[-4] [-6] [-8] [-E] [-K] [-L] [-S tos] [-X atype] [-a] [-c] [-d] [-e char]",

 	    "\n\t[-k realm] [-l user] [-f/-F] [-n tracefile] [-b hostalias ] ",

 #else

-	    "[-8] [-E] [-L] [-S tos] [-a] [-c] [-d] [-e char] [-l user]",

+	    "[-4] [-6] [-8] [-E] [-L] [-S tos] [-a] [-c] [-d] [-e char] [-l user]",

 	    "\n\t[-n tracefile] [-b hostalias ] ",

 #endif

 #if defined(TN3270) && defined(unix)

@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])

 #endif

 	int ch;

 	char *user, *alias;

+	int family;

 #ifdef	FORWARD

 	extern int forward_flags;

 #endif	/* FORWARD */

@@ -130,7 +131,6 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])

 		prompt = argv[0];

 	user = alias = NULL;

-

 	rlogin = (strncmp(prompt, "rlog", 4) == 0) ? '~' : _POSIX_VDISABLE;

 	/* 

@@ -139,9 +139,19 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])

 	 * passed 

 	 */

 	autologin = -1;

-

-	while ((ch = getopt(argc, argv, "78DEKLS:X:ab:cde:fFk:l:n:rt:x")) != -1) {

+	family = 0;

+	while ((ch = getopt(argc, argv, "4678DEKLS:X:ab:cde:fFk:l:n:rt:x")) != -1) {

 		switch(ch) {

+		case '4':

+			family = AF_INET;

+			break;

+		case '6':

+#ifdef AF_INET6

+			family = AF_INET6;

+#else

+			fputs("IPv6 unsupported\n", stderr); 

+#endif

+			break;

 		case '8':

 			binary = 3;	/* send TELNET BINARY option for output and input */

 			break;

@@ -340,6 +350,9 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])

 			*argp++ = "-b";

 			*argp++ = alias;

 		}

+		if (family) {

+			*argp++ = family == AF_INET ? "-4" : "-6";

+		}

 		*argp++ = argv[0];		/* host */

 		if (argc > 1)

 			*argp++ = argv[1];	/* port */

diff --git a/telnet.1 b/telnet.1

index 50015a6..f30e034 100644

--- a/telnet/telnet.1

+++ b/telnet/telnet.1

@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@

 protocol

 .Sh SYNOPSIS

 .Nm telnet

-.Op Fl 8EFKLacdfrx

+.Op Fl 468EFKLacdfrx

 .Op Fl X Ar authtype

 .Op Fl b Ar hostalias

 .Op Fl e Ar escapechar

@@ -76,6 +76,10 @@ command with those arguments.

 .Pp

 The options are as follows:

 .Bl -tag -width Ds

+.It Fl 4

+Force IPv4 address resolution.

+.It Fl 6

+Force IPv6 address resolution.

 .It Fl 7

 Strip 8th bit on input and output. Telnet is 8-bit clean by default but doesn't send the TELNET BINARY option unless forced.

 .It Fl 8