diff --git a/src/conf/network_conf.c b/src/conf/network_conf.c
index f77af15bfc..a5b7aab31c 100644
--- a/src/conf/network_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/network_conf.c
@@ -3500,6 +3500,15 @@ virNetworkDefUpdateIPDHCPHost(virNetworkDefPtr def,
                                       &host, partialOkay) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
+    if (!partialOkay &&
+        VIR_SOCKET_ADDR_FAMILY(&ipdef->address)
+        != VIR_SOCKET_ADDR_FAMILY(&host.ip)) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_INVALID, "%s",
+                       _("the address family of a host entry IP must match "
+                         "the address family of the dhcp element's parent"));
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
     if (command == VIR_NETWORK_UPDATE_COMMAND_MODIFY) {
 
         /* search for the entry with this (ip|mac|name),
@@ -3637,6 +3646,14 @@ virNetworkDefUpdateIPDHCPRange(virNetworkDefPtr def,
     if (virSocketAddrRangeParseXML(def->name, ipdef, ctxt->node, &range) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
+    if (VIR_SOCKET_ADDR_FAMILY(&ipdef->address)
+        != VIR_SOCKET_ADDR_FAMILY(&range.start)) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_INVALID, "%s",
+                       _("the address family of a dhcp range must match "
+                         "the address family of the dhcp element's parent"));
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
     /* check if an entry with same name/address/ip already exists */
     for (i = 0; i < ipdef->nranges; i++) {
         if (virSocketAddrEqual(&range.start, &ipdef->ranges[i].start) &&