diff --git a/httpie/cli/argparser.py b/httpie/cli/argparser.py
index bf981900fd..c8ab9ed5e6 100644
--- a/httpie/cli/argparser.py
+++ b/httpie/cli/argparser.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 )
 from .exceptions import ParseError
 from .requestitems import RequestItems
+from ..compat import has_ipv6_support
 from ..context import Environment
 from ..plugins.registry import plugin_manager
 from ..utils import ExplicitNullAuth, get_content_type
@@ -174,6 +175,7 @@ def parse_args(
         self._process_output_options()
         self._process_pretty_options()
         self._process_format_options()
+        self._process_ip_version_options()
 
         # bellow is a fix for detecting "false-or empty" stdin.
         # see https://github.com/httpie/cli/issues/1551 for more information.
@@ -576,6 +578,15 @@ def _process_format_options(self):
             parsed_options = parse_format_options(options_group, defaults=parsed_options)
         self.args.format_options = parsed_options
 
+    def _process_ip_version_options(self):
+        if not has_ipv6_support() and self.args.force_ipv6:
+            self.error('Unable to force IPv6 because your system lack IPv6 support.')
+        if self.args.force_ipv4 and self.args.force_ipv6:
+            self.error(
+                'Unable to force both IPv4 and IPv6, omit the flags to allow both. '
+                'The flags "-6" and "-4" are meant to force one of them.'
+            )
+
     def print_manual(self):
         from httpie.output.ui import man_pages
 
diff --git a/httpie/cli/definition.py b/httpie/cli/definition.py
index e6786ea657..a58658f936 100644
--- a/httpie/cli/definition.py
+++ b/httpie/cli/definition.py
@@ -749,6 +749,7 @@ def format_auth_help(auth_plugins_mapping, *, isolation_mode: bool = False):
 network.add_argument(
     '--ipv6',
     '-6',
+    dest='force_ipv6',
     default=False,
     action='store_true',
     short_help='Force using a IPv6 address to reach the remote peer.'
@@ -756,6 +757,7 @@ def format_auth_help(auth_plugins_mapping, *, isolation_mode: bool = False):
 network.add_argument(
     '--ipv4',
     '-4',
+    dest='force_ipv4',
     default=False,
     action='store_true',
     short_help='Force using a IPv4 address to reach the remote peer.'
diff --git a/httpie/client.py b/httpie/client.py
index 7ca2097878..61801d37cc 100644
--- a/httpie/client.py
+++ b/httpie/client.py
@@ -116,8 +116,8 @@ def collect_messages(
         disable_http2=args.disable_http2,
         disable_http3=args.disable_http3,
         resolver=resolver,
-        disable_ipv6=args.ipv4,
-        disable_ipv4=args.ipv6,
+        disable_ipv6=args.force_ipv4,
+        disable_ipv4=args.force_ipv6,
         source_address=(args.interface, args.local_port),
         quic_cache=env.config.quic_file,
         happy_eyeballs=args.happy_eyeballs,
@@ -156,12 +156,15 @@ def collect_messages(
 
     hooks = None
 
-    # The hook set up bellow is crucial for HTTPie.
-    # It will help us yield the request before it is
-    # actually sent. This will permit us to know about
-    # the connection information for example.
     if request_or_response_callback:
-        hooks = {"pre_send": [request_or_response_callback], "early_response": [request_or_response_callback]}
+        # The hook set up bellow is crucial for HTTPie.
+        # It will help us yield the request before it is
+        # actually sent. This will permit us to know about
+        # the connection information for example.
+        hooks = {
+            'pre_send': [request_or_response_callback],
+            'early_response': [request_or_response_callback],
+        }
 
     request = niquests.Request(**request_kwargs, hooks=hooks)
     prepared_request = requests_session.prepare_request(request)
@@ -247,11 +250,6 @@ def build_requests_session(
     if quic_cache is not None:
         requests_session.quic_cache_layer = QuicCapabilityCache(quic_cache)
 
-    if urllib3.util.connection.HAS_IPV6 is False and disable_ipv4 is True:
-        raise ValueError('Unable to force IPv6 because your system lack IPv6 support.')
-    if disable_ipv4 and disable_ipv6:
-        raise ValueError('Unable to force both IPv4 and IPv6, omit the flags to allow both. The flags "-6" and "-4" are meant to force one of them.')
-
     if resolver:
         resolver_rebuilt = []
         for r in resolver:
diff --git a/httpie/compat.py b/httpie/compat.py
index 5724c54d6e..2ba557972a 100644
--- a/httpie/compat.py
+++ b/httpie/compat.py
@@ -31,6 +31,14 @@
         resolve_ssl_version,
     )
 
+
+def has_ipv6_support(new_value: Optional[bool] = None) -> bool:
+    if new_value is not None:
+        # Allow overriding the default value for testing purposes.
+        urllib3.util.connection.HAS_IPV6 = new_value
+    return urllib3.util.connection.HAS_IPV6
+
+
 def enforce_niquests():
     """
     Force imported 3rd-party plugins to use `niquests` instead of `requests` if they haven’t migrated yet.
diff --git a/tests/test_network.py b/tests/test_network.py
index db4b6ea51a..0e53d6b7bb 100644
--- a/tests/test_network.py
+++ b/tests/test_network.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
     local_port_arg_type,
     parse_local_port_arg,
 )
+from httpie.compat import has_ipv6_support
 from .utils import HTTP_OK, http
 
 
@@ -98,17 +99,16 @@ def test_invalid_interface_arg(httpbin, interface_arg):
 
 
 def test_force_ipv6_on_unsupported_system(remote_httpbin):
-    from httpie.compat import urllib3
-    orig_has_ipv6 = urllib3.util.connection.HAS_IPV6
-    urllib3.util.connection.HAS_IPV6 = False
+    orig = has_ipv6_support()
+    has_ipv6_support(False)
     try:
         r = http(
-            "-6",  # invalid port
-            remote_httpbin + "/get",
+            '-6',
+            remote_httpbin + '/get',
             tolerate_error_exit_status=True,
         )
     finally:
-        urllib3.util.connection.HAS_IPV6 = orig_has_ipv6
+        has_ipv6_support(orig)
     assert 'Unable to force IPv6 because your system lack IPv6 support.' in r.stderr