diff --git a/src/irc/dcc/dcc.c b/src/irc/dcc/dcc.c
index 2fd6317f..8b07b86d 100644
--- a/src/irc/dcc/dcc.c
+++ b/src/irc/dcc/dcc.c
@@ -245,16 +245,28 @@ GIOChannel *dcc_listen(GIOChannel *iface, IPADDR *ip, int *port)
 GIOChannel *dcc_connect_ip(IPADDR *ip, int port)
 {
 	IPADDR *own_ip, temp_ip;
+	const char *own_ip_str;
+	GIOChannel *handle;
 
-	if (*settings_get_str("dcc_own_ip") == '\0') {
-		own_ip = IPADDR_IS_V6(ip) ? source_host_ip6 : source_host_ip4;
-	} else {
+	own_ip_str = settings_get_str("dcc_own_ip");
+	own_ip = NULL;
+	if (*own_ip_str != '\0') {
                 /* use the specified interface for connecting */
-		net_host2ip(settings_get_str("dcc_own_ip"), &temp_ip);
-                own_ip = &temp_ip;
+		net_host2ip(own_ip_str, &temp_ip);
+		if (IPADDR_IS_V6(ip) == IPADDR_IS_V6(&temp_ip))
+			own_ip = &temp_ip;
 	}
 
-	return net_connect_ip(ip, port, own_ip);
+	if (own_ip == NULL)
+		own_ip = IPADDR_IS_V6(ip) ? source_host_ip6 : source_host_ip4;
+
+	handle = net_connect_ip(ip, port, own_ip);
+	if (handle == NULL && errno == EADDRNOTAVAIL && own_ip != NULL) {
+		/* dcc_own_ip is external address */
+		own_ip = IPADDR_IS_V6(ip) ? source_host_ip6 : source_host_ip4;
+		handle = net_connect_ip(ip, port, own_ip);
+	}
+	return handle;
 }
 
 /* Server connected - update server for DCC records that have