diff --git a/doc/configuration.txt b/doc/configuration.txt
index 509ffbda8..60f076b38 100644
--- a/doc/configuration.txt
+++ b/doc/configuration.txt
@@ -2436,7 +2436,8 @@ dns-accept-family <family>[,...]
 
   When a single family is used, no request will be sent to resolvers for the
   other family, and any response for the othe family will be ignored. The
-  default value is "ipv4,ipv6", which effectively enables both families.
+  default value since 3.3 is "auto", which effectively enables both families
+  only once IPv6 has been proven to be routable, otherwise sticks to IPv4.
   See also: "resolve-prefer", "do-resolve"
 
 expose-deprecated-directives
diff --git a/src/resolvers.c b/src/resolvers.c
index d52303381..cafae8e2b 100644
--- a/src/resolvers.c
+++ b/src/resolvers.c
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ DECLARE_POOL(resolv_requester_pool,  "resolv_requester",  sizeof(struct resolv_r
 
 static unsigned int resolution_uuid = 1;
 unsigned int resolv_failed_resolutions = 0;
-uint resolv_accept_families = RSLV_ACCEPT_IPV4 | RSLV_ACCEPT_IPV6;
+uint resolv_accept_families = RSLV_AUTO_FAMILY;
 
 struct task *process_resolvers(struct task *t, void *context, unsigned int state);
 static void resolv_free_resolution(struct resolv_resolution *resolution);