diff --git a/include/types/proxy.h b/include/types/proxy.h
index 7a3276e2c..e724a25b4 100644
--- a/include/types/proxy.h
+++ b/include/types/proxy.h
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@
 #define PR_O2_COOK_PSV  0x08000000      /* cookie ... preserve */
 
 #define PR_O2_PGSQL_CHK 0x10000000      /* use PGSQL check for server health */
+#define PR_O2_DISPATCH  0x20000000      /* use dispatch mode */
 /* end of proxy->options2 */
 
 /* bits for sticking rules */
diff --git a/src/backend.c b/src/backend.c
index 0d5081a2f..857496c5c 100644
--- a/src/backend.c
+++ b/src/backend.c
@@ -619,8 +619,7 @@ int assign_server(struct session *s)
 			goto out;
 		}
 	}
-	else if (!*(int *)&s->be->dispatch_addr.sin_addr &&
-		 !(s->be->options & PR_O_TRANSP)) {
+	else if (!(s->be->options2 & PR_O2_DISPATCH) && !(s->be->options & PR_O_TRANSP)) {
 		err = SRV_STATUS_NOSRV;
 		goto out;
 	}
@@ -700,7 +699,7 @@ int assign_server_address(struct session *s)
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	else if (*(int *)&s->be->dispatch_addr.sin_addr) {
+	else if (s->be->options2 & PR_O2_DISPATCH) {
 		/* connect to the defined dispatch addr */
 		s->req->cons->addr.s.to = s->be->dispatch_addr;
 	}
diff --git a/src/cfgparse.c b/src/cfgparse.c
index aae2efeda..8c23f9460 100644
--- a/src/cfgparse.c
+++ b/src/cfgparse.c
@@ -3864,6 +3864,7 @@ stats_error_parsing:
 			goto out;
 		}
 		curproxy->dispatch_addr = *sk;
+		curproxy->options2 |= PR_O2_DISPATCH;
 	}
 	else if (!strcmp(args[0], "balance")) {  /* set balancing with optional algorithm */
 		if (warnifnotcap(curproxy, PR_CAP_BE, file, linenum, args[0], NULL))
@@ -5618,14 +5619,14 @@ int check_config_validity()
 					cfgerr++;
 				}
 #endif
-				else if (*(int *)&curproxy->dispatch_addr.sin_addr != 0) {
+				else if (curproxy->options2 & PR_O2_DISPATCH) {
 					Warning("config : dispatch address of %s '%s' will be ignored in balance mode.\n",
 						proxy_type_str(curproxy), curproxy->id);
 					err_code |= ERR_WARN;
 				}
 			}
 			else if (!(curproxy->options & (PR_O_TRANSP | PR_O_HTTP_PROXY)) &&
-				 (*(int *)&curproxy->dispatch_addr.sin_addr == 0)) {
+				 !(curproxy->options2 & PR_O2_DISPATCH)) {
 				/* If no LB algo is set in a backend, and we're not in
 				 * transparent mode, dispatch mode nor proxy mode, we
 				 * want to use balance roundrobin by default.