diff --git a/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py b/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py
index 008647ab..91d62564 100644
--- a/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py
+++ b/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py
@@ -2364,6 +2364,7 @@ class MyForm(settingsmixin.SMainWindow):
                         "MainWindow", "Bitmessage will use your proxy from now on but you may want to manually restart Bitmessage now to close existing connections (if any)."))
             if BMConfigParser().get('bitmessagesettings', 'socksproxytype')[0:5] == 'SOCKS' and self.settingsDialogInstance.ui.comboBoxProxyType.currentText()[0:5] != 'SOCKS':
                 self.statusBar().clearMessage()
+            state.resetNetworkProtocolAvailability() # just in case we changed something in the network connectivity
             if self.settingsDialogInstance.ui.comboBoxProxyType.currentText()[0:5] == 'SOCKS':
                 BMConfigParser().set('bitmessagesettings', 'socksproxytype', str(
                     self.settingsDialogInstance.ui.comboBoxProxyType.currentText()))
diff --git a/src/class_outgoingSynSender.py b/src/class_outgoingSynSender.py
index b2e0f984..ef63d770 100644
--- a/src/class_outgoingSynSender.py
+++ b/src/class_outgoingSynSender.py
@@ -255,15 +255,15 @@ class outgoingSynSender(threading.Thread, StoppableThread):
                 else:
                     logger.error('SOCKS5 error: %s', str(err))
                 if err[0][0] == 4 or err[0][0] == 2:
-                    state.networkProtocolLastFailed['IPv6'] = time.time()
+                    state.networkProtocolAvailability[protocol.networkType(peer.host)] = False
             except socks.Socks4Error as err:
                 logger.error('Socks4Error: ' + str(err))
             except socket.error as err:
                 if BMConfigParser().get('bitmessagesettings', 'socksproxytype')[0:5] == 'SOCKS':
                     logger.error('Bitmessage MIGHT be having trouble connecting to the SOCKS server. ' + str(err))
                 else:
-                    if ":" in peer.host and err[0] == errno.ENETUNREACH:
-                        state.networkProtocolLastFailed['IPv6'] = time.time()
+                    if err[0] == errno.ENETUNREACH:
+                        state.networkProtocolAvailability[protocol.networkType(peer.host)] = False
                     if shared.verbose >= 1:
                         logger.debug('Could NOT connect to ' + str(peer) + 'during outgoing attempt. ' + str(err))
 
diff --git a/src/class_receiveDataThread.py b/src/class_receiveDataThread.py
index 396b9b8c..5dac4b19 100644
--- a/src/class_receiveDataThread.py
+++ b/src/class_receiveDataThread.py
@@ -333,6 +333,9 @@ class receiveDataThread(threading.Thread):
             'The length of sendDataQueues is now: ' + str(len(state.sendDataQueues)) + "\n" + \
             'broadcasting addr from within connectionFullyEstablished function.')
 
+        if self.initiatedConnection:
+            state.networkProtocolAvailability[protocol.networkType(self.peer.host)] = True
+
         # Let all of our peers know about this new node.
         dataToSend = (int(time.time()), self.streamNumber, 1, self.peer.host, self.remoteNodeIncomingPort)
         protocol.broadcastToSendDataQueues((
diff --git a/src/protocol.py b/src/protocol.py
index da0cd3aa..ae04740b 100644
--- a/src/protocol.py
+++ b/src/protocol.py
@@ -67,6 +67,14 @@ def encodeHost(host):
     else:
         return socket.inet_pton(socket.AF_INET6, host)
 
+def networkType(host):
+    if host.find('.onion') > -1:
+        return 'onion'
+    elif host.find(':') == -1:
+        return 'IPv4'
+    else:
+        return 'IPv6'
+
 # checks
 
 def haveSSL(server = False):
diff --git a/src/state.py b/src/state.py
index 9e546b51..f8af54c7 100644
--- a/src/state.py
+++ b/src/state.py
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ extPort = None
 # for Tor hidden service
 socksIP = None
 
-# Network protocols last check failed
-networkProtocolLastFailed = {'IPv4': 0, 'IPv6': 0, 'onion': 0}
+# Network protocols availability, initialised below
+networkProtocolAvailability = None
 
 appdata = '' #holds the location of the application data storage directory
 
@@ -28,3 +28,9 @@ appdata = '' #holds the location of the application data storage directory
 trustedPeer = None
 
 Peer = collections.namedtuple('Peer', ['host', 'port'])
+
+def resetNetworkProtocolAvailability():
+    global networkProtocolAvailability
+    networkProtocolAvailability = {'IPv4': None, 'IPv6': None, 'onion': None}
+
+resetNetworkProtocolAvailability()