diff --git a/internal/firewall/firewall.go b/internal/firewall/firewall.go
index cb9ac873..6f380d22 100644
--- a/internal/firewall/firewall.go
+++ b/internal/firewall/firewall.go
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ type configurator struct { //nolint:maligned
 	localIP          net.IP
 	networkInfoMutex sync.Mutex
 
+	// Fixed state
+	ip6Tables bool
+
 	// State
 	enabled           bool
 	vpnConnection     models.OpenVPNConnection
@@ -52,12 +55,14 @@ type configurator struct { //nolint:maligned
 
 // NewConfigurator creates a new Configurator instance.
 func NewConfigurator(logger logging.Logger, routing routing.Routing, openFile os.OpenFileFunc) Configurator {
+	commander := command.NewCommander()
 	return &configurator{
-		commander:         command.NewCommander(),
+		commander:         commander,
 		logger:            logger.NewChild(logging.SetPrefix("firewall: ")),
 		routing:           routing,
 		openFile:          openFile,
 		allowedInputPorts: make(map[uint16]string),
+		ip6Tables:         ip6tablesSupported(context.Background(), commander),
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/firewall/ip6tables.go b/internal/firewall/ip6tables.go
index 9666badd..01c0a42c 100644
--- a/internal/firewall/ip6tables.go
+++ b/internal/firewall/ip6tables.go
@@ -5,12 +5,22 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/qdm12/golibs/command"
 )
 
 var (
-	ErrIP6Tables = errors.New("failed ip6tables command")
+	ErrIP6Tables       = errors.New("failed ip6tables command")
+	ErrIP6NotSupported = errors.New("ip6tables not supported")
 )
 
+func ip6tablesSupported(ctx context.Context, commander command.Commander) (supported bool) {
+	if _, err := commander.Run(ctx, "ip6tables", "-L"); err != nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	return true
+}
+
 func (c *configurator) runIP6tablesInstructions(ctx context.Context, instructions []string) error {
 	for _, instruction := range instructions {
 		if err := c.runIP6tablesInstruction(ctx, instruction); err != nil {
@@ -21,6 +31,9 @@ func (c *configurator) runIP6tablesInstructions(ctx context.Context, instruction
 }
 
 func (c *configurator) runIP6tablesInstruction(ctx context.Context, instruction string) error {
+	if !c.ip6Tables {
+		return nil
+	}
 	c.ip6tablesMutex.Lock() // only one ip6tables command at once
 	defer c.ip6tablesMutex.Unlock()
 	if c.debug {
diff --git a/internal/firewall/iptables.go b/internal/firewall/iptables.go
index 4b9d6574..fccbacba 100644
--- a/internal/firewall/iptables.go
+++ b/internal/firewall/iptables.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ var (
 	ErrPolicyUnknown           = errors.New("unknown policy")
 	ErrClearRules              = errors.New("cannot clear all rules")
 	ErrSetIPtablesPolicies     = errors.New("cannot set iptables policies")
+	ErrNeedIP6Tables           = errors.New("ip6tables is required, please upgrade your kernel to support it")
 )
 
 func appendOrDelete(remove bool) string {
@@ -125,6 +126,9 @@ func (c *configurator) acceptInputToSubnet(ctx context.Context, intf string, des
 	if isIP4Subnet {
 		return c.runIptablesInstruction(ctx, instruction)
 	}
+	if !c.ip6Tables {
+		return fmt.Errorf("accept input to subnet %s: %w", destination, ErrNeedIP6Tables)
+	}
 	return c.runIP6tablesInstruction(ctx, instruction)
 }
 
@@ -149,6 +153,8 @@ func (c *configurator) acceptOutputTrafficToVPN(ctx context.Context,
 	isIPv4 := connection.IP.To4() != nil
 	if isIPv4 {
 		return c.runIptablesInstruction(ctx, instruction)
+	} else if !c.ip6Tables {
+		return fmt.Errorf("accept output to VPN server: %w", ErrNeedIP6Tables)
 	}
 	return c.runIP6tablesInstruction(ctx, instruction)
 }
@@ -168,6 +174,8 @@ func (c *configurator) acceptOutputFromIPToSubnet(ctx context.Context,
 
 	if doIPv4 {
 		return c.runIptablesInstruction(ctx, instruction)
+	} else if !c.ip6Tables {
+		return fmt.Errorf("accept output from %s to %s: %w", sourceIP, destinationSubnet, ErrNeedIP6Tables)
 	}
 	return c.runIP6tablesInstruction(ctx, instruction)
 }
@@ -228,9 +236,12 @@ func (c *configurator) runUserPostRules(ctx context.Context, filepath string, re
 			rule = flipRule(rule)
 		}
 
-		if ipv4 {
+		switch {
+		case ipv4:
 			err = c.runIptablesInstruction(ctx, rule)
-		} else {
+		case !c.ip6Tables:
+			err = fmt.Errorf("cannot run user ip6tables rule: %w", ErrNeedIP6Tables)
+		default: // ipv6
 			err = c.runIP6tablesInstruction(ctx, rule)
 		}
 		if err != nil {