diff --git a/src/misc.c b/src/misc.c
index 906945402..874cf3726 100644
--- a/src/misc.c
+++ b/src/misc.c
@@ -2308,21 +2308,6 @@ char *url_getfilename(const char *url)
 	return raw_strdup("-");
 }
 
-/*
- * Checks whether given string contains a valid IP address.
- */
-int is_ip_valid(const char *ip)
-{
-	char scratch[64];
-	if (BadPtr(ip))
-		return 0;
-	if (inet_pton(AF_INET, ip, scratch) == 1)
-		return 1;
-	if (inet_pton(AF_INET6, ip, scratch) == 1)
-		return 1;
-	return 0;
-}
-
 #ifdef _WIN32
  // https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/c-runtime-library/reference/access-waccess
  // mode value   Checks file for
diff --git a/src/modules/webirc.c b/src/modules/webirc.c
index 6233ed916..373761d71 100644
--- a/src/modules/webirc.c
+++ b/src/modules/webirc.c
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ void dowebirc(Client *client, const char *ip, const char *host, const char *opti
 
 	/* STEP 1: Update client->local->ip
 	   inet_pton() returns 1 on success, 0 on bad input, -1 on bad AF */
-	if (!is_ip_valid(ip))
+	if (!is_valid_ip(ip))
 	{
 		/* then we have an invalid IP */
 		exit_client(client, NULL, "Invalid IP address");
diff --git a/src/modules/websocket.c b/src/modules/websocket.c
index 89ece689c..898171a9d 100644
--- a/src/modules/websocket.c
+++ b/src/modules/websocket.c
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ int websocket_config_test(ConfigFile *cf, ConfigEntry *ce, int type, int *errs)
 				errors++;
 				continue;
 			}
-			if (!is_ip_valid(cep->value))
+			if (!is_valid_ip(cep->value))
 			{
 				config_error("%s:%i: invalid IP address '%s' in listen::options::websocket::forward", cep->file->filename, cep->line_number, cep->value);
 				errors++;
@@ -696,7 +696,7 @@ int websocket_handshake_valid(Client *client)
 		struct HTTPForwardedHeader *forwarded;
 		forwarded = websocket_parse_forwarded_header(WSU(client)->forwarded);
 		/* check header values */
-		if (!is_ip_valid(forwarded->ip))
+		if (!is_valid_ip(forwarded->ip))
 		{
 			unreal_log(ULOG_WARNING, "websocket", "INVALID_FORWARDED_IP", client, "Received invalid IP in Forwarded header from $ip", log_data_string("ip", client->ip));
 			dead_socket(client, "Forwarded: invalid IP");
diff --git a/src/socket.c b/src/socket.c
index d19c2f53b..aefef091e 100644
--- a/src/socket.c
+++ b/src/socket.c
@@ -1036,18 +1036,23 @@ void process_clients(void)
 	} while(&client->lclient_node != &unknown_list);
 }
 
-/** Returns 4 if 'str' is a valid IPv4 address
- * and 6 if 'str' is a valid IPv6 IP address.
- * Zero (0) is returned in any other case (eg: hostname).
+/** Check if 'ip' is a valid IP address, and if so what type.
+ * @param ip	The IP address
+ * @retval 4	Valid IPv4 address
+ * @retval 6	Valid IPv6 address
+ * @retval 0	Invalid IP address (eg: a hostname)
  */
-int is_valid_ip(const char *str)
+int is_valid_ip(const char *ip)
 {
 	char scratch[64];
 	
-	if (inet_pton(AF_INET, str, scratch) == 1)
+	if (BadPtr(ip))
+		return 0;
+
+	if (inet_pton(AF_INET, ip, scratch) == 1)
 		return 4; /* IPv4 */
 	
-	if (inet_pton(AF_INET6, str, scratch) == 1)
+	if (inet_pton(AF_INET6, ip, scratch) == 1)
 		return 6; /* IPv6 */
 	
 	return 0; /* not an IP address */