diff --git a/src/platform/nmp-object.c b/src/platform/nmp-object.c
index 8f32b11007..615c458ab7 100644
--- a/src/platform/nmp-object.c
+++ b/src/platform/nmp-object.c
@@ -3046,6 +3046,9 @@ ASSERT_nmp_cache_is_consistent (const NMPCache *cache)
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
+/* below, ensure that addr_family get's automatically initialize to AF_UNSPEC. */
+G_STATIC_ASSERT (AF_UNSPEC == 0);
+
 const NMPClass _nmp_classes[NMP_OBJECT_TYPE_MAX] = {
 	[NMP_OBJECT_TYPE_LINK - 1] = {
 		.parent                             = DEDUP_MULTI_OBJ_CLASS_INIT(),
diff --git a/src/platform/nmp-object.h b/src/platform/nmp-object.h
index 388ea9dd5e..bf4ff42379 100644
--- a/src/platform/nmp-object.h
+++ b/src/platform/nmp-object.h
@@ -556,19 +556,16 @@ _NMP_OBJECT_TYPE_IS_OBJ_WITH_IFINDEX (NMPObjectType obj_type)
 #define NMP_OBJECT_CAST_TFILTER(obj)       _NMP_OBJECT_CAST (obj, tfilter,       NMP_OBJECT_TYPE_TFILTER)
 #define NMP_OBJECT_CAST_LNK_WIREGUARD(obj) _NMP_OBJECT_CAST (obj, lnk_wireguard, NMP_OBJECT_TYPE_LNK_WIREGUARD)
 
+static inline int
+NMP_OBJECT_TYPE_TO_ADDR_FAMILY (NMPObjectType obj_type)
+{
+	return nmp_class_from_type (obj_type)->addr_family;
+}
+
 static inline int
 NMP_OBJECT_GET_ADDR_FAMILY (const NMPObject *obj)
 {
-	switch (NMP_OBJECT_GET_TYPE (obj)) {
-	case NMP_OBJECT_TYPE_IP4_ADDRESS:
-	case NMP_OBJECT_TYPE_IP4_ROUTE:
-		return AF_INET;
-	case NMP_OBJECT_TYPE_IP6_ADDRESS:
-	case NMP_OBJECT_TYPE_IP6_ROUTE:
-		return AF_INET6;
-	default:
-		return AF_UNSPEC;
-	}
+	return NMP_OBJECT_GET_CLASS (obj)->addr_family;
 }
 
 static inline const NMPObject *