diff --git a/src/core/dhcp/nm-dhcp-client.c b/src/core/dhcp/nm-dhcp-client.c
index dfdfca940b..b1e1f9ab3a 100644
--- a/src/core/dhcp/nm-dhcp-client.c
+++ b/src/core/dhcp/nm-dhcp-client.c
@@ -669,54 +669,45 @@ l3_cfg_notify_cb(NML3Cfg *l3cfg, const NML3ConfigNotifyData *notify_data, NMDhcp
 }
 
 gboolean
-nm_dhcp_client_start_ip4(NMDhcpClient *self, GError **error)
-{
-    NMDhcpClientPrivate *priv;
-
-    g_return_val_if_fail(NM_IS_DHCP_CLIENT(self), FALSE);
-
-    priv = NM_DHCP_CLIENT_GET_PRIVATE(self);
-    g_return_val_if_fail(priv->pid == -1, FALSE);
-    g_return_val_if_fail(priv->config.addr_family == AF_INET, FALSE);
-    g_return_val_if_fail(priv->config.uuid, FALSE);
-
-    _no_lease_timeout_schedule(self);
-
-    return NM_DHCP_CLIENT_GET_CLASS(self)->ip4_start(self, error);
-}
-
-gboolean
-nm_dhcp_client_start_ip6(NMDhcpClient *self, GError **error)
+nm_dhcp_client_start(NMDhcpClient *self, GError **error)
 {
     NMDhcpClientPrivate        *priv;
     gs_unref_bytes GBytes      *own_client_id = NULL;
-    const NMPlatformIP6Address *addr;
+    const NMPlatformIP6Address *addr          = NULL;
+    int                         IS_IPv4;
 
     g_return_val_if_fail(NM_IS_DHCP_CLIENT(self), FALSE);
+
     priv = NM_DHCP_CLIENT_GET_PRIVATE(self);
 
     g_return_val_if_fail(priv->pid == -1, FALSE);
-    g_return_val_if_fail(priv->config.addr_family == AF_INET6, FALSE);
     g_return_val_if_fail(priv->config.uuid, FALSE);
-    g_return_val_if_fail(!priv->effective_client_id, FALSE);
+    nm_assert(!priv->effective_client_id);
 
-    if (!priv->config.v6.enforce_duid)
-        own_client_id = NM_DHCP_CLIENT_GET_CLASS(self)->get_duid(self);
+    IS_IPv4 = NM_IS_IPv4(priv->config.addr_family);
 
-    nm_dhcp_client_set_effective_client_id(self, own_client_id ?: priv->config.client_id);
+    if (!IS_IPv4) {
+        if (!priv->config.v6.enforce_duid)
+            own_client_id = NM_DHCP_CLIENT_GET_CLASS(self)->get_duid(self);
 
-    addr = ipv6_lladdr_find(self);
-    if (!addr) {
-        _LOGD("waiting for IPv6LL address");
-        priv->l3cfg_notify.wait_ll_address = TRUE;
-        connect_l3cfg_notify(self);
-        priv->ipv6_lladdr_timeout_source =
-            nm_g_timeout_add_seconds_source(10, ipv6_lladdr_timeout, self);
-        return TRUE;
+        nm_dhcp_client_set_effective_client_id(self, own_client_id ?: priv->config.client_id);
+
+        addr = ipv6_lladdr_find(self);
+        if (!addr) {
+            _LOGD("waiting for IPv6LL address");
+            priv->l3cfg_notify.wait_ll_address = TRUE;
+            connect_l3cfg_notify(self);
+            priv->ipv6_lladdr_timeout_source =
+                nm_g_timeout_add_seconds_source(10, ipv6_lladdr_timeout, self);
+            return TRUE;
+        }
     }
 
     _no_lease_timeout_schedule(self);
 
+    if (IS_IPv4)
+        return NM_DHCP_CLIENT_GET_CLASS(self)->ip4_start(self, error);
+
     return NM_DHCP_CLIENT_GET_CLASS(self)->ip6_start(self, &addr->address, error);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/core/dhcp/nm-dhcp-client.h b/src/core/dhcp/nm-dhcp-client.h
index 7b88ae6b46..274a954b6c 100644
--- a/src/core/dhcp/nm-dhcp-client.h
+++ b/src/core/dhcp/nm-dhcp-client.h
@@ -230,8 +230,7 @@ typedef struct {
 
 GType nm_dhcp_client_get_type(void);
 
-gboolean nm_dhcp_client_start_ip4(NMDhcpClient *self, GError **error);
-gboolean nm_dhcp_client_start_ip6(NMDhcpClient *self, GError **error);
+gboolean nm_dhcp_client_start(NMDhcpClient *self, GError **error);
 
 const NMDhcpClientConfig *nm_dhcp_client_get_config(NMDhcpClient *self);
 
diff --git a/src/core/dhcp/nm-dhcp-manager.c b/src/core/dhcp/nm-dhcp-manager.c
index f353e63773..9fea166614 100644
--- a/src/core/dhcp/nm-dhcp-manager.c
+++ b/src/core/dhcp/nm-dhcp-manager.c
@@ -131,8 +131,7 @@ NMDhcpClient *
 nm_dhcp_manager_start_client(NMDhcpManager *self, NMDhcpClientConfig *config, GError **error)
 {
     NMDhcpManagerPrivate         *priv;
-    gs_unref_object NMDhcpClient *client  = NULL;
-    gboolean                      success = FALSE;
+    gs_unref_object NMDhcpClient *client = NULL;
     gsize                         hwaddr_len;
     GType                         gtype;
 
@@ -202,13 +201,7 @@ nm_dhcp_manager_start_client(NMDhcpManager *self, NMDhcpClientConfig *config, GE
      * default outside of NetworkManager API.
      */
 
-    if (config->addr_family == AF_INET) {
-        success = nm_dhcp_client_start_ip4(client, error);
-    } else {
-        success = nm_dhcp_client_start_ip6(client, error);
-    }
-
-    if (!success)
+    if (!nm_dhcp_client_start(client, error))
         return NULL;
 
     return g_steal_pointer(&client);