diff --git a/test/test_utils.py b/test/test_utils.py
index dc5ee8e..1771123 100644
--- a/test/test_utils.py
+++ b/test/test_utils.py
@@ -130,5 +130,25 @@ class UtilsTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
             utils.remove_range(
                 "-3--5", ["we", "love", "emotes"])
 
+    def test_get_hostname_type(self):
+        self.assertEqual(utils.get_hostname_type("1.2.3.4"), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(utils.get_hostname_type("192.168.0.1"), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(utils.get_hostname_type("127.0.0.5"), 1)
+
+        self.assertEqual(utils.get_hostname_type("0::1"), 2)
+        self.assertEqual(utils.get_hostname_type("::1"), 2)
+        self.assertEqual(utils.get_hostname_type("fc00::1234"), 2)
+        self.assertEqual(utils.get_hostname_type("1111:2222:3333:4444:5555:6666:7777:8888"), 2)
+
+        self.assertEqual(utils.get_hostname_type("example.com"), False)
+        self.assertEqual(utils.get_hostname_type("abc.mynet.local"), False)
+        self.assertEqual(utils.get_hostname_type("123.example"), False)
+
+        self.assertEqual(utils.get_hostname_type("123.456.789.000"), False)
+        self.assertEqual(utils.get_hostname_type("1::2::3"), False)
+        self.assertEqual(utils.get_hostname_type("1:"), False)
+        self.assertEqual(utils.get_hostname_type(":5"), False)
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()
diff --git a/utils.py b/utils.py
index 4101385..026a011 100644
--- a/utils.py
+++ b/utils.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import importlib
 import os
 import collections
 import argparse
+import ipaddress
 
 from .log import log
 from . import world, conf, structures
@@ -750,3 +751,20 @@ def remove_range(rangestr, mylist):
                              (subrange, rangestr))
 
     return list(filter(lambda x: x is not None, mylist))
+
+def get_hostname_type(address):
+    """
+    Returns whether the given address is an IPv4 address (1), IPv6 address (2), or neither
+    (False; assumed to be a hostname instead).
+    """
+    try:
+        ip = ipaddress.ip_address(address)
+    except ValueError:
+        return False
+    else:
+        if isinstance(ip, ipaddress.IPv4Address):
+            return 1
+        elif isinstance(ip, ipaddress.IPv6Address):
+            return 2
+        else:
+            raise ValueError("Got unknown value %r from ipaddress.ip_address()" % address)