diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index ae290f2..2c68d67 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 - document bind and connect behavior.
-- getsockname should also support IPv6, no?
 - shouldn't we instead make the code compatible to Lua 5.2
   without any compat stuff, and use a compatibility layer to
   make it work on 5.1?
@@ -16,6 +15,11 @@
 
 Done:
 
+- added IPv6 support to getsockname
+- simplified getpeername implementation 
+- added family to return of getsockname and getpeername
+  and added modification to the manual to describe
+
 - connect and bind try all adresses returned by getaddrinfo
 - document headers.lua?
 - update copyright date everywhere? 
diff --git a/doc/index.html b/doc/index.html
index 833c9a8..56c958f 100644
--- a/doc/index.html
+++ b/doc/index.html
@@ -134,7 +134,8 @@ and Lua 5.2 compatibility.
 <li> Added: IPv6 support;
 <ul>
 <li> <tt>Socket.connect</tt> and <tt>socket.bind</tt> support IPv6 addresses;
-<li> <tt>Getpeername</tt> and <tt>getsockname</tt> support IPv6 addresses;
+<li> <tt>Getpeername</tt> and <tt>getsockname</tt> support
+IPv6 addresses, and return the socket family as a third value;
 <li> URL module updated to support IPv6 host names;
 <li> New <tt>socket.tcp6</tt> and <tt>socket.udp6</tt> functions;
 <li> New <tt>socket.dns.getaddrinfo</tt> function;
diff --git a/doc/tcp.html b/doc/tcp.html
index dc1a0b6..5f39d0e 100644
--- a/doc/tcp.html
+++ b/doc/tcp.html
@@ -225,8 +225,9 @@ Returns information about the remote side of a connected client object.
 </p>
 
 <p class=return>
-Returns a string with the IP address of the peer, followed by the 
-port number that peer is using for the connection. 
+Returns a string with the IP address of the peer, the 
+port number that peer is using for the connection, 
+and a string with the family ("<tt>inet</tt>" or "<tt>inet6</tt>"). 
 In case of error, the method returns <b><tt>nil</tt></b>. 
 </p>
 
@@ -247,8 +248,10 @@ Returns the local address information associated to the object.
 </p>
 
 <p class=return>
-The method returns a string with local IP address and a number with 
-the port. In case of error, the method returns <b><tt>nil</tt></b>.
+The method returns a string with local IP address, a number with 
+the local port, 
+and a string with the family ("<tt>inet</tt>" or "<tt>inet6</tt>"). 
+In case of error, the method returns <b><tt>nil</tt></b>.
 </p>
 
 <!-- getstats +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ -->
diff --git a/doc/udp.html b/doc/udp.html
index 4a334b7..554fa31 100644
--- a/doc/udp.html
+++ b/doc/udp.html
@@ -140,8 +140,12 @@ Retrieves information about the peer
 associated with a connected UDP object.
 </p>
 
-<p class="return">
-Returns the IP address and port number of the peer.
+
+<p class=return>
+Returns a string with the IP address of the peer, the 
+port number that peer is using for the connection, 
+and a string with the family ("<tt>inet</tt>" or "<tt>inet6</tt>"). 
+In case of error, the method returns <b><tt>nil</tt></b>. 
 </p>
 
 <p class="note">
@@ -159,10 +163,12 @@ unconnected:<b>getsockname()</b>
 Returns the local address information associated to the object.
 </p>
 
-<p class="return">
-The method returns a string with local IP
-address and a number with the port. In case of error, the method
-returns <b><tt>nil</tt></b>.
+
+<p class=return>
+The method returns a string with local IP address, a number with 
+the local port, 
+and a string with the family ("<tt>inet</tt>" or "<tt>inet6</tt>"). 
+In case of error, the method returns <b><tt>nil</tt></b>.
 </p>
 
 <p class="note">
diff --git a/src/inet.c b/src/inet.c
index fd16506..5823c36 100644
--- a/src/inet.c
+++ b/src/inet.c
@@ -165,61 +165,92 @@ static int inet_global_gethostname(lua_State *L)
 /*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*\
 * Retrieves socket peer name
 \*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
-int inet_meth_getpeername(lua_State *L, p_socket ps)
+int inet_meth_getpeername(lua_State *L, p_socket ps, int family)
 {
-    union {
-	struct sockaddr_storage sas;
-	struct sockaddr sa;
-	struct sockaddr_in sa4;
-	struct sockaddr_in6 sa6;
-    } peer;
-    socklen_t peer_len = sizeof(peer);
-
-    if (getpeername(*ps, &peer.sa, &peer_len) < 0) {
-        lua_pushnil(L);
-        lua_pushfstring(L, "getpeername failed (%d): %s", errno,
-                strerror(errno));
-    } else {
-        char ipaddr[INET6_ADDRSTRLEN] = "";
-        unsigned short port = 0;
-
-        switch (peer.sa.sa_family) {
-        case AF_INET:
-            inet_ntop(AF_INET, &peer.sa4.sin_addr, ipaddr, sizeof(ipaddr));
-            port = ntohs(peer.sa4.sin_port);
-            break;
-        case AF_INET6:
-            inet_ntop(AF_INET6, &peer.sa6.sin6_addr, ipaddr, sizeof(ipaddr));
-            port = ntohs(peer.sa6.sin6_port);
-            break;
+    switch (family) {
+        case PF_INET: {
+            struct sockaddr_in peer;
+            socklen_t peer_len = sizeof(peer);
+            char name[INET_ADDRSTRLEN];
+            if (getpeername(*ps, (SA *) &peer, &peer_len) < 0) {
+                lua_pushnil(L);
+                lua_pushstring(L, "getpeername failed");
+                return 2;
+            } else {
+                inet_ntop(family, &peer.sin_addr, name, sizeof(name));
+                lua_pushstring(L, name); 
+                lua_pushnumber(L, ntohs(peer.sin_port));
+                lua_pushliteral(L, "inet");
+                return 3;
+            }
+        }
+        case PF_INET6: {
+            struct sockaddr_in6 peer;
+            socklen_t peer_len = sizeof(peer);
+            char name[INET6_ADDRSTRLEN];
+            if (getpeername(*ps, (SA *) &peer, &peer_len) < 0) {
+                lua_pushnil(L);
+                lua_pushstring(L, "getpeername failed");
+                return 2;
+            } else {
+                inet_ntop(family, &peer.sin6_addr, name, sizeof(name));
+                lua_pushstring(L, name); 
+                lua_pushnumber(L, ntohs(peer.sin6_port));
+                lua_pushliteral(L, "inet6");
+                return 3;
+            }
+            return 2;
+        }
         default:
             lua_pushnil(L);
-            lua_pushfstring(L, "Unknown address family %d", peer.sa.sa_family);
+            lua_pushstring(L, "unknown family");
             return 2;
-            break;
-        }
-
-        lua_pushstring(L, ipaddr);
-        lua_pushnumber(L, port);
     }
-    return 2;
 }
 
 /*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*\
 * Retrieves socket local name
 \*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
-int inet_meth_getsockname(lua_State *L, p_socket ps)
+int inet_meth_getsockname(lua_State *L, p_socket ps, int family)
 {
-    struct sockaddr_in local;
-    socklen_t local_len = sizeof(local);
-    if (getsockname(*ps, (SA *) &local, &local_len) < 0) {
-        lua_pushnil(L);
-        lua_pushstring(L, "getsockname failed");
-    } else {
-        lua_pushstring(L, inet_ntoa(local.sin_addr));
-        lua_pushnumber(L, ntohs(local.sin_port));
+    switch (family) {
+        case PF_INET: {
+            struct sockaddr_in local;
+            socklen_t local_len = sizeof(local);
+            char name[INET_ADDRSTRLEN];
+            if (getsockname(*ps, (SA *) &local, &local_len) < 0) {
+                lua_pushnil(L);
+                lua_pushstring(L, "getsockname failed");
+                return 2;
+            } else {
+                inet_ntop(family, &local.sin_addr, name, sizeof(name));
+                lua_pushstring(L, name); 
+                lua_pushnumber(L, ntohs(local.sin_port));
+                lua_pushliteral(L, "inet");
+                return 3;
+            }
+        }
+        case PF_INET6: {
+            struct sockaddr_in6 local;
+            socklen_t local_len = sizeof(local);
+            char name[INET6_ADDRSTRLEN];
+            if (getsockname(*ps, (SA *) &local, &local_len) < 0) {
+                lua_pushnil(L);
+                lua_pushstring(L, "getsockname failed");
+                return 2;
+            } else {
+                inet_ntop(family, &local.sin6_addr, name, sizeof(name));
+                lua_pushstring(L, name); 
+                lua_pushnumber(L, ntohs(local.sin6_port));
+                lua_pushliteral(L, "inet6");
+                return 3;
+            }
+        }
+        default:
+            lua_pushnil(L);
+            lua_pushstring(L, "unknown family");
+            return 2;
     }
-    return 2;
 }
 
 /*=========================================================================*\
diff --git a/src/inet.h b/src/inet.h
index 0f32ff1..1cbe4f4 100644
--- a/src/inet.h
+++ b/src/inet.h
@@ -24,14 +24,14 @@
 
 int inet_open(lua_State *L);
 
-const char *inet_trycreate(p_socket ps, int domain, int type);
+const char *inet_trycreate(p_socket ps, int family, int type);
 const char *inet_tryconnect(p_socket ps, const char *address,
         const char *serv, p_timeout tm, struct addrinfo *connecthints);
 const char *inet_trybind(p_socket ps, const char *address, const char *serv,
         struct addrinfo *bindhints);
 
-int inet_meth_getpeername(lua_State *L, p_socket ps);
-int inet_meth_getsockname(lua_State *L, p_socket ps);
+int inet_meth_getpeername(lua_State *L, p_socket ps, int family);
+int inet_meth_getsockname(lua_State *L, p_socket ps, int family);
 
 #ifdef INET_ATON
 int inet_aton(const char *cp, struct in_addr *inp);
diff --git a/src/tcp.c b/src/tcp.c
index 872b1c6..9e1e2bd 100644
--- a/src/tcp.c
+++ b/src/tcp.c
@@ -337,13 +337,13 @@ error:
 static int meth_getpeername(lua_State *L)
 {
     p_tcp tcp = (p_tcp) auxiliar_checkgroup(L, "tcp{any}", 1);
-    return inet_meth_getpeername(L, &tcp->sock);
+    return inet_meth_getpeername(L, &tcp->sock, tcp->family);
 }
 
 static int meth_getsockname(lua_State *L)
 {
     p_tcp tcp = (p_tcp) auxiliar_checkgroup(L, "tcp{any}", 1);
-    return inet_meth_getsockname(L, &tcp->sock);
+    return inet_meth_getsockname(L, &tcp->sock, tcp->family);
 }
 
 /*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*\
diff --git a/src/udp.c b/src/udp.c
index bfa934f..0241cc5 100644
--- a/src/udp.c
+++ b/src/udp.c
@@ -269,12 +269,12 @@ static int meth_dirty(lua_State *L) {
 \*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 static int meth_getpeername(lua_State *L) {
     p_udp udp = (p_udp) auxiliar_checkclass(L, "udp{connected}", 1);
-    return inet_meth_getpeername(L, &udp->sock);
+    return inet_meth_getpeername(L, &udp->sock, udp->family);
 }
 
 static int meth_getsockname(lua_State *L) {
     p_udp udp = (p_udp) auxiliar_checkgroup(L, "udp{any}", 1);
-    return inet_meth_getsockname(L, &udp->sock);
+    return inet_meth_getsockname(L, &udp->sock, udp->family);
 }
 
 /*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*\