diff --git a/scripts/hbc_mini.py b/scripts/hbc_mini.py
index ff76236..08710e1 100755
--- a/scripts/hbc_mini.py
+++ b/scripts/hbc_mini.py
@@ -1059,22 +1059,30 @@ async def _async_main(args, cfg: Dict[str, Any]) -> int:
 
     log.info("hbc_mini %s on %s -> %s port=%d interval=%ds",__version__, iam, args.hosts, port, interval)
 
+    af_filter = (socket.AF_INET if getattr(args, "ipv4_only", False)
+                 else socket.AF_INET6 if getattr(args, "ipv6_only", False)
+                 else 0)
+
     connections: List[AsyncConnection] = []
     conn_id = 1
-    for host in args.hosts:
-        try:
-            addrs = socket.getaddrinfo(host, port, 0, 0, socket.SOL_UDP)
-        except socket.gaierror as e:
-            log.error("cannot resolve %s: %s", host, e)
-            continue
-        for ai in addrs:
-            conn = AsyncConnection(conn_id, ai[4][0], port, ai[0], iam)
-            if await conn.open():
-                connections.append(conn)
-                conn_id += 1
+    _retry_delay = 5
+    while _running and not connections:
+        for host in args.hosts:
+            try:
+                addrs = socket.getaddrinfo(host, port, af_filter, 0, socket.SOL_UDP)
+            except socket.gaierror as e:
+                log.warning("cannot resolve %s: %s — retrying in %ds", host, e, _retry_delay)
+                continue
+            for ai in addrs:
+                conn = AsyncConnection(conn_id, ai[4][0], port, ai[0], iam)
+                if await conn.open():
+                    connections.append(conn)
+                    conn_id += 1
+        if not connections:
+            await _sleep(_retry_delay)
+            _retry_delay = min(_retry_delay * 2, 60)
 
     if not connections:
-        log.error("no connections established")
         return 1
 
     # Boot / one-shot message
@@ -1153,6 +1161,9 @@ def main(argv=None):
     parser.add_argument("-d", "--daemon", action="store_true", help="Run as daemon")
     parser.add_argument("-v", "--verbose", action="store_true", help="Verbose output")
     parser.add_argument("-x", "--debug", action="count", default=0, help="Debug level")
+    af_group = parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group()
+    af_group.add_argument("-4", dest="ipv4_only", action="store_true", help="Use IPv4 only")
+    af_group.add_argument("-6", dest="ipv6_only", action="store_true", help="Use IPv6 only")
     parser.add_argument("hosts", nargs="+", help="HBD server(s)")
     args = parser.parse_args(argv)