diff --git a/internal/provider/utils/connection.go b/internal/provider/utils/connection.go
index c9c049192..5e0c0f637 100644
--- a/internal/provider/utils/connection.go
+++ b/internal/provider/utils/connection.go
@@ -3,11 +3,12 @@ package utils
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"math/rand"
+	"os"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/qdm12/gluetun/internal/configuration/settings"
 	"github.com/qdm12/gluetun/internal/constants/vpn"
 	"github.com/qdm12/gluetun/internal/models"
-	"github.com/qdm12/gosettings/reader"
 )
 
 type ConnectionDefaults struct {
@@ -31,30 +32,17 @@ type Storage interface {
 		servers []models.Server, err error)
 }
 
-type VPNSettings struct {
-	IPv6Server *bool
-}
-
-// Read method to populate the VPNSettings from the reader
-func (v *VPNSettings) read(reader *reader.Reader) (err error) {
-	v.IPv6Server, err = reader.BoolPtr("VPN_IPV6_SERVER")
-	return err
-}
-
 func GetConnection(provider string,
 	storage Storage,
 	selection settings.ServerSelection,
 	defaults ConnectionDefaults,
 	ipv6Supported bool,
-	randSource rand.Source,
-	reader *reader.Reader) (
+	randSource rand.Source) (
 	connection models.Connection, err error,
 ) {
-	// Create an instance of VPNSettings and read settings
-	var vpnSettings VPNSettings
-	if err := vpnSettings.read(reader); err != nil {
-		return connection, fmt.Errorf("reading VPN settings: %w", err)
-	}
+	// Read the VPN_IPV6_SERVER environment variable
+	vpnIPv6Server := os.Getenv("VPN_IPV6_SERVER")
+	skipIPv6Servers := strings.EqualFold(vpnIPv6Server, "off")
 
 	servers, err := storage.FilterServers(provider, selection)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -68,8 +56,11 @@ func GetConnection(provider string,
 	connections := make([]models.Connection, 0, len(servers))
 	for _, server := range servers {
 		for _, ip := range server.IPs {
-			// Skip IPv6 if unsupported or if VPN_IPV6_SERVER is false
-			if !ipv6Supported || (vpnSettings.IPv6Server != nil && !*vpnSettings.IPv6Server && ip.Is6()) {
+			if skipIPv6Servers && ip.Is6() {
+				continue
+			}
+
+			if !ipv6Supported && ip.Is6() {
 				continue
 			}