diff --git a/ip/ipmroute.c b/ip/ipmroute.c
index de7a035f..b8f0bc49 100644
--- a/ip/ipmroute.c
+++ b/ip/ipmroute.c
@@ -223,18 +223,20 @@ void ipmroute_reset_filter(int ifindex)
 static int mroute_list(int argc, char **argv)
 {
 	char *id = NULL;
-	int family;
+	int family = preferred_family;
 
 	ipmroute_reset_filter(0);
-	if (preferred_family == AF_UNSPEC)
-		family = AF_INET;
-	else
-		family = AF_INET6;
-	if (family == AF_INET) {
+	if (family == AF_INET || family == AF_UNSPEC) {
+		family = RTNL_FAMILY_IPMR;
 		filter.af = RTNL_FAMILY_IPMR;
 		filter.tb = RT_TABLE_DEFAULT;  /* for backward compatibility */
-	} else
+	} else if (family == AF_INET6) {
+		family = RTNL_FAMILY_IP6MR;
 		filter.af = RTNL_FAMILY_IP6MR;
+	} else {
+		/* family does not have multicast routing */
+		return 0;
+	}
 
 	filter.msrc.family = filter.mdst.family = family;