diff --git a/pkg/unikontainers/unikernels/linux.go b/pkg/unikontainers/unikernels/linux.go
index d6bb8095..6de6ad79 100644
--- a/pkg/unikontainers/unikernels/linux.go
+++ b/pkg/unikontainers/unikernels/linux.go
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ func IsIPInSubnet(ln LinuxNet) bool {
 	ip := net.ParseIP(ln.Address)
 	gw := net.ParseIP(ln.Gateway)
 	mask := net.IPMask(net.ParseIP(ln.Mask).To4())
+	if ip == nil || gw == nil || mask == nil {
+		return false
+	}
 	subnet := gw.Mask(mask)
 
 	return ip.Mask(mask).Equal(subnet)
diff --git a/pkg/unikontainers/unikernels/linux_network_test.go b/pkg/unikontainers/unikernels/linux_network_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..79612e7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/unikontainers/unikernels/linux_network_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2023-2026, Nubificus LTD
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package unikernels
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestIsIPInSubnet(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		net  LinuxNet
+		want bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "same subnet",
+			net:  LinuxNet{Address: "10.0.0.5", Gateway: "10.0.0.1", Mask: "255.255.255.0"},
+			want: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "different subnet",
+			net:  LinuxNet{Address: "10.244.0.5", Gateway: "169.254.1.1", Mask: "255.255.255.0"},
+			want: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "empty mask",
+			net:  LinuxNet{Address: "10.244.0.5", Gateway: "169.254.1.1", Mask: ""},
+			want: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "garbage mask",
+			net:  LinuxNet{Address: "10.244.0.5", Gateway: "169.254.1.1", Mask: "abc"},
+			want: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "truncated mask",
+			net:  LinuxNet{Address: "10.244.0.5", Gateway: "169.254.1.1", Mask: "255.255.255"},
+			want: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "IPv6 mask",
+			net:  LinuxNet{Address: "10.244.0.5", Gateway: "169.254.1.1", Mask: "ffff:ffff::"},
+			want: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "CIDR-style mask",
+			net:  LinuxNet{Address: "10.244.0.5", Gateway: "169.254.1.1", Mask: "/24"},
+			want: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "all empty",
+			net:  LinuxNet{},
+			want: false,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.want, IsIPInSubnet(tt.net))
+		})
+	}
+}