diff --git a/charts/metallb/templates/speaker.yaml b/charts/metallb/templates/speaker.yaml
index 965118ad75e..90ba6e8884e 100644
--- a/charts/metallb/templates/speaker.yaml
+++ b/charts/metallb/templates/speaker.yaml
@@ -241,6 +241,9 @@ spec:
         {{- if .Values.loadBalancerClass }}
         - --lb-class={{ .Values.loadBalancerClass }}
         {{- end }}
+        {{- if .Values.speaker.wanConfig }}
+        - --ml-wan-config
+        {{- end }}
         env:
         - name: METALLB_NODE_NAME
           valueFrom:
diff --git a/internal/speakerlist/speakerlist.go b/internal/speakerlist/speakerlist.go
index 26a74f6c99f..21e03e80225 100644
--- a/internal/speakerlist/speakerlist.go
+++ b/internal/speakerlist/speakerlist.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ type SpeakerList struct {
 }
 
 // New creates a new SpeakerList and returns a pointer to it.
-func New(logger log.Logger, nodeName, bindAddr, bindPort, secret, namespace, labels string, stopCh chan struct{}) (*SpeakerList, error) {
+func New(logger log.Logger, nodeName, bindAddr, bindPort, secret, namespace, labels string, WANNetwork bool, stopCh chan struct{}) (*SpeakerList, error) {
 	sl := SpeakerList{
 		l:         logger,
 		stopCh:    stopCh,
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@ func New(logger log.Logger, nodeName, bindAddr, bindPort, secret, namespace, lab
 	}
 
 	mconfig := memberlist.DefaultLANConfig()
+	if WANNetwork {
+		mconfig = memberlist.DefaultWANConfig()
+	}
 
 	// mconfig.Name MUST be equal to the spec.nodeName field of the speaker pod as we match it
 	// against the nodeName field of Endpoint objects inside usableNodes().
diff --git a/speaker/main.go b/speaker/main.go
index 4130f9476bf..70fec3dba2b 100644
--- a/speaker/main.go
+++ b/speaker/main.go
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ func main() {
 		mlBindPort        = flag.String("ml-bindport", os.Getenv("METALLB_ML_BIND_PORT"), "Bind port for MemberList (fast dead node detection)")
 		mlLabels          = flag.String("ml-labels", os.Getenv("METALLB_ML_LABELS"), "Labels to match the speakers (for MemberList / fast dead node detection)")
 		mlSecretKeyPath   = flag.String("ml-secret-key-path", os.Getenv("METALLB_ML_SECRET_KEY_PATH"), "Path to where the MemberList's secret key is mounted")
+		mlWANConfig       = flag.Bool("ml-wan-config", false, "WAN network type for MemberList default config, bool")
 		myNode            = flag.String("node-name", os.Getenv("METALLB_NODE_NAME"), "name of this Kubernetes node (spec.nodeName)")
 		port              = flag.Int("port", 7472, "HTTP listening port")
 		logLevel          = flag.String("log-level", "info", fmt.Sprintf("log level. must be one of: [%s]", logging.Levels.String()))
@@ -136,7 +137,7 @@ func main() {
 		mlSecret = string(mlSecretBytes)
 	}
 
-	sList, err := speakerlist.New(logger, *myNode, *mlBindAddr, *mlBindPort, mlSecret, *namespace, *mlLabels, stopCh)
+	sList, err := speakerlist.New(logger, *myNode, *mlBindAddr, *mlBindPort, mlSecret, *namespace, *mlLabels, *mlWANConfig, stopCh)
 	if err != nil {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}