diff --git a/internal/cmd/network/update/update.go b/internal/cmd/network/update/update.go
index eda3bb95d..7d08e7d4d 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/network/update/update.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/network/update/update.go
@@ -180,8 +180,10 @@ func buildRequest(ctx context.Context, model *inputModel, apiClient *iaas.APICli
 	var payloadIPv6 *iaas.UpdateNetworkIPv6Body
 
 	if model.IPv6DnsNameServers != nil || model.NoIPv6Gateway || model.IPv6Gateway != nil {
-		payloadIPv6 = &iaas.UpdateNetworkIPv6Body{
-			Nameservers: *model.IPv6DnsNameServers,
+		payloadIPv6 = &iaas.UpdateNetworkIPv6Body{}
+
+		if model.IPv6DnsNameServers != nil {
+			payloadIPv6.Nameservers = *model.IPv6DnsNameServers
 		}
 
 		if model.NoIPv6Gateway {
@@ -192,8 +194,10 @@ func buildRequest(ctx context.Context, model *inputModel, apiClient *iaas.APICli
 	}
 
 	if model.IPv4DnsNameServers != nil || model.NoIPv4Gateway || model.IPv4Gateway != nil {
-		payloadIPv4 = &iaas.UpdateNetworkIPv4Body{
-			Nameservers: *model.IPv4DnsNameServers,
+		payloadIPv4 = &iaas.UpdateNetworkIPv4Body{}
+
+		if model.IPv4DnsNameServers != nil {
+			payloadIPv4.Nameservers = *model.IPv4DnsNameServers
 		}
 
 		if model.NoIPv4Gateway {
diff --git a/internal/cmd/network/update/update_test.go b/internal/cmd/network/update/update_test.go
index 44dad9933..8cd5182cc 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/network/update/update_test.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/network/update/update_test.go
@@ -80,12 +80,10 @@ func fixtureInputModel(mods ...func(model *inputModel)) *inputModel {
 	return model
 }
 
-func fixtureRequest(mods ...func(request *iaas.ApiPartialUpdateNetworkRequest)) iaas.ApiPartialUpdateNetworkRequest {
+func fixtureRequest(mods ...func(payload *iaas.PartialUpdateNetworkPayload)) iaas.ApiPartialUpdateNetworkRequest {
 	request := testClient.DefaultAPI.PartialUpdateNetwork(testCtx, testProjectId, testRegion, testNetworkId)
-	request = request.PartialUpdateNetworkPayload(fixturePayload())
-	for _, mod := range mods {
-		mod(&request)
-	}
+	payload := fixturePayload(mods...)
+	request = request.PartialUpdateNetworkPayload(payload)
 	return request
 }
 
@@ -319,6 +317,28 @@ func TestBuildRequest(t *testing.T) {
 			model:           fixtureInputModel(),
 			expectedRequest: fixtureRequest(),
 		},
+		{
+			description: "not setting IPv4DnsNameServers does not result in nil pointer dereference",
+			model: fixtureInputModel(func(model *inputModel) {
+				model.IPv4DnsNameServers = nil
+				model.IPv4Gateway = new("1.1.1.1")
+			}),
+			expectedRequest: fixtureRequest(func(payload *iaas.PartialUpdateNetworkPayload) {
+				payload.Ipv4.Nameservers = nil
+				payload.Ipv4.Gateway = *iaas.NewNullableString(new("1.1.1.1"))
+			}),
+		},
+		{
+			description: "not setting IPv6DnsNameServers does not result in nil pointer dereference",
+			model: fixtureInputModel(func(model *inputModel) {
+				model.IPv6DnsNameServers = nil
+				model.IPv6Gateway = new("1.1.1.1")
+			}),
+			expectedRequest: fixtureRequest(func(payload *iaas.PartialUpdateNetworkPayload) {
+				payload.Ipv6.Nameservers = nil
+				payload.Ipv6.Gateway = *iaas.NewNullableString(new("1.1.1.1"))
+			}),
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {