diff --git a/src/base/preferences.cpp b/src/base/preferences.cpp
index 7742ac281..b76198e93 100644
--- a/src/base/preferences.cpp
+++ b/src/base/preferences.cpp
@@ -548,10 +548,9 @@ QVector<Utils::Net::Subnet> Preferences::getWebUiAuthSubnetWhitelist() const
 
     for (const QString &rawSubnet : subnets)
     {
-        bool ok = false;
-        const Utils::Net::Subnet subnet = Utils::Net::parseSubnet(rawSubnet.trimmed(), &ok);
-        if (ok)
-            ret.append(subnet);
+        const std::optional<Utils::Net::Subnet> subnet = Utils::Net::parseSubnet(rawSubnet.trimmed());
+        if (subnet)
+            ret.append(subnet.value());
     }
 
     return ret;
@@ -561,9 +560,7 @@ void Preferences::setWebUiAuthSubnetWhitelist(QStringList subnets)
 {
     Algorithm::removeIf(subnets, [](const QString &subnet)
     {
-        bool ok = false;
-        Utils::Net::parseSubnet(subnet.trimmed(), &ok);
-        return !ok;
+        return !Utils::Net::parseSubnet(subnet.trimmed()).has_value();
     });
 
     setValue(u"Preferences/WebUI/AuthSubnetWhitelist"_qs, subnets);
diff --git a/src/base/utils/net.cpp b/src/base/utils/net.cpp
index aab83656c..4d46323b6 100644
--- a/src/base/utils/net.cpp
+++ b/src/base/utils/net.cpp
@@ -47,22 +47,15 @@ namespace Utils
             return !QHostAddress(ip).isNull();
         }
 
-        Subnet parseSubnet(const QString &subnetStr, bool *ok)
+        std::optional<Subnet> parseSubnet(const QString &subnetStr)
         {
-            const Subnet invalid = qMakePair(QHostAddress(), -1);
             const Subnet subnet = QHostAddress::parseSubnet(subnetStr);
-            if (ok)
-                *ok = (subnet != invalid);
+            const Subnet invalid = {QHostAddress(), -1};
+            if (subnet == invalid)
+                return std::nullopt;
             return subnet;
         }
 
-        bool canParseSubnet(const QString &subnetStr)
-        {
-            bool ok = false;
-            parseSubnet(subnetStr, &ok);
-            return ok;
-        }
-
         bool isLoopbackAddress(const QHostAddress &addr)
         {
             return (addr == QHostAddress::LocalHost)
diff --git a/src/base/utils/net.h b/src/base/utils/net.h
index f9712d59c..3f885f852 100644
--- a/src/base/utils/net.h
+++ b/src/base/utils/net.h
@@ -28,8 +28,10 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
-#include <QHostAddress>
+#include <optional>
+
 #include <QtContainerFwd>
+#include <QHostAddress>
 
 class QSslCertificate;
 class QSslKey;
@@ -37,11 +39,11 @@ class QString;
 
 namespace Utils::Net
 {
+    // alias for `QHostAddress::parseSubnet()` return type
     using Subnet = QPair<QHostAddress, int>;
 
     bool isValidIP(const QString &ip);
-    Subnet parseSubnet(const QString &subnetStr, bool *ok = nullptr);
-    bool canParseSubnet(const QString &subnetStr);
+    std::optional<Subnet> parseSubnet(const QString &subnetStr);
     bool isLoopbackAddress(const QHostAddress &addr);
     bool isIPInRange(const QHostAddress &addr, const QVector<Subnet> &subnets);
     QString subnetToString(const Subnet &subnet);
diff --git a/src/gui/ipsubnetwhitelistoptionsdialog.cpp b/src/gui/ipsubnetwhitelistoptionsdialog.cpp
index 96da8fcbc..3a0e92a2f 100644
--- a/src/gui/ipsubnetwhitelistoptionsdialog.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/ipsubnetwhitelistoptionsdialog.cpp
@@ -90,16 +90,15 @@ void IPSubnetWhitelistOptionsDialog::on_buttonBox_accepted()
 
 void IPSubnetWhitelistOptionsDialog::on_buttonWhitelistIPSubnet_clicked()
 {
-    bool ok = false;
-    const Utils::Net::Subnet subnet = Utils::Net::parseSubnet(m_ui->txtIPSubnet->text(), &ok);
-    if (!ok)
+    const std::optional<Utils::Net::Subnet> subnet = Utils::Net::parseSubnet(m_ui->txtIPSubnet->text());
+    if (!subnet)
     {
         QMessageBox::critical(this, tr("Error"), tr("The entered subnet is invalid."));
         return;
     }
 
     m_model->insertRow(m_model->rowCount());
-    m_model->setData(m_model->index(m_model->rowCount() - 1, 0), Utils::Net::subnetToString(subnet));
+    m_model->setData(m_model->index(m_model->rowCount() - 1, 0), Utils::Net::subnetToString(subnet.value()));
     m_ui->txtIPSubnet->clear();
     m_modified = true;
 }
@@ -114,5 +113,5 @@ void IPSubnetWhitelistOptionsDialog::on_buttonDeleteIPSubnet_clicked()
 
 void IPSubnetWhitelistOptionsDialog::on_txtIPSubnet_textChanged(const QString &subnetStr)
 {
-    m_ui->buttonWhitelistIPSubnet->setEnabled(Utils::Net::canParseSubnet(subnetStr));
+    m_ui->buttonWhitelistIPSubnet->setEnabled(Utils::Net::parseSubnet(subnetStr).has_value());
 }