diff --git a/RELEASE_NOTES.md b/RELEASE_NOTES.md
index b76fb58b0..4c66f606d 100644
--- a/RELEASE_NOTES.md
+++ b/RELEASE_NOTES.md
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ Release 3-dev
 - (build) #815 - Configure find_program to search for programs in PATH first, then AppBundles in MacOS
 - (network) !1229 - Fixed a bug in `Ipv4Address::IsSubnetDirectedBroadcast`
 - (internet) !1229 - Fixed a bug in `Icmpv4Header::HandleEcho` when replying to broadcast-type Echo requests, and two bugs in `Ipv4RawSocketImpl::SendTo` in handling sockets bound to a specific address and directed to a broadcast-type address.
+- (internet) - `NeighborCacheHelper::PopulateNeighborCache` is now robust against missing IPv4 or IPv6 stack in nodes.
 
 Release 3.37
 ------------
diff --git a/src/internet/examples/neighbor-cache-dynamic.cc b/src/internet/examples/neighbor-cache-dynamic.cc
index bbe968ed1..1ed9dabb9 100644
--- a/src/internet/examples/neighbor-cache-dynamic.cc
+++ b/src/internet/examples/neighbor-cache-dynamic.cc
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@
   fe80::200:ff:fe00:1 dev 0 lladdr 02-06-00:00:00:00:00:01 STATIC_AUTOGENERATED
   fe80::200:ff:fe00:2 dev 0 lladdr 02-06-00:00:00:00:00:02 STATIC_AUTOGENERATED
 
-  Arp caches after remove the second address (2001:1::200:ff:fe00:1) from n1
+  Ndisc caches after remove the second address (2001:1::200:ff:fe00:1) from n1
   NDISC Cache of node 0 at time +2s
   2001:1::200:ff:fe00:2 dev 0 lladdr 02-06-00:00:00:00:00:02 STATIC_AUTOGENERATED
   2001:1::200:ff:fe00:3 dev 0 lladdr 02-06-00:00:00:00:00:03 STATIC_AUTOGENERATED
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ void
 RemoveIpv6Address(Ptr<Ipv6Interface> ipv6Interface, uint32_t index)
 {
     ipv6Interface->RemoveAddress(index);
-    std::cout << "\nArp caches after remove the second address (2001:1::200:ff:fe00:1) from n1"
+    std::cout << "\nNdisc caches after remove the second address (2001:1::200:ff:fe00:1) from n1"
               << std::endl;
 }
 
@@ -202,6 +202,14 @@ main(int argc, char* argv[])
     csmaDevices = csma.Install(csmaNodes);
 
     InternetStackHelper stack;
+    if (!useIpv6)
+    {
+        stack.SetIpv6StackInstall(false);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        stack.SetIpv4StackInstall(false);
+    }
     stack.Install(csmaNodes);
 
     if (!useIpv6)
diff --git a/src/internet/examples/neighbor-cache-example.cc b/src/internet/examples/neighbor-cache-example.cc
index a923afb83..b955a5b1d 100644
--- a/src/internet/examples/neighbor-cache-example.cc
+++ b/src/internet/examples/neighbor-cache-example.cc
@@ -409,6 +409,14 @@ NeighborCacheExample::Run()
     csmaDevicesRight = csmaRight.Install(csmaNodesRight);
 
     InternetStackHelper stack;
+    if (!m_useIpv6)
+    {
+        stack.SetIpv6StackInstall(false);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        stack.SetIpv4StackInstall(false);
+    }
     // disabled Ipv4ArpJitter and Ipv6NsRsJitter to avoid the influence on packet dropped
     stack.SetIpv4ArpJitter(false);
     stack.SetIpv6NsRsJitter(false);
diff --git a/src/internet/helper/neighbor-cache-helper.cc b/src/internet/helper/neighbor-cache-helper.cc
index c422e7a84..8bf615915 100644
--- a/src/internet/helper/neighbor-cache-helper.cc
+++ b/src/internet/helper/neighbor-cache-helper.cc
@@ -64,16 +64,36 @@ NeighborCacheHelper::PopulateNeighborCache(Ptr<Channel> channel) const
     {
         Ptr<NetDevice> netDevice = channel->GetDevice(i);
         Ptr<Node> node = netDevice->GetNode();
-        int32_t ipv4InterfaceIndex = node->GetObject<Ipv4>()->GetInterfaceForDevice(netDevice);
-        int32_t ipv6InterfaceIndex = node->GetObject<Ipv6>()->GetInterfaceForDevice(netDevice);
+
+        int32_t ipv4InterfaceIndex = -1;
+        if (node->GetObject<Ipv4>())
+        {
+            ipv4InterfaceIndex = node->GetObject<Ipv4>()->GetInterfaceForDevice(netDevice);
+        }
+        int32_t ipv6InterfaceIndex = -1;
+        if (node->GetObject<Ipv6>())
+        {
+            ipv6InterfaceIndex = node->GetObject<Ipv6>()->GetInterfaceForDevice(netDevice);
+        }
+
         for (std::size_t j = 0; j < channel->GetNDevices(); ++j)
         {
             Ptr<NetDevice> neighborDevice = channel->GetDevice(j);
             Ptr<Node> neighborNode = neighborDevice->GetNode();
-            int32_t ipv4NeighborInterfaceIndex =
-                neighborNode->GetObject<Ipv4>()->GetInterfaceForDevice(neighborDevice);
-            int32_t ipv6NeighborInterfaceIndex =
-                neighborNode->GetObject<Ipv6>()->GetInterfaceForDevice(neighborDevice);
+
+            int32_t ipv4NeighborInterfaceIndex = -1;
+            if (neighborNode->GetObject<Ipv4>())
+            {
+                ipv4NeighborInterfaceIndex =
+                    neighborNode->GetObject<Ipv4>()->GetInterfaceForDevice(neighborDevice);
+            }
+            int32_t ipv6NeighborInterfaceIndex = -1;
+            if (neighborNode->GetObject<Ipv6>())
+            {
+                ipv6NeighborInterfaceIndex =
+                    neighborNode->GetObject<Ipv6>()->GetInterfaceForDevice(neighborDevice);
+            }
+
             if (neighborDevice != netDevice)
             {
                 if (ipv4InterfaceIndex != -1)
@@ -114,16 +134,36 @@ NeighborCacheHelper::PopulateNeighborCache(const NetDeviceContainer& c) const
         Ptr<NetDevice> netDevice = c.Get(i);
         Ptr<Channel> channel = netDevice->GetChannel();
         Ptr<Node> node = netDevice->GetNode();
-        int32_t ipv4InterfaceIndex = node->GetObject<Ipv4>()->GetInterfaceForDevice(netDevice);
-        int32_t ipv6InterfaceIndex = node->GetObject<Ipv6>()->GetInterfaceForDevice(netDevice);
+
+        int32_t ipv4InterfaceIndex = -1;
+        if (node->GetObject<Ipv4>())
+        {
+            ipv4InterfaceIndex = node->GetObject<Ipv4>()->GetInterfaceForDevice(netDevice);
+        }
+        int32_t ipv6InterfaceIndex = -1;
+        if (node->GetObject<Ipv6>())
+        {
+            ipv6InterfaceIndex = node->GetObject<Ipv6>()->GetInterfaceForDevice(netDevice);
+        }
+
         for (std::size_t j = 0; j < channel->GetNDevices(); ++j)
         {
             Ptr<NetDevice> neighborDevice = channel->GetDevice(j);
             Ptr<Node> neighborNode = neighborDevice->GetNode();
-            int32_t ipv4NeighborInterfaceIndex =
-                neighborNode->GetObject<Ipv4>()->GetInterfaceForDevice(neighborDevice);
-            int32_t ipv6NeighborInterfaceIndex =
-                neighborNode->GetObject<Ipv6>()->GetInterfaceForDevice(neighborDevice);
+
+            int32_t ipv4NeighborInterfaceIndex = -1;
+            if (neighborNode->GetObject<Ipv4>())
+            {
+                ipv4NeighborInterfaceIndex =
+                    neighborNode->GetObject<Ipv4>()->GetInterfaceForDevice(neighborDevice);
+            }
+            int32_t ipv6NeighborInterfaceIndex = -1;
+            if (neighborNode->GetObject<Ipv6>())
+            {
+                ipv6NeighborInterfaceIndex =
+                    neighborNode->GetObject<Ipv6>()->GetInterfaceForDevice(neighborDevice);
+            }
+
             if (neighborDevice != netDevice)
             {
                 if (ipv4InterfaceIndex != -1)