diff --git a/concrete_types.hh b/concrete_types.hh
index e75ca6d55c..e64467e9af 100644
--- a/concrete_types.hh
+++ b/concrete_types.hh
@@ -131,7 +131,6 @@ struct varint_type_impl final : public concrete_type<utils::multiprecision_int>
 
 struct inet_addr_type_impl final : public concrete_type<seastar::net::inet_address> {
     inet_addr_type_impl();
-    static sstring to_sstring(const seastar::net::inet_address& addr);
     static seastar::net::inet_address from_sstring(sstring_view s);
 };
 
diff --git a/lang/lua.cc b/lang/lua.cc
index a095ac6d15..7da7124f21 100644
--- a/lang/lua.cc
+++ b/lang/lua.cc
@@ -1030,7 +1030,7 @@ struct to_lua_visitor {
 
     void operator()(const inet_addr_type_impl& t, const emptyable<seastar::net::inet_address>* v) {
         // returns a string
-        sstring s = inet_addr_type_impl::to_sstring(v->get());
+        sstring s = fmt::to_string(v->get());
         push_sstring(l, s);
     }
 
diff --git a/types/types.cc b/types/types.cc
index 440248e7c3..ec5b155a1f 100644
--- a/types/types.cc
+++ b/types/types.cc
@@ -115,12 +115,6 @@ sstring boolean_to_string(const bool b) {
     return b ? "true" : "false";
 }
 
-sstring inet_addr_type_impl::to_sstring(const seastar::net::inet_address& addr) {
-    std::ostringstream out;
-    out << addr;
-    return out.str();
-}
-
 static const char* byte_type_name      = "org.apache.cassandra.db.marshal.ByteType";
 static const char* short_type_name     = "org.apache.cassandra.db.marshal.ShortType";
 static const char* int32_type_name     = "org.apache.cassandra.db.marshal.Int32Type";
@@ -2882,7 +2876,7 @@ struct to_string_impl_visitor {
     }
     sstring operator()(const empty_type_impl&, const void*) { return sstring(); }
     sstring operator()(const inet_addr_type_impl& a, const inet_addr_type_impl::native_type* v) {
-        return format_if_not_empty(a, v, inet_addr_type_impl::to_sstring);
+        return format_if_not_empty(a, v, [] (const seastar::net::inet_address& addr) { return fmt::to_string(addr); });
     }
     sstring operator()(const list_type_impl& l, const list_type_impl::native_type* v) {
         return format_if_not_empty(