diff a/src/java.base/share/classes/java/net/Inet6Address.java b/src/java.base/share/classes/java/net/Inet6Address.java
--- a/src/java.base/share/classes/java/net/Inet6Address.java
+++ b/src/java.base/share/classes/java/net/Inet6Address.java
@@ -403,10 +403,15 @@
     {
         holder6 = new Inet6AddressHolder();
         initstr (hostName, addr, ifname);
     }
 
+    // use with care
+    Inet6Address (byte[] addr, int scope_id) {
+        holder6 = new Inet6AddressHolder(addr, scope_id, true, null, false);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Create an Inet6Address in the exact manner of {@link
      * InetAddress#getByAddress(String,byte[])} except that the IPv6 scope_id is
      * set to the value corresponding to the given interface for the address
      * type specified in {@code addr}. The call will fail with an