diff --git a/utils/ip.go b/utils/ip.go
index cca055d..8a8985d 100644
--- a/utils/ip.go
+++ b/utils/ip.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"strconv"
-	"strings"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -33,21 +32,21 @@ func (ipDesc IPDesc) PortString() string {
 }
 
 func (ipDesc IPDesc) String() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", ipDesc.IP, ipDesc.PortString())
+	return net.JoinHostPort(ipDesc.IP.String(), fmt.Sprintf("%d", ipDesc.Port))
 }
 
 // ToIPDesc ...
-// TODO: this was kinda hacked together, it should be verified.
 func ToIPDesc(str string) (IPDesc, error) {
-	parts := strings.Split(str, ":")
-	if len(parts) != 2 {
+	host, portStr, err := net.SplitHostPort(str)
+	if err != nil {
 		return IPDesc{}, errBadIP
 	}
-	port, err := strconv.ParseUint(parts[1], 10 /*=base*/, 16 /*=size*/)
+	port, err := strconv.ParseUint(portStr, 10 /*=base*/, 16 /*=size*/)
 	if err != nil {
+		// TODO: Should this return a locally defined error? (e.g. errBadPort)
 		return IPDesc{}, err
 	}
-	ip := net.ParseIP(parts[0])
+	ip := net.ParseIP(host)
 	if ip == nil {
 		return IPDesc{}, errBadIP
 	}
diff --git a/utils/ip_test.go b/utils/ip_test.go
index a950a5a..179014f 100644
--- a/utils/ip_test.go
+++ b/utils/ip_test.go
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ func TestIPDescString(t *testing.T) {
 		result string
 	}{
 		{IPDesc{net.ParseIP("127.0.0.1"), 0}, "127.0.0.1:0"},
-		{IPDesc{net.ParseIP("::1"), 42}, "::1:42"},
+		{IPDesc{net.ParseIP("::1"), 42}, "[::1]:42"},
 		{IPDesc{net.ParseIP("::ffff:127.0.0.1"), 65535}, "127.0.0.1:65535"},
 		{IPDesc{net.IP{}, 1234}, "<nil>:1234"},
 	}
@@ -100,3 +100,52 @@ func TestIPDescString(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestToIPDescError(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		in  string
+		out IPDesc
+	}{
+		{"", IPDesc{}},
+		{":", IPDesc{}},
+		{"abc:", IPDesc{}},
+		{":abc", IPDesc{}},
+		{"abc:abc", IPDesc{}},
+		{"127.0.0.1:", IPDesc{}},
+		{":1", IPDesc{}},
+		{"::1", IPDesc{}},
+		{"::1:42", IPDesc{}},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.in, func(t *testing.T) {
+			result, err := ToIPDesc(tt.in)
+			if err == nil {
+				t.Errorf("Unexpected success")
+			}
+			if !tt.out.Equal(result) {
+				t.Errorf("Expected %v, got %v", tt.out, result)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestToIPDesc(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		in  string
+		out IPDesc
+	}{
+		{"127.0.0.1:42", IPDesc{net.ParseIP("127.0.0.1"), 42}},
+		{"[::1]:42", IPDesc{net.ParseIP("::1"), 42}},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.in, func(t *testing.T) {
+			result, err := ToIPDesc(tt.in)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Errorf("Unexpected error %v", err)
+			}
+			if !tt.out.Equal(result) {
+				t.Errorf("Expected %#v, got %#v", tt.out, result)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}