diff --git a/libnm-util/nm-utils.c b/libnm-util/nm-utils.c
index b40e814b3f..afce25593d 100644
--- a/libnm-util/nm-utils.c
+++ b/libnm-util/nm-utils.c
@@ -2430,12 +2430,22 @@ nm_utils_hwaddr_aton (const char *asc, int type, gpointer buffer)
 	int left = nm_utils_hwaddr_len (type);
 
 	while (left && *in) {
-		if (!isxdigit (in[0]) || !isxdigit (in[1]))
+		guint8 d1 = in[0], d2 = in[1];
+
+		if (!isxdigit (d1))
 			return NULL;
 
-		*out++ = (HEXVAL (in[0]) << 4) + HEXVAL (in[1]);
+		/* If there's no leading zero (ie "aa:b:cc") then fake it */
+		if (d2 && isxdigit (d2)) {
+			*out++ = (HEXVAL (d1) << 4) + HEXVAL (d2);
+			in += 2;
+		} else {
+			/* Fake leading zero */
+			*out++ = (HEXVAL ('0') << 4) + HEXVAL (d1);
+			in += 1;
+		}
+
 		left--;
-		in += 2;
 		if (*in) {
 			if (*in != ':')
 				return NULL;
diff --git a/libnm-util/tests/test-general.c b/libnm-util/tests/test-general.c
index 10cda51a31..4504bd501d 100644
--- a/libnm-util/tests/test-general.c
+++ b/libnm-util/tests/test-general.c
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 #include <glib.h>
 #include <dbus/dbus-glib.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <netinet/ether.h>
+#include <linux/if_infiniband.h>
 
 #include "nm-test-helpers.h"
 #include <nm-utils.h>
@@ -1298,6 +1300,47 @@ test_setting_compare_vpn_secrets (NMSettingSecretFlags secret_flags,
 	g_assert (success);
 }
 
+static void
+test_hwaddr_aton_ether_normal (void)
+{
+	guint8 buf[100];
+	guint8 expected[ETH_ALEN] = { 0x00, 0x11, 0x22, 0x33, 0x44, 0x55 };
+
+	g_assert (nm_utils_hwaddr_aton ("00:11:22:33:44:55", ARPHRD_ETHER, buf) != NULL);
+	g_assert (memcmp (buf, expected, sizeof (expected)) == 0);
+}
+
+static void
+test_hwaddr_aton_ib_normal (void)
+{
+	guint8 buf[100];
+	const char *source = "00:11:22:33:44:55:66:77:88:99:01:12:23:34:45:56:67:78:89:90";
+	guint8 expected[INFINIBAND_ALEN] = { 0x00, 0x11, 0x22, 0x33, 0x44, 0x55, 0x66,
+		0x77, 0x88, 0x99, 0x01, 0x12, 0x23, 0x34, 0x45, 0x56, 0x67, 0x78, 0x89,
+		0x90 };
+
+	g_assert (nm_utils_hwaddr_aton (source, ARPHRD_INFINIBAND, buf) != NULL);
+	g_assert (memcmp (buf, expected, sizeof (expected)) == 0);
+}
+
+static void
+test_hwaddr_aton_no_leading_zeros (void)
+{
+	guint8 buf[100];
+	guint8 expected[ETH_ALEN] = { 0x00, 0x1A, 0x2B, 0x03, 0x44, 0x05 };
+
+	g_assert (nm_utils_hwaddr_aton ("0:1a:2B:3:44:5", ARPHRD_ETHER, buf) != NULL);
+	g_assert (memcmp (buf, expected, sizeof (expected)) == 0);
+}
+
+static void
+test_hwaddr_aton_malformed (void)
+{
+	guint8 buf[100];
+
+	g_assert (nm_utils_hwaddr_aton ("0:1a:2B:3:a@%%", ARPHRD_ETHER, buf) == NULL);
+}
+
 int main (int argc, char **argv)
 {
 	GError *error = NULL;
@@ -1339,6 +1382,11 @@ int main (int argc, char **argv)
 	test_connection_good_base_types ();
 	test_connection_bad_base_types ();
 
+	test_hwaddr_aton_ether_normal ();
+	test_hwaddr_aton_ib_normal ();
+	test_hwaddr_aton_no_leading_zeros ();
+	test_hwaddr_aton_malformed ();
+
 	base = g_path_get_basename (argv[0]);
 	fprintf (stdout, "%s: SUCCESS\n", base);
 	g_free (base);