diff --git a/src/common/util.c b/src/common/util.c
index 90204befc0..1818b4f19e 100644
--- a/src/common/util.c
+++ b/src/common/util.c
@@ -1071,6 +1071,17 @@ string_is_valid_ipv6_address(const char *string)
   return (tor_inet_pton(AF_INET6,string,&addr) == 1);
 }
 
+/** Return true iff <b>string</b> is a valid destination address,
+ * i.e. either a DNS hostname or IPv4/IPv6 address string.
+ */
+int
+string_is_valid_dest(const char *string)
+{
+  return string_is_valid_ipv4_address(string) ||
+    string_is_valid_ipv6_address(string) ||
+    string_is_valid_hostname(string);
+}
+
 /** Return true iff <b>string</b> matches a pattern of DNS names
  * that we allow Tor clients to connect to.
  *
diff --git a/src/common/util.h b/src/common/util.h
index 2ee0ea28cd..d6bda80363 100644
--- a/src/common/util.h
+++ b/src/common/util.h
@@ -233,6 +233,7 @@ const char *find_str_at_start_of_line(const char *haystack,
                                       const char *needle);
 int string_is_C_identifier(const char *string);
 int string_is_key_value(int severity, const char *string);
+int string_is_valid_dest(const char *string);
 int string_is_valid_hostname(const char *string);
 int string_is_valid_ipv4_address(const char *string);
 int string_is_valid_ipv6_address(const char *string);
diff --git a/src/or/proto_socks.c b/src/or/proto_socks.c
index 91633d02af..8700fe1269 100644
--- a/src/or/proto_socks.c
+++ b/src/or/proto_socks.c
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ parse_socks(const char *data, size_t datalen, socks_request_t *req,
           req->port = ntohs(get_uint16(data+5+len));
           *drain_out = 5+len+2;
 
-          if (!string_is_valid_hostname(req->address)) {
+          if (!string_is_valid_dest(req->address)) {
             socks_request_set_socks5_error(req, SOCKS5_GENERAL_ERROR);
 
             log_warn(LD_PROTOCOL,
@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@ parse_socks(const char *data, size_t datalen, socks_request_t *req,
       log_debug(LD_APP,"socks4: Everything is here. Success.");
       strlcpy(req->address, startaddr ? startaddr : tmpbuf,
               sizeof(req->address));
-      if (!string_is_valid_hostname(req->address)) {
+      if (!string_is_valid_dest(req->address)) {
         log_warn(LD_PROTOCOL,
                  "Your application (using socks4 to port %d) gave Tor "
                  "a malformed hostname: %s. Rejecting the connection.",
diff --git a/src/test/test_socks.c b/src/test/test_socks.c
index 9ae7530e22..70509e43e7 100644
--- a/src/test/test_socks.c
+++ b/src/test/test_socks.c
@@ -347,17 +347,18 @@ test_socks_5_supported_commands(void *ptr)
 
   socks_request_clear(socks);
 
-  /* SOCKS 5 should NOT reject RESOLVE [F0] reject for IPv6 address
+  /* SOCKS 5 should NOT reject RESOLVE [F0] request for IPv6 address
    * string if SafeSocks is enabled. */
 
   ADD_DATA(buf, "\x05\x01\x00");
-  ADD_DATA(buf, "\x05\xF0\x00\x03\x27");
-  ADD_DATA(buf, "2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334");
+  ADD_DATA(buf, "\x05\xF0\x00\x03\x29");
+  ADD_DATA(buf, "[2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334]");
   ADD_DATA(buf, "\x01\x02");
   tt_int_op(fetch_from_buf_socks(buf, socks, get_options()->TestSocks, 1),
             OP_EQ, -1);
 
-  tt_str_op("2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334", OP_EQ, socks->address);
+  tt_str_op("[2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334]", OP_EQ,
+    socks->address);
   tt_int_op(258, OP_EQ, socks->port);
 
   tt_int_op(0, OP_EQ, buf_datalen(buf));