diff --git a/src/vnet/ethernet/ethernet.h b/src/vnet/ethernet/ethernet.h
index 79ae7e6..0bfd487 100644
--- a/src/vnet/ethernet/ethernet.h
+++ b/src/vnet/ethernet/ethernet.h
@@ -339,6 +339,7 @@
 void ethernet_register_l3_redirect (vlib_main_t * vm, u32 node_index);
 
 /* Formats ethernet address X:X:X:X:X:X */
+u8 *format_mac_address (u8 * s, va_list * args);
 u8 *format_ethernet_address (u8 * s, va_list * args);
 u8 *format_ethernet_type (u8 * s, va_list * args);
 u8 *format_ethernet_vlan_tci (u8 * s, va_list * va);
@@ -347,6 +348,7 @@
 
 /* Parse ethernet address in either X:X:X:X:X:X unix or X.X.X cisco format. */
 uword unformat_ethernet_address (unformat_input_t * input, va_list * args);
+uword unformat_mac_address (unformat_input_t * input, va_list * args);
 
 /* Parse ethernet type as 0xXXXX or type name from ethernet/types.def.
    In either host or network byte order. */
diff --git a/src/vnet/ethernet/format.c b/src/vnet/ethernet/format.c
index 13a209f..1ca1bce 100644
--- a/src/vnet/ethernet/format.c
+++ b/src/vnet/ethernet/format.c
@@ -55,6 +55,12 @@
 }
 
 u8 *
+format_mac_address (u8 * s, va_list * args)
+{
+  return (format_ethernet_address (s, args));
+}
+
+u8 *
 format_ethernet_type (u8 * s, va_list * args)
 {
   ethernet_type_t type = va_arg (*args, u32);
@@ -231,6 +237,13 @@
 	  || unformat_user (input, unformat_ethernet_address_cisco, result));
 }
 
+uword
+unformat_mac_address (unformat_input_t * input, va_list * args)
+{
+  return (unformat_ethernet_address (input, args));
+}
+
+
 /* Returns ethernet type as an int in host byte order. */
 uword
 unformat_ethernet_type_host_byte_order (unformat_input_t * input,