diff --git a/src/core/ipv6/ip6_addr.c b/src/core/ipv6/ip6_addr.c
index 6e0ac86b0..0ca18499e 100644
--- a/src/core/ipv6/ip6_addr.c
+++ b/src/core/ipv6/ip6_addr.c
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@
 /* used by IP6_ADDR_ANY(6) in ip6_addr.h */
 const ip_addr_t ip6_addr_any = IPADDR6_INIT(0ul, 0ul, 0ul, 0ul);
 
+#define SMALLEST_POSSIBLE_IPV6_STRLEN 2  /* "::" is the smallest possible ipv6 address */
+
 #define lwip_xchar(i)        ((char)((i) < 10 ? '0' + (i) : 'A' + (i) - 10))
 
 /**
@@ -71,18 +73,40 @@ const ip_addr_t ip6_addr_any = IPADDR6_INIT(0ul, 0ul, 0ul, 0ul);
 int
 ip6addr_aton(const char *cp, ip6_addr_t *addr)
 {
-  u32_t addr_index, zero_blocks, current_block_index, current_block_value;
+  u32_t addr_index, current_block_index, current_block_value, double_colon_found;
+  s32_t zero_blocks;
+  size_t len;
   const char *s;
+  int block_length;
 #if LWIP_IPV4
   int check_ipv4_mapped = 0;
 #endif /* LWIP_IPV4 */
 
+  if (!cp) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  len = strlen(cp);
+
+  if (len < SMALLEST_POSSIBLE_IPV6_STRLEN) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  /* if last character is a colon but not a double colon, invalid */
+  if ((cp[len-1] == ':') && (cp[len-2] != ':')) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+
   /* Count the number of colons, to count the number of blocks in a "::" sequence
      zero_blocks may be 1 even if there are no :: sequences */
   zero_blocks = 8;
+  double_colon_found = 0;
   for (s = cp; *s != 0; s++) {
     if (*s == ':') {
       zero_blocks--;
+      if (s[1] == ':') {
+        double_colon_found = 1;
+      }
 #if LWIP_IPV4
     } else if (*s == '.') {
       if ((zero_blocks == 5) ||(zero_blocks == 2)) {
@@ -96,16 +120,25 @@ ip6addr_aton(const char *cp, ip6_addr_t *addr)
       break;
 #endif /* LWIP_IPV4 */
     } else if (!lwip_isxdigit(*s)) {
-      break;
+      return 0;
     }
   }
 
+  /* we found a double colon but it is impossible to populate it */
+  if (double_colon_found && zero_blocks <= 0) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+
   /* parse each block */
   addr_index = 0;
   current_block_index = 0;
   current_block_value = 0;
+  block_length = 0;
   for (s = cp; *s != 0; s++) {
     if (*s == ':') {
+      if (block_length > 4) {
+        return 0;  /* invalid block length */
+      }
       if (addr) {
         if (current_block_index & 0x1) {
           addr->addr[addr_index++] |= current_block_value;
@@ -132,6 +165,7 @@ ip6addr_aton(const char *cp, ip6_addr_t *addr)
       }
 #endif /* LWIP_IPV4 */
       current_block_value = 0;
+      block_length = 0;
       if (current_block_index > 7) {
         /* address too long! */
         return 0;
@@ -160,16 +194,24 @@ ip6addr_aton(const char *cp, ip6_addr_t *addr)
         }
       }
     } else if (lwip_isxdigit(*s)) {
+      if (block_length == 4) {
+        return 0; /* invalid block length */
+      }
+      block_length++;
       /* add current digit */
       current_block_value = (current_block_value << 4) +
           (lwip_isdigit(*s) ? (u32_t)(*s - '0') :
           (u32_t)(10 + (lwip_islower(*s) ? *s - 'a' : *s - 'A')));
     } else {
       /* unexpected digit, space? CRLF? */
-      break;
+      return 0;
     }
   }
 
+  if (block_length > 4) {
+    return 0; /* invalid block length */
+  }
+
   if (addr) {
     if (current_block_index & 0x1) {
       addr->addr[addr_index++] |= current_block_value;
diff --git a/test/unit/ip6/test_ip6.c b/test/unit/ip6/test_ip6.c
index a030ee5a0..ccafca960 100644
--- a/test/unit/ip6/test_ip6.c
+++ b/test/unit/ip6/test_ip6.c
@@ -198,9 +198,17 @@ START_TEST(test_ip6_aton_ipv4mapped)
   const ip_addr_t addr_expected = IPADDR6_INIT_HOST(0, 0, 0xFFFF, 0xD4CC65D2);
   const char *full_ipv6_addr = "0:0:0:0:0:FFFF:D4CC:65D2";
   const char *shortened_ipv6_addr = "::FFFF:D4CC:65D2";
+  const char *shortened_ipv6_addr_unexpected_char = "::FFFF:D4CC:65DZ";
+  const char *shortened_ipv6_addr_invalid = "::GGGGGGGG";
   const char *full_ipv4_mapped_addr = "0:0:0:0:0:FFFF:212.204.101.210";
   const char *shortened_ipv4_mapped_addr = "::FFFF:212.204.101.210";
   const char *bogus_ipv4_mapped_addr = "::FFFF:212.204.101.2101";
+  const char *ipv6_block_too_long = "1234:5678:9aBc:acDef:1122:3344:5566:7788";
+  const char *ipv6_trailing_single_colon = "fE80::1:";
+  const char *ipv6_impossible_compression1 = "1234:5678:9aBc::cDef:1122:3344:5566:7788";
+  const char *ipv6_impossible_compression2 = "1234:5678:9aBc:cDef:1122:3344:5566:7788::";
+  const char *ipv6_valid_compression = "fE80::1:1";
+
   LWIP_UNUSED_ARG(_i);
 
   /* check IPv6 representation */
@@ -223,6 +231,16 @@ START_TEST(test_ip6_aton_ipv4mapped)
   fail_unless(ret == 1);
   fail_unless(memcmp(&addr, &addr_expected, 16) == 0);
 
+  /* check shortened IPv6 with unexpected char */
+  memset(&addr6, 0, sizeof(addr6));
+  ret = ip6addr_aton(shortened_ipv6_addr_unexpected_char, &addr6);
+  fail_unless(ret == 0);
+
+  /* check shortened IPv6 that is clearly invalid */
+  memset(&addr6, 0, sizeof(addr6));
+  ret = ip6addr_aton(shortened_ipv6_addr_invalid, &addr6);
+  fail_unless(ret == 0);
+
   /* checked shortened mixed representation */
   memset(&addr6, 0, sizeof(addr6));
   ret = ip6addr_aton(shortened_ipv4_mapped_addr, &addr6);
@@ -250,6 +268,31 @@ START_TEST(test_ip6_aton_ipv4mapped)
   memset(&addr, 0, sizeof(addr));
   ret = ipaddr_aton(bogus_ipv4_mapped_addr, &addr);
   fail_unless(ret == 0);
+
+  /* checking incorrect representation with a block containing 5 characters */
+  memset(&addr6, 0, sizeof(addr6));
+  ret = ip6addr_aton(ipv6_block_too_long, &addr6);
+  fail_unless(ret == 0);
+
+  /* trailing single colon, invalid */
+  memset(&addr6, 0, sizeof(addr6));
+  ret = ip6addr_aton(ipv6_trailing_single_colon, &addr6);
+  fail_unless(ret == 0);
+
+  /* impossible to support compression, already enough blocks, invalid */
+  memset(&addr6, 0, sizeof(addr6));
+  ret = ip6addr_aton(ipv6_impossible_compression1, &addr6);
+  fail_unless(ret == 0);    
+
+  /* impossible to support compression at the end of the address, already enough blocks, invalid */
+  memset(&addr6, 0, sizeof(addr6));
+  ret = ip6addr_aton(ipv6_impossible_compression2, &addr6);
+  fail_unless(ret == 0);     
+
+  /* valid ipv6 with compression */
+  memset(&addr6, 0, sizeof(addr6));
+  ret = ip6addr_aton(ipv6_valid_compression, &addr6);
+  fail_unless(ret == 1);
 }
 END_TEST