diff --git a/sys/net/crosslayer/ng_netif/ng_netif_addr_from_str.c b/sys/net/crosslayer/ng_netif/ng_netif_addr_from_str.c
index 7686d92030..3a357f164f 100644
--- a/sys/net/crosslayer/ng_netif/ng_netif_addr_from_str.c
+++ b/sys/net/crosslayer/ng_netif/ng_netif_addr_from_str.c
@@ -15,47 +15,76 @@
 
 #include "net/ng_netif.h"
 
-static int _dehex(char c)
+static inline int _dehex(char c, int default_)
 {
-    return ('0' <= c && c <= '9') ? c - '0'
-         : ('A' <= c && c <= 'F') ? c - 'A' + 10
-         : ('a' <= c && c <= 'f') ? c - 'a' + 10
-         : -1;
+    if ('0' <= c && c <= '9') {
+        return c - '0';
+    }
+    else if ('A' <= c && c <= 'F') {
+        return c - 'A' + 10;
+    }
+    else if ('a' <= c && c <= 'f') {
+        return c - 'a' + 10;
+    }
+    else {
+        return default_;
+    }
 }
 
 size_t ng_netif_addr_from_str(uint8_t *out, size_t out_len, const char *str)
 {
-    size_t len = 0;
-    while (1) {
-        ++len;
-        if (len > out_len) {
-            return 0;
-        }
+    /* Walk over str from the end. */
+    /* Take two chars a time as one hex value (%hhx). */
+    /* Leading zeros can be omitted. */
+    /* Every non-hexadimal character is a delimiter. */
+    /* Leading, tailing and adjacent delimiters are forbidden. */
 
-        int a = _dehex(*str++);
-        if (a < 0) {
-            return 0;
-        }
+    const char *end_str = str;
+    uint8_t *out_end = out;
+    size_t count = 0;
+    int assert_cell = 1;
 
-        int b = _dehex(*str++);
-        if (b < 0) {
-            return 0;
-        }
-
-        *out++ = (a << 4) | b;
-
-        if (*str == ':') {
-            ++str;
-        }
-        else if (*str == '\0') {
-            break;
-        }
-        else {
-            return 0;
-        }
+    if (!str || !*str) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+    while (end_str[1]) {
+        ++end_str;
     }
 
-    return len;
+    while (end_str >= str) {
+        int a = 0, b = _dehex(*end_str--, -1);
+        if (b < 0) {
+            if (assert_cell) {
+                return 0;
+            }
+            else {
+                assert_cell = 1;
+                continue;
+            }
+        }
+        assert_cell = 0;
+
+        if (end_str >= str) {
+            a = _dehex(*end_str--, 0);
+        }
+
+        if (++count > out_len) {
+            return 0;
+        }
+        *out_end++ = (a << 4) | b;
+    }
+    if (assert_cell) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+    /* out is reversed */
+
+    while (out < --out_end) {
+        uint8_t tmp = *out_end;
+        *out_end = *out;
+        *out++ = tmp;
+    }
+
+    return count;
 }
 
 /** @} */
diff --git a/tests/unittests/Makefile b/tests/unittests/Makefile
index 6a733ce433..49d7578d11 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/Makefile
+++ b/tests/unittests/Makefile
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ include ../Makefile.tests_common
 BOARD_INSUFFICIENT_RAM := airfy-beacon chronos msb-430 msb-430h pca10000 \
                           pca10005 redbee-econotag spark-core stm32f0discovery \
                           telosb wsn430-v1_3b wsn430-v1_4 z1 nucleo-f334 \
-                          yunjia-nrf51822 samr21-xpro
+                          yunjia-nrf51822 samr21-xpro arduino-mega2560
 
 USEMODULE += embunit
 
diff --git a/tests/unittests/tests-netif/tests-netif.c b/tests/unittests/tests-netif/tests-netif.c
index d248b2451c..e5d5cdd068 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/tests-netif/tests-netif.c
+++ b/tests/unittests/tests-netif/tests-netif.c
@@ -184,12 +184,15 @@ static void test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__out_too_short(void)
     TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, ng_netif_addr_from_str(out, sizeof(out), str));
 }
 
-static void test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__ill_formated1(void)
+static void test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__omitted_delimitter(void)
 {
-    static const char str[] = "576:cd";
-    uint8_t out[sizeof(str)];
+    static const char str[] = "4567:cd";
+    uint8_t out[3];
 
-    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, ng_netif_addr_from_str(out, sizeof(out), str));
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(3, ng_netif_addr_from_str(out, sizeof(out), str));
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0x45, out[0]);
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0x67, out[1]);
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0xcd, out[2]);
 }
 
 static void test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__ill_formated2(void)
@@ -200,33 +203,55 @@ static void test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__ill_formated2(void)
     TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, ng_netif_addr_from_str(out, sizeof(out), str));
 }
 
-static void test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__ill_formated3(void)
+static void test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__dash_delimitter(void)
 {
     static const char str[] = "05-cd";
-    uint8_t out[sizeof(str)];
+    uint8_t out[2];
 
-    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, ng_netif_addr_from_str(out, sizeof(out), str));
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(2, ng_netif_addr_from_str(out, sizeof(out), str));
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0x05, out[0]);
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0xcd, out[1]);
 }
 
-static void test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__ill_formated4(void)
+static void test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__zero_omitted_back(void)
 {
     static const char str[] = "05:c";
-    uint8_t out[sizeof(str)];
+    uint8_t out[2];
 
-    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, ng_netif_addr_from_str(out, sizeof(out), str));
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(2, ng_netif_addr_from_str(out, sizeof(out), str));
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0x05, out[0]);
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0x0c, out[1]);
 }
 
-static void test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__ill_formated5(void)
+static void test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__zero_omitted_front(void)
 {
     static const char str[] = "5:cd";
+    uint8_t out[2];
+
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(2, ng_netif_addr_from_str(out, sizeof(out), str));
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0x05, out[0]);
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0xcd, out[1]);
+}
+
+static void test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__ill_trailing_delimitter(void)
+{
+    static const char str[] = "05:cd:";
     uint8_t out[sizeof(str)];
 
     TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, ng_netif_addr_from_str(out, sizeof(out), str));
 }
 
-static void test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__ill_formated6(void)
+static void test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__ill_leading_delimitter(void)
 {
-    static const char str[] = "05:cd:";
+    static const char str[] = ":05:cd";
+    uint8_t out[sizeof(str)];
+
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, ng_netif_addr_from_str(out, sizeof(out), str));
+}
+
+static void test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__ill_extra_delimitter(void)
+{
+    static const char str[] = "05::cd";
     uint8_t out[sizeof(str)];
 
     TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, ng_netif_addr_from_str(out, sizeof(out), str));
@@ -258,12 +283,14 @@ Test *tests_netif_tests(void)
         new_TestFixture(test_ng_netif_addr_to_str__out_too_short),
         new_TestFixture(test_ng_netif_addr_to_str__success),
         new_TestFixture(test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__out_too_short),
-        new_TestFixture(test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__ill_formated1),
+        new_TestFixture(test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__omitted_delimitter),
         new_TestFixture(test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__ill_formated2),
-        new_TestFixture(test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__ill_formated3),
-        new_TestFixture(test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__ill_formated4),
-        new_TestFixture(test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__ill_formated5),
-        new_TestFixture(test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__ill_formated6),
+        new_TestFixture(test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__dash_delimitter),
+        new_TestFixture(test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__zero_omitted_back),
+        new_TestFixture(test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__zero_omitted_front),
+        new_TestFixture(test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__ill_trailing_delimitter),
+        new_TestFixture(test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__ill_leading_delimitter),
+        new_TestFixture(test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__ill_extra_delimitter),
         new_TestFixture(test_ng_netif_addr_from_str__success),
     };