diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 9da6576..3c30057 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -64,6 +64,75 @@ func NewServer(opt ...Option) (*Server, error) {
 	}, nil
 }
 
+// Index of rightmost occurrence of b in s.
+func last(s string, b byte) int {
+	i := len(s)
+	for i--; i >= 0; i-- {
+		if s[i] == b {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	return i
+}
+
+// validateAddr will not only validate the addr, but if it's an ipv6 literal without
+// proper brackets, it will add them.
+func validateAddr(addr string) (string, error) {
+	const op = "gldap.parseAddr"
+
+	lastColon := last(addr, ':')
+	if lastColon < 0 {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("%s: missing port in addr %s : %w", op, addr, ErrInvalidParameter)
+	}
+	rawHost := addr[0:lastColon]
+	rawPort := addr[lastColon+1:]
+	if len(rawPort) == 0 {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("%s: missing port in addr %s : %w", op, addr, ErrInvalidParameter)
+	}
+	if len(rawHost) == 0 {
+		return fmt.Sprintf(":%s", rawPort), nil
+	}
+	// ipv6 literal with proper brackets
+	if rawHost[0] == '[' {
+		// Expect the first ']' just before the last ':'.
+		end := strings.IndexByte(rawHost, ']')
+		if end < 0 {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("%s: missing ']' in ipv6 address %s : %w", op, addr, ErrInvalidParameter)
+		}
+		trimedIp := strings.Trim(rawHost, "[]")
+		if net.ParseIP(trimedIp) == nil {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("%s: invalid ipv6 address %s : %w", op, rawHost, ErrInvalidParameter)
+		}
+		// ipv6 literal has enclosing brackets, and it's a valid ipv6 address, so we're good
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", rawHost, rawPort), nil
+	}
+
+	// see if we're dealing with a hostname
+	hostnames, _ := net.LookupHost(rawHost)
+	if len(hostnames) > 0 {
+		if rawHost == "::1" {
+			// special case for localhost
+			return fmt.Sprintf("[%s]:%s", rawHost, rawPort), nil
+		}
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", rawHost, rawPort), nil
+	}
+
+	lastColon = last(rawHost, ':')
+	if lastColon >= 0 {
+		// ipv6 literal without proper brackets
+		ipv6Literal := fmt.Sprintf("[%s]", rawHost)
+		if net.ParseIP(ipv6Literal) == nil {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("%s: invalid ipv6 address + port %s : %w", op, addr, ErrInvalidParameter)
+		}
+		return fmt.Sprintf("[%s]:%s", ipv6Literal, rawPort), nil
+	}
+	// ipv4
+	if net.ParseIP(rawHost) == nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("%s: invalid IP address %s : %w", op, rawHost, ErrInvalidParameter)
+	}
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", rawHost, rawPort), nil
+}
+
 // Run will run the server which will listen and serve requests.
 //
 // Options supported: WithTLSConfig
@@ -72,6 +141,10 @@ func (s *Server) Run(addr string, opt ...Option) error {
 	opts := getConfigOpts(opt...)
 
 	var err error
+	addr, err = validateAddr(addr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", op, err)
+	}
 	s.mu.Lock()
 	s.listener, err = net.Listen("tcp", addr)
 	s.listenerReady = true
diff --git a/server_internal_test.go b/server_internal_test.go
index 328361f..e038247 100644
--- a/server_internal_test.go
+++ b/server_internal_test.go
@@ -126,3 +126,100 @@ type mockListener struct {
 func (*mockListener) Close() error {
 	return errors.New("mockListener.Close error")
 }
+
+func TestValidateAddr(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name            string
+		addr            string
+		expected        string
+		wantErrContains string
+		wantErrIs       error
+	}{
+		{
+			name:     "valid-IPv4-address",
+			addr:     "127.0.0.1:389",
+			expected: "127.0.0.1:389",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "valid-IPv6-address",
+			addr:     "[::1]:389",
+			expected: "[::1]:389",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "valid-IPv6",
+			addr:     "2001:db8:3333:4444:5555:6666:7777:8888:389",
+			expected: "2001:db8:3333:4444:5555:6666:7777:8888:389",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "valid-IPv6-localhost-without-brackets",
+			addr:     "::1:389",
+			expected: "[::1]:389",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "valid-hostname",
+			addr:     "localhost:389",
+			expected: "localhost:389",
+		},
+		{
+			name:            "err-missing-port-final-colon",
+			addr:            "198.165.1.1:",
+			wantErrContains: "missing port in addr",
+			wantErrIs:       ErrInvalidParameter,
+		},
+		{
+			name:            "missing-port -pv4",
+			addr:            "127.0.0.1",
+			wantErrContains: "missing port in addr",
+			wantErrIs:       ErrInvalidParameter,
+		},
+		{
+			name:            "err-missing-port-ipv6",
+			addr:            "[::1]",
+			wantErrContains: "missing ']' in ipv6 address [::1]",
+			wantErrIs:       ErrInvalidParameter,
+		},
+		{
+			name:            "err-invalid-IPv4-address",
+			addr:            "0.0",
+			wantErrContains: "missing port in addr 0.0",
+			wantErrIs:       ErrInvalidParameter,
+		},
+		{
+			name:            "err-invalid-IPv6-address-missing-bracket",
+			addr:            "[::1",
+			wantErrContains: "missing ']' in ipv6 address [::1",
+			wantErrIs:       ErrInvalidParameter,
+		},
+		{
+			name:            "err-invalid-IPv6",
+			addr:            "2001:db8:3333:4444:5555:6666:7777:389",
+			wantErrContains: "invalid ipv6 address + port 2001:db8:3333:4444:5555:6666:7777:389",
+			wantErrIs:       ErrInvalidParameter,
+		},
+		{
+			name:            "err-missing-port",
+			addr:            "invalid",
+			expected:        "",
+			wantErrContains: "missing port in addr invalid",
+			wantErrIs:       ErrInvalidParameter,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		tc := tc
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			result, err := validateAddr(tc.addr)
+			if tc.wantErrContains != "" {
+				require.Error(t, err)
+				assert.Empty(t, result)
+				assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), tc.wantErrContains)
+				if tc.wantErrIs != nil {
+					assert.ErrorIs(t, err, tc.wantErrIs)
+				}
+				return
+			}
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			assert.Equal(t, tc.expected, result)
+		})
+	}
+}