diff --git a/src/lib/y2network/autoinst_profile/s390_device_section.rb b/src/lib/y2network/autoinst_profile/s390_device_section.rb
index aaf3735fc..c8ace31a5 100644
--- a/src/lib/y2network/autoinst_profile/s390_device_section.rb
+++ b/src/lib/y2network/autoinst_profile/s390_device_section.rb
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ def self.attributes
       define_attr_accessors
 
       # @!attribute chanids
-      #   @return [String] channel device id separated by spaces
+      #   @return [String] channel device id separated by spaces or colons
 
       # @!attribute layer2
       #   @return [Boolean] Whether layer2 is enabler or not
@@ -71,6 +71,17 @@ def self.new_from_network(connection_config)
         result
       end
 
+      # Creates an instance based on the profile representation used by the AutoYaST modules
+      # (array of hashes objects).
+      #
+      # @param hashes [Hash] Networking section from an AutoYaST profile
+      # @return [S390DeviceSection]
+      def self.new_from_hashes(hash)
+        result = new
+        result.init_from_hashes(hash)
+        result
+      end
+
       # Method used by {.new_from_network} to populate the attributes when cloning a network s390
       # device
       #
@@ -91,6 +102,25 @@ def init_from_config(config)
 
         true
       end
+
+      # Method used by {.new_from_hashes} to populate the attributes when importing a profile
+      #
+      # @param hash [Hash] see {.new_from_hashes}
+      def init_from_hashes(hash)
+        super
+        self.chanids = normalized_chanids(hash["chanids"]) if hash["chanids"]
+      end
+
+    private
+
+      # Normalizes the list of channel IDs
+      #
+      # It replaces spaces with colons.
+      #
+      # @return [String]
+      def normalized_chanids(ids)
+        ids.gsub(/\ +/, ":")
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/y2network/autoinst_profile/s390_device_section_test.rb b/test/y2network/autoinst_profile/s390_device_section_test.rb
index 745a00106..5428b67d7 100644
--- a/test/y2network/autoinst_profile/s390_device_section_test.rb
+++ b/test/y2network/autoinst_profile/s390_device_section_test.rb
@@ -62,7 +62,23 @@
     it "loads properly boot protocol" do
       section = described_class.new_from_hashes(hash)
       expect(section.type).to eq "ctc"
+      expect(section.chanids).to eq("0.0.0800:0.0.0801")
       expect(section.protocol).to eq "1"
     end
+
+    context "using the old syntax for chanids" do
+      let(:hash) do
+        {
+          "type"     => "ctc",
+          "chanids"  => "0.0.0800 0.0.0801",
+          "protocol" => "1"
+        }
+      end
+
+      it "loads properly boot protocol" do
+        section = described_class.new_from_hashes(hash)
+        expect(section.chanids).to eq("0.0.0800:0.0.0801")
+      end
+    end
   end
 end