diff --git a/proto/ptf/base_test.py b/proto/ptf/base_test.py
index 99934c8c..d6a52f5d 100644
--- a/proto/ptf/base_test.py
+++ b/proto/ptf/base_test.py
@@ -79,6 +79,12 @@ def ipv4_to_binary(addr):
     # check for that here.
     return "".join(chr(b) for b in bytes_)
 
+def ipv6_to_binary(addr):
+    """ Accepts IPv6 address in colon format.
+        e.g., 2001:dead:beef::2
+    """
+    return socket.inet_pton(socket.AF_INET6, addr)
+
 def mac_to_binary(addr):
     """Take an argument 'addr' containing an Ethernet MAC address written
     as a string in hexadecimal notation, with each byte separated by a