diff --git a/net/tipc/bearer.h b/net/tipc/bearer.h
index 4e9367f956a4..41a61d219c38 100644
--- a/net/tipc/bearer.h
+++ b/net/tipc/bearer.h
@@ -42,6 +42,17 @@
 #define MAX_BEARERS	2
 #define MAX_MEDIA	2
 
+/*
+ * Identifiers associated with TIPC message header media address info
+ *
+ * - address info field is 20 bytes long
+ * - media type identifier located at offset 3
+ * - remaining bytes vary according to media type
+ */
+
+#define TIPC_MEDIA_ADDR_SIZE	20
+#define TIPC_MEDIA_TYPE_OFFSET	3
+
 /*
  * Identifiers of supported TIPC media types
  */
@@ -68,7 +79,10 @@ struct tipc_bearer;
  * @send_msg: routine which handles buffer transmission
  * @enable_bearer: routine which enables a bearer
  * @disable_bearer: routine which disables a bearer
- * @addr2str: routine which converts bearer's address to string form
+ * @addr2str: routine which converts media address to string
+ * @str2addr: routine which converts media address from string
+ * @addr2msg: routine which converts media address to protocol message area
+ * @msg2addr: routine which converts media address from protocol message area
  * @bcast_addr: media address used in broadcasting
  * @priority: default link (and bearer) priority
  * @tolerance: default time (in ms) before declaring link failure
@@ -84,6 +98,9 @@ struct media {
 	int (*enable_bearer)(struct tipc_bearer *b_ptr);
 	void (*disable_bearer)(struct tipc_bearer *b_ptr);
 	int (*addr2str)(struct tipc_media_addr *a, char *str_buf, int str_size);
+	int (*str2addr)(struct tipc_media_addr *a, char *str_buf);
+	int (*addr2msg)(struct tipc_media_addr *a, char *msg_area);
+	int (*msg2addr)(struct tipc_media_addr *a, char *msg_area);
 	struct tipc_media_addr bcast_addr;
 	u32 priority;
 	u32 tolerance;
diff --git a/net/tipc/eth_media.c b/net/tipc/eth_media.c
index 67f616aa5dbb..ebba0fcd937e 100644
--- a/net/tipc/eth_media.c
+++ b/net/tipc/eth_media.c
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@
 
 #define MAX_ETH_BEARERS		MAX_BEARERS
 
+#define ETH_ADDR_OFFSET	4	/* message header offset of MAC address */
+
 /**
  * struct eth_bearer - Ethernet bearer data structure
  * @bearer: ptr to associated "generic" bearer structure
@@ -56,6 +58,16 @@ static struct eth_bearer eth_bearers[MAX_ETH_BEARERS];
 static int eth_started;
 static struct notifier_block notifier;
 
+/**
+ * eth_media_addr_set - initialize Ethernet media address structure
+ */
+
+static void eth_media_addr_set(struct tipc_media_addr *a, char *mac)
+{
+	a->type = htonl(TIPC_MEDIA_TYPE_ETH);
+	memcpy(&a->dev_addr.eth_addr, mac, ETH_ALEN);
+}
+
 /**
  * send_msg - send a TIPC message out over an Ethernet interface
  */
@@ -169,8 +181,7 @@ static int enable_bearer(struct tipc_bearer *tb_ptr)
 	tb_ptr->usr_handle = (void *)eb_ptr;
 	tb_ptr->mtu = dev->mtu;
 	tb_ptr->blocked = 0;
-	tb_ptr->addr.type = htonl(TIPC_MEDIA_TYPE_ETH);
-	memcpy(&tb_ptr->addr.dev_addr, dev->dev_addr, ETH_ALEN);
+	eth_media_addr_set(&tb_ptr->addr, (char *)dev->dev_addr);
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -254,6 +265,51 @@ static int eth_addr2str(struct tipc_media_addr *a, char *str_buf, int str_size)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+/**
+ * eth_str2addr - convert string to Ethernet address
+ */
+
+static int eth_str2addr(struct tipc_media_addr *a, char *str_buf)
+{
+	char mac[ETH_ALEN];
+	int r;
+
+	r = sscanf(str_buf, "%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x",
+		       (u32 *)&mac[0], (u32 *)&mac[1], (u32 *)&mac[2],
+		       (u32 *)&mac[3], (u32 *)&mac[4], (u32 *)&mac[5]);
+
+	if (r != ETH_ALEN)
+		return 1;
+
+	eth_media_addr_set(a, mac);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/**
+ * eth_str2addr - convert Ethernet address format to message header format
+ */
+
+static int eth_addr2msg(struct tipc_media_addr *a, char *msg_area)
+{
+	memset(msg_area, 0, TIPC_MEDIA_ADDR_SIZE);
+	msg_area[TIPC_MEDIA_TYPE_OFFSET] = TIPC_MEDIA_TYPE_ETH;
+	memcpy(msg_area + ETH_ADDR_OFFSET, a->dev_addr.eth_addr, ETH_ALEN);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/**
+ * eth_str2addr - convert message header address format to Ethernet format
+ */
+
+static int eth_msg2addr(struct tipc_media_addr *a, char *msg_area)
+{
+	if (msg_area[TIPC_MEDIA_TYPE_OFFSET] != TIPC_MEDIA_TYPE_ETH)
+		return 1;
+
+	eth_media_addr_set(a, msg_area + ETH_ADDR_OFFSET);
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /*
  * Ethernet media registration info
  */
@@ -263,6 +319,9 @@ static struct media eth_media_info = {
 	.enable_bearer	= enable_bearer,
 	.disable_bearer	= disable_bearer,
 	.addr2str	= eth_addr2str,
+	.str2addr	= eth_str2addr,
+	.addr2msg	= eth_addr2msg,
+	.msg2addr	= eth_msg2addr,
 	.bcast_addr	= { htonl(TIPC_MEDIA_TYPE_ETH),
 			    { {0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff} } },
 	.priority	= TIPC_DEF_LINK_PRI,