diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/support/ConnectionEndpoint.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/support/ConnectionEndpoint.java
index 5373ee14..c49090b4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/support/ConnectionEndpoint.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/support/ConnectionEndpoint.java
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ public class ConnectionEndpoint implements Cloneable, Comparable<ConnectionEndpo
 		String host = StringUtils.trimAllWhitespace(hostPort);
 
 		int port = defaultPort;
-		int portIndex = host.indexOf("[");
+		int portIndex = indexOfPort(host);
 
 		if (portIndex > -1) {
 			port = parsePort(parseDigits(host.substring(portIndex)), defaultPort);
@@ -92,6 +92,16 @@ public class ConnectionEndpoint implements Cloneable, Comparable<ConnectionEndpo
 		return new ConnectionEndpoint(host, port);
 	}
 
+	static int indexOfPort(String host) {
+		for (int i = 0; i < host.length(); ++i) {
+			char c = host.charAt(i);
+			if (':' == c || '[' == c) {
+				return i;
+			}
+		}
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	static String parseDigits(String value) {
 
 		StringBuilder digits = new StringBuilder();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/support/ConnectionEndpointUnitTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/support/ConnectionEndpointUnitTests.java
index 8439d821..9d3a6b8a 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/support/ConnectionEndpointUnitTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/support/ConnectionEndpointUnitTests.java
@@ -60,6 +60,22 @@ public class ConnectionEndpointUnitTests {
 		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getPort()).isEqualTo(1234);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void parseUsingDefaultHostAndDefaultPortWithColon() {
+
+		ConnectionEndpoint connectionEndpoint = ConnectionEndpoint.parse(":");
+
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint).isNotNull();
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getHost()).isEqualTo(ConnectionEndpoint.DEFAULT_HOST);
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getPort()).isEqualTo(ConnectionEndpoint.DEFAULT_PORT);
+
+		connectionEndpoint = ConnectionEndpoint.parse(":", 1234);
+
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint).isNotNull();
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getHost()).isEqualTo(ConnectionEndpoint.DEFAULT_HOST);
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getPort()).isEqualTo(1234);
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void parseWithHostPort() {
 
@@ -82,6 +98,28 @@ public class ConnectionEndpointUnitTests {
 		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getPort()).isEqualTo(111);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void parseWithHostPortWithColon() {
+
+		ConnectionEndpoint connectionEndpoint = ConnectionEndpoint.parse("skullbox:12345", 80);
+
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint).isNotNull();
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getHost()).isEqualTo("skullbox");
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getPort()).isEqualTo(12345);
+
+		connectionEndpoint = ConnectionEndpoint.parse("localhost:0", 8080);
+
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint).isNotNull();
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getHost()).isEqualTo("localhost");
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getPort()).isEqualTo(0);
+
+		connectionEndpoint = ConnectionEndpoint.parse("jambox:1O1O1", 443);
+
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint).isNotNull();
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getHost()).isEqualTo("jambox");
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getPort()).isEqualTo(111);
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void parseWithHostPortHavingSpacing() {
 
@@ -92,6 +130,16 @@ public class ConnectionEndpointUnitTests {
 		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getPort()).isEqualTo(1234);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void parseWithHostPortHavingSpacingWithColon() {
+
+		ConnectionEndpoint connectionEndpoint = ConnectionEndpoint.parse(" saturn  :1  23 4 ");
+
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint).isNotNull();
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getHost()).isEqualTo("saturn");
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getPort()).isEqualTo(1234);
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void parseWithHostUsingDefaultPort() {
 
@@ -139,6 +187,53 @@ public class ConnectionEndpointUnitTests {
 		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getPort()).isEqualTo(ConnectionEndpoint.DEFAULT_PORT);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void parseWithHostUsingDefaultPortWithColon() {
+
+		ConnectionEndpoint connectionEndpoint =
+			ConnectionEndpoint.parse("mercury:oneTwoThreeFourFive", 80);
+
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint).isNotNull();
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getHost()).isEqualTo("mercury");
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getPort()).isEqualTo(80);
+
+		connectionEndpoint = ConnectionEndpoint.parse("venus:OxCAFEBABE", 443);
+
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint).isNotNull();
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getHost()).isEqualTo("venus");
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getPort()).isEqualTo(443);
+
+		connectionEndpoint = ConnectionEndpoint.parse("jupiter:#(^$)*!", 21);
+
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint).isNotNull();
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getHost()).isEqualTo("jupiter");
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getPort()).isEqualTo(21);
+
+		connectionEndpoint = ConnectionEndpoint.parse("saturn:", 22);
+
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint).isNotNull();
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getHost()).isEqualTo("saturn");
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getPort()).isEqualTo(22);
+
+		connectionEndpoint = ConnectionEndpoint.parse("uranis:", 23);
+
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint).isNotNull();
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getHost()).isEqualTo("uranis");
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getPort()).isEqualTo(23);
+
+		connectionEndpoint = ConnectionEndpoint.parse("neptune", 25);
+
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint).isNotNull();
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getHost()).isEqualTo("neptune");
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getPort()).isEqualTo(25);
+
+		connectionEndpoint = ConnectionEndpoint.parse("pluto");
+
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint).isNotNull();
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getHost()).isEqualTo("pluto");
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getPort()).isEqualTo(ConnectionEndpoint.DEFAULT_PORT);
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void parseWithPortUsingDefaultHost() {
 
@@ -149,6 +244,16 @@ public class ConnectionEndpointUnitTests {
 		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getPort()).isEqualTo(12345);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void parseWithPortUsingDefaultHostWithColon() {
+
+		ConnectionEndpoint connectionEndpoint = ConnectionEndpoint.parse(":12345", 80);
+
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint).isNotNull();
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getHost()).isEqualTo(ConnectionEndpoint.DEFAULT_HOST);
+		assertThat(connectionEndpoint.getPort()).isEqualTo(12345);
+	}
+
 	@Test(expected = IllegalArgumentException.class)
 	public void parseWithBlankHost() {
 
@@ -209,6 +314,24 @@ public class ConnectionEndpointUnitTests {
 		}
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void indexOfPort() {
+		assertThat(ConnectionEndpoint.indexOfPort("")).isEqualTo(-1);
+		assertThat(ConnectionEndpoint.indexOfPort("a")).isEqualTo(-1);
+		assertThat(ConnectionEndpoint.indexOfPort(":")).isEqualTo(0);
+		assertThat(ConnectionEndpoint.indexOfPort("a:")).isEqualTo(1);
+		assertThat(ConnectionEndpoint.indexOfPort(":a")).isEqualTo(0);
+		assertThat(ConnectionEndpoint.indexOfPort("a:b")).isEqualTo(1);
+		assertThat(ConnectionEndpoint.indexOfPort("ab:")).isEqualTo(2);
+		assertThat(ConnectionEndpoint.indexOfPort("ab:c")).isEqualTo(2);
+	}
+
+	@SuppressWarnings("all")
+	@Test(expected = NullPointerException.class)
+	public void indexOfPortWithNullThrowsException() {
+		ConnectionEndpoint.indexOfPort(null);
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void parseDigits() {