diff --git a/arch/mips/bcm47xx/setup.c b/arch/mips/bcm47xx/setup.c
index 1f61dfd71ac7..87a305536604 100644
--- a/arch/mips/bcm47xx/setup.c
+++ b/arch/mips/bcm47xx/setup.c
@@ -56,23 +56,6 @@ static void bcm47xx_machine_halt(void)
 		cpu_relax();
 }
 
-static void str2eaddr(char *str, char *dest)
-{
-	int i = 0;
-
-	if (str == NULL) {
-		memset(dest, 0, 6);
-		return;
-	}
-
-	for (;;) {
-		dest[i++] = (char) simple_strtoul(str, NULL, 16);
-		str += 2;
-		if (!*str++ || i == 6)
-			break;
-	}
-}
-
 #define READ_FROM_NVRAM(_outvar, name, buf) \
 	if (nvram_getenv(name, buf, sizeof(buf)) >= 0)\
 		sprom->_outvar = simple_strtoul(buf, NULL, 0);
@@ -87,11 +70,11 @@ static void bcm47xx_fill_sprom(struct ssb_sprom *sprom)
 	sprom->revision = 1; /* Fallback: Old hardware does not define this. */
 	READ_FROM_NVRAM(revision, "sromrev", buf);
 	if (nvram_getenv("il0macaddr", buf, sizeof(buf)) >= 0)
-		str2eaddr(buf, sprom->il0mac);
+		nvram_parse_macaddr(buf, sprom->il0mac);
 	if (nvram_getenv("et0macaddr", buf, sizeof(buf)) >= 0)
-		str2eaddr(buf, sprom->et0mac);
+		nvram_parse_macaddr(buf, sprom->et0mac);
 	if (nvram_getenv("et1macaddr", buf, sizeof(buf)) >= 0)
-		str2eaddr(buf, sprom->et1mac);
+		nvram_parse_macaddr(buf, sprom->et1mac);
 	READ_FROM_NVRAM(et0phyaddr, "et0phyaddr", buf);
 	READ_FROM_NVRAM(et1phyaddr, "et1phyaddr", buf);
 	READ_FROM_NVRAM(et0mdcport, "et0mdcport", buf);
diff --git a/arch/mips/include/asm/mach-bcm47xx/nvram.h b/arch/mips/include/asm/mach-bcm47xx/nvram.h
index c58ebd8bc155..9759588ba3cf 100644
--- a/arch/mips/include/asm/mach-bcm47xx/nvram.h
+++ b/arch/mips/include/asm/mach-bcm47xx/nvram.h
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #define __NVRAM_H
 
 #include <linux/types.h>
+#include <linux/kernel.h>
 
 struct nvram_header {
 	u32 magic;
@@ -36,4 +37,10 @@ struct nvram_header {
 
 extern int nvram_getenv(char *name, char *val, size_t val_len);
 
+static inline void nvram_parse_macaddr(char *buf, u8 *macaddr)
+{
+	sscanf(buf, "%hhx:%hhx:%hhx:%hhx:%hhx:%hhx", &macaddr[0], &macaddr[1],
+	       &macaddr[2], &macaddr[3], &macaddr[4], &macaddr[5]);
+}
+
 #endif