diff --git a/ip/ip6tunnel.c b/ip/ip6tunnel.c
index 07010d31..8b842b68 100644
--- a/ip/ip6tunnel.c
+++ b/ip/ip6tunnel.c
@@ -230,45 +230,18 @@ static int parse_args(int argc, char **argv, int cmd, struct ip6_tnl_parm2 *p)
 				invarg("not inherit", *argv);
 			p->flags |= IP6_TNL_F_RCV_DSCP_COPY;
 		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "key") == 0) {
-			unsigned uval;
 			NEXT_ARG();
 			p->i_flags |= GRE_KEY;
 			p->o_flags |= GRE_KEY;
-			if (strchr(*argv, '.'))
-				p->i_key = p->o_key = get_addr32(*argv);
-			else {
-				if (get_unsigned(&uval, *argv, 0) < 0) {
-					fprintf(stderr, "invalid value of \"key\"\n");
-					exit(-1);
-				}
-				p->i_key = p->o_key = htonl(uval);
-			}
+			p->i_key = p->o_key = tnl_parse_key("key", *argv);
 		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "ikey") == 0) {
-			unsigned uval;
 			NEXT_ARG();
 			p->i_flags |= GRE_KEY;
-			if (strchr(*argv, '.'))
-				p->i_key = get_addr32(*argv);
-			else {
-				if (get_unsigned(&uval, *argv, 0)<0) {
-					fprintf(stderr, "invalid value of \"ikey\"\n");
-					exit(-1);
-				}
-				p->i_key = htonl(uval);
-			}
+			p->i_key = tnl_parse_key("ikey", *argv);
 		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "okey") == 0) {
-			unsigned uval;
 			NEXT_ARG();
 			p->o_flags |= GRE_KEY;
-			if (strchr(*argv, '.'))
-				p->o_key = get_addr32(*argv);
-			else {
-				if (get_unsigned(&uval, *argv, 0)<0) {
-					fprintf(stderr, "invalid value of \"okey\"\n");
-					exit(-1);
-				}
-				p->o_key = htonl(uval);
-			}
+			p->o_key = tnl_parse_key("okey", *argv);
 		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "seq") == 0) {
 			p->i_flags |= GRE_SEQ;
 			p->o_flags |= GRE_SEQ;
diff --git a/ip/iptunnel.c b/ip/iptunnel.c
index 36534f29..9c9dc548 100644
--- a/ip/iptunnel.c
+++ b/ip/iptunnel.c
@@ -106,45 +106,18 @@ static int parse_args(int argc, char **argv, int cmd, struct ip_tunnel_parm *p)
 				exit(-1);
 			}
 		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "key") == 0) {
-			unsigned uval;
 			NEXT_ARG();
 			p->i_flags |= GRE_KEY;
 			p->o_flags |= GRE_KEY;
-			if (strchr(*argv, '.'))
-				p->i_key = p->o_key = get_addr32(*argv);
-			else {
-				if (get_unsigned(&uval, *argv, 0)<0) {
-					fprintf(stderr, "invalid value for \"key\": \"%s\"; it should be an unsigned integer\n", *argv);
-					exit(-1);
-				}
-				p->i_key = p->o_key = htonl(uval);
-			}
+			p->i_key = p->o_key = tnl_parse_key("key", *argv);
 		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "ikey") == 0) {
-			unsigned uval;
 			NEXT_ARG();
 			p->i_flags |= GRE_KEY;
-			if (strchr(*argv, '.'))
-				p->i_key = get_addr32(*argv);
-			else {
-				if (get_unsigned(&uval, *argv, 0)<0) {
-					fprintf(stderr, "invalid value for \"ikey\": \"%s\"; it should be an unsigned integer\n", *argv);
-					exit(-1);
-				}
-				p->i_key = htonl(uval);
-			}
+			p->i_key = tnl_parse_key("ikey", *argv);
 		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "okey") == 0) {
-			unsigned uval;
 			NEXT_ARG();
 			p->o_flags |= GRE_KEY;
-			if (strchr(*argv, '.'))
-				p->o_key = get_addr32(*argv);
-			else {
-				if (get_unsigned(&uval, *argv, 0)<0) {
-					fprintf(stderr, "invalid value for \"okey\": \"%s\"; it should be an unsigned integer\n", *argv);
-					exit(-1);
-				}
-				p->o_key = htonl(uval);
-			}
+			p->o_key = tnl_parse_key("okey", *argv);
 		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "seq") == 0) {
 			p->i_flags |= GRE_SEQ;
 			p->o_flags |= GRE_SEQ;
diff --git a/ip/tunnel.c b/ip/tunnel.c
index d69fe84d..79f2201f 100644
--- a/ip/tunnel.c
+++ b/ip/tunnel.c
@@ -180,3 +180,18 @@ int tnl_ioctl_get_6rd(const char *name, void *p)
 {
 	return tnl_gen_ioctl(SIOCGET6RD, name, p, EINVAL);
 }
+
+__be32 tnl_parse_key(const char *name, const char *key)
+{
+	unsigned uval;
+
+	if (strchr(key, '.'))
+		return get_addr32(key);
+
+	if (get_unsigned(&uval, key, 0) < 0) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "invalid value for \"%s\": \"%s\";", name, key);
+		fprintf(stderr, " it should be an unsigned integer\n");
+		exit(-1);
+	}
+	return htonl(uval);
+}
diff --git a/ip/tunnel.h b/ip/tunnel.h
index 9c2f5d29..9fb4a186 100644
--- a/ip/tunnel.h
+++ b/ip/tunnel.h
@@ -31,5 +31,6 @@ int tnl_del_ioctl(const char *basedev, const char *name, void *p);
 int tnl_prl_ioctl(int cmd, const char *name, void *p);
 int tnl_6rd_ioctl(int cmd, const char *name, void *p);
 int tnl_ioctl_get_6rd(const char *name, void *p);
+__be32 tnl_parse_key(const char *name, const char *key);
 
 #endif