diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/portforward/portforward.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/portforward/portforward.go
index bfd9c745359..24737b9a7ac 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/portforward/portforward.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/portforward/portforward.go
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ func (pf *PortForwarder) listenOnPortAndAddress(port *ForwardedPort, protocol st
 // getListener creates a listener on the interface targeted by the given hostname on the given port with
 // the given protocol. protocol is in net.Listen style which basically admits values like tcp, tcp4, tcp6
 func (pf *PortForwarder) getListener(protocol string, hostname string, port *ForwardedPort) (net.Listener, error) {
-	listener, err := net.Listen(protocol, fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", hostname, port.Local))
+	listener, err := net.Listen(protocol, net.JoinHostPort(hostname, strconv.Itoa(int(port.Local))))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Unable to create listener: Error %s", err)
 	}
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/portforward/portforward_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/portforward/portforward_test.go
index 2d642b085db..ab705849c84 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/portforward/portforward_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/portforward/portforward_test.go
@@ -134,13 +134,13 @@ func TestGetListener(t *testing.T) {
 			ExpectedListenerAddress: "127.0.0.1",
 		},
 		{
-			Hostname:                "[::1]",
+			Hostname:                "::1",
 			Protocol:                "tcp6",
 			ShouldRaiseError:        false,
 			ExpectedListenerAddress: "::1",
 		},
 		{
-			Hostname:         "[::1]",
+			Hostname:         "::1",
 			Protocol:         "tcp4",
 			ShouldRaiseError: true,
 		},
@@ -149,12 +149,6 @@ func TestGetListener(t *testing.T) {
 			Protocol:         "tcp6",
 			ShouldRaiseError: true,
 		},
-		{
-			// IPv6 address must be put into brackets. This test reveals this.
-			Hostname:         "::1",
-			Protocol:         "tcp6",
-			ShouldRaiseError: true,
-		},
 	}
 
 	for i, testCase := range testCases {
@@ -182,7 +176,7 @@ func TestGetListener(t *testing.T) {
 		host, port, _ := net.SplitHostPort(listener.Addr().String())
 		t.Logf("Asked a %s forward for: %s:%v, got listener %s:%s, expected: %s", testCase.Protocol, testCase.Hostname, 12345, host, port, expectedListenerPort)
 		if host != testCase.ExpectedListenerAddress {
-			t.Errorf("Test case #%d failed: Listener does not listen on exepected address: asked %v got %v", i, testCase.ExpectedListenerAddress, host)
+			t.Errorf("Test case #%d failed: Listener does not listen on expected address: asked '%v' got '%v'", i, testCase.ExpectedListenerAddress, host)
 		}
 		if port != expectedListenerPort {
 			t.Errorf("Test case #%d failed: Listener does not listen on exepected port: asked %v got %v", i, expectedListenerPort, port)