diff --git a/defender/tests.py b/defender/tests.py
index e5b1310..8cfa1ed 100644
--- a/defender/tests.py
+++ b/defender/tests.py
@@ -356,6 +356,12 @@ class AccessAttemptTest(DefenderTestCase):
         self.assertEquals(utils.is_valid_ip(''), False)
         self.assertEquals(utils.is_valid_ip('0x41.0x41.0x41.0x41'), False)
         self.assertEquals(utils.is_valid_ip('192.168.100.34.y'), False)
+        self.assertEquals(
+            utils.is_valid_ip('2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334'), True)
+        self.assertEquals(
+            utils.is_valid_ip('2001:db8:85a3:0:0:8a2e:370:7334'), True)
+        self.assertEquals(
+            utils.is_valid_ip('2001:db8:85a3::8a2e:370:7334'), True)
 
     def test_parse_redis_url(self):
         """ test the parse_redis_url method """
diff --git a/defender/utils.py b/defender/utils.py
index 9d7bc87..69ca614 100644
--- a/defender/utils.py
+++ b/defender/utils.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ def is_valid_ip(ip_address):
         return False
     ip_address = ip_address.strip()
     ipv4_re = r'^(?:(?:25[0-5]|2[0-4][0-9]|[01]?[0-9][0-9]?)\.){3}(?:25[0-5]|2[0-4][0-9]|[01]?[0-9][0-9]?)$'
-    ipv6_re = r'\[[0-9a-f:\.]+\]'
+    ipv6_re = r'^(?:(?:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}:){6}(?:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}|(?:(?:[0-9]|[1-9][0-9]|1[0-9]{2}|2[0-4][0-9]|25[0-5])\\.){3}(?:[0-9]|[1-9][0-9]|1[0-9]{2}|2[0-4][0-9]|25[0-5]))|::(?:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}:){5}(?:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}|(?:(?:[0-9]|[1-9][0-9]|1[0-9]{2}|2[0-4][0-9]|25[0-5])\\.){3}(?:[0-9]|[1-9][0-9]|1[0-9]{2}|2[0-4][0-9]|25[0-5]))|(?:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4})?::(?:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}:){4}(?:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}|(?:(?:[0-9]|[1-9][0-9]|1[0-9]{2}|2[0-4][0-9]|25[0-5])\\.){3}(?:[0-9]|[1-9][0-9]|1[0-9]{2}|2[0-4][0-9]|25[0-5]))|(?:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4})?::(?:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}:){3}(?:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}|(?:(?:[0-9]|[1-9][0-9]|1[0-9]{2}|2[0-4][0-9]|25[0-5])\\.){3}(?:[0-9]|[1-9][0-9]|1[0-9]{2}|2[0-4][0-9]|25[0-5]))|(?:(?:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}:){,2}[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4})?::(?:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}:){2}(?:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}|(?:(?:[0-9]|[1-9][0-9]|1[0-9]{2}|2[0-4][0-9]|25[0-5])\\.){3}(?:[0-9]|[1-9][0-9]|1[0-9]{2}|2[0-4][0-9]|25[0-5]))|(?:(?:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}:){,3}[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4})?::[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}:(?:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}|(?:(?:[0-9]|[1-9][0-9]|1[0-9]{2}|2[0-4][0-9]|25[0-5])\\.){3}(?:[0-9]|[1-9][0-9]|1[0-9]{2}|2[0-4][0-9]|25[0-5]))|(?:(?:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}:){,4}[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4})?::(?:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}|(?:(?:[0-9]|[1-9][0-9]|1[0-9]{2}|2[0-4][0-9]|25[0-5])\\.){3}(?:[0-9]|[1-9][0-9]|1[0-9]{2}|2[0-4][0-9]|25[0-5]))|(?:(?:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}:){,5}[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4})?::[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}|(?:(?:[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4}:){,6}[0-9A-Fa-f]{1,4})?::)$'
     ipv4_regex = re.compile(ipv4_re)
     ipv6_regex = re.compile(ipv6_re)