diff --git a/lib/ansible/parsing/utils/addresses.py b/lib/ansible/parsing/utils/addresses.py
index 3a128a35249..71675769d27 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/parsing/utils/addresses.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/parsing/utils/addresses.py
@@ -61,6 +61,17 @@ ipv4_component = r'''
     )
 '''.format(range=numeric_range)
 
+# A hostname label, e.g. 'foo' in 'foo.example.com'. Consists of alphanumeric
+# characters plus dashes (and underscores) or valid ranges. The label may not
+# start or end with a hyphen or an underscore. This is interpolated into the
+# hostname pattern below. We don't try to enforce the 63-char length limit.
+
+label = r'''
+    (?:[\w]|{range})                    # Starts with an alphanumeric or a range
+    (?:[\w_-]|{range})*                 # Then zero or more of the same or [_-]
+    (?<![_-])                           # ...as long as it didn't end with [_-]
+'''.format(range=alphanumeric_range)
+
 patterns = {
     # This matches a square-bracketed expression with a port specification. What
     # is inside the square brackets is validated later.
@@ -138,14 +149,11 @@ patterns = {
     # 253 characters total) or make any attempt to process IDNs.
 
     'hostname': re.compile(
-        r'''^                           # We need at least one label,
-            (?:                         # which comprises:
-                [a-z0-9_-]|             # (a valid domain label character
-                {0}                     # or a bracketed alphanumeric range)
-            )+
-            (?:\.(?:[a-z0-9_-]|{0})+)*  # Followed by zero or more .labels
+        r'''^
+            {label}                     # We must have at least one label
+            (?:\.{label})*              # Followed by zero or more .labels
             $
-        '''.format(alphanumeric_range), re.X|re.I
+        '''.format(label=label), re.X|re.I|re.UNICODE
     ),
 }
 
diff --git a/test/units/parsing/test_addresses.py b/test/units/parsing/test_addresses.py
index 2bfb1102181..8f4fe3696e4 100644
--- a/test/units/parsing/test_addresses.py
+++ b/test/units/parsing/test_addresses.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
 import unittest
 
 from ansible.parsing.utils.addresses import parse_address
@@ -21,12 +23,19 @@ class TestParseAddress(unittest.TestCase):
         'some-host:80': ['some-host', 80],
         'some.host.com:492': ['some.host.com', 492],
         '[some.host.com]:493': ['some.host.com', 493],
+        'a-b.3foo_bar.com:23': ['a-b.3foo_bar.com', 23],
+        u'fóöbär': [u'fóöbär', None],
+        u'fóöbär:32': [u'fóöbär', 32],
+        u'fóöbär.éxàmplê.com:632': [u'fóöbär.éxàmplê.com', 632],
 
         # Various errors
         '': [None, None],
         'some..host': [None, None],
         'some.': [None, None],
         '[example.com]': [None, None],
+        'some-': [None, None],
+        'some-.foo.com': [None, None],
+        'some.-foo.com': [None, None],
     }
 
     range_tests = {
@@ -34,7 +43,11 @@ class TestParseAddress(unittest.TestCase):
         '192.0.2.[3:10]:23': ['192.0.2.[3:10]', 23],
         'abcd:ef98::7654:[1:9]': ['abcd:ef98::7654:[1:9]', None],
         '[abcd:ef98::7654:[6:32]]:2222': ['abcd:ef98::7654:[6:32]', 2222],
+        u'fóöb[a:c]r.éxàmplê.com:632': [u'fóöb[a:c]r.éxàmplê.com', 632],
+        '[a:b]foo.com': ['[a:b]foo.com', None],
+        'foo[a:b].com': ['foo[a:b].com', None],
         'foo[a:b]:42': ['foo[a:b]', 42],
+        'foo[a-b]-.com': [None, None],
         'foo[a-b]:32': [None, None],
         'foo[x-y]': [None, None],
     }