diff --git a/drivers/digitalocean/digitalocean.go b/drivers/digitalocean/digitalocean.go
index 0638c107fe..5232860025 100644
--- a/drivers/digitalocean/digitalocean.go
+++ b/drivers/digitalocean/digitalocean.go
@@ -226,13 +226,6 @@ func (d *Driver) GetURL() (string, error) {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("tcp://%s:2376", ip), nil
 }
 
-func (d *Driver) GetIP() (string, error) {
-	if d.IPAddress == "" {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("IP address is not set")
-	}
-	return d.IPAddress, nil
-}
-
 func (d *Driver) GetState() (state.State, error) {
 	droplet, _, err := d.getClient().Droplets.Get(d.DropletID)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/drivers/exoscale/exoscale.go b/drivers/exoscale/exoscale.go
index 68bfe4ae60..de798f7bf2 100644
--- a/drivers/exoscale/exoscale.go
+++ b/drivers/exoscale/exoscale.go
@@ -146,13 +146,6 @@ func (d *Driver) GetURL() (string, error) {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("tcp://%s:2376", ip), nil
 }
 
-func (d *Driver) GetIP() (string, error) {
-	if d.IPAddress == "" {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("IP address is not set")
-	}
-	return d.IPAddress, nil
-}
-
 func (d *Driver) GetState() (state.State, error) {
 	client := egoscale.NewClient(d.URL, d.ApiKey, d.ApiSecretKey)
 	vm, err := client.GetVirtualMachine(d.Id)
diff --git a/drivers/generic/generic.go b/drivers/generic/generic.go
index 9b35a37eac..9ae4580eaa 100644
--- a/drivers/generic/generic.go
+++ b/drivers/generic/generic.go
@@ -121,11 +121,7 @@ func (d *Driver) GetURL() (string, error) {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("tcp://%s:2376", ip), nil
 }
 
-func (d *Driver) GetIP() (string, error) {
-	if d.IPAddress == "" {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("IP address is not set")
 	}
-	return d.IPAddress, nil
 }
 
 func (d *Driver) GetState() (state.State, error) {
diff --git a/libmachine/drivers/base.go b/libmachine/drivers/base.go
index 17bd097dd8..c352b75fc1 100644
--- a/libmachine/drivers/base.go
+++ b/libmachine/drivers/base.go
@@ -26,6 +26,16 @@ func (d *BaseDriver) DriverName() string {
 }
 
 // GetIP returns the ip
+func (d *BaseDriver) GetIP() (string, error) {
+	if d.IPAddress == "" {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("IP address is not set")
+	}
+	ip := net.ParseIP(d.IPAddress)
+	if ip == nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("IP address is invalid")
+	}
+	return d.IPAddress, nil
+}
 func (d *BaseDriver) GetMachineName() string {
 	return d.MachineName
 }