diff --git a/examples/basalt.rs b/examples/basalt.rs
index 85fbb58..752583d 100644
--- a/examples/basalt.rs
+++ b/examples/basalt.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 use std::io::Write;
-use std::net::SocketAddr;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::time::Duration;
 
@@ -17,6 +16,7 @@ use tokio::sync::watch;
 use netapp::endpoint::*;
 use netapp::peering::basalt::*;
 use netapp::proto::*;
+use netapp::util::parse_peer_addr;
 use netapp::{NetApp, NodeID};
 
 #[derive(StructOpt, Debug)]
@@ -98,12 +98,7 @@ async fn main() {
 
 	let mut bootstrap_peers = vec![];
 	for peer in opt.bootstrap_peers.iter() {
-		if let Some(delim) = peer.find('@') {
-			let (key, ip) = peer.split_at(delim);
-			let pubkey = ed25519::PublicKey::from_slice(&hex::decode(&key).unwrap()).unwrap();
-			let ip = ip[1..].parse::<SocketAddr>().unwrap();
-			bootstrap_peers.push((pubkey, ip));
-		}
+		bootstrap_peers.push(parse_peer_addr(peer).expect("Invalid peer address"));
 	}
 
 	let basalt_params = BasaltParams {
diff --git a/examples/fullmesh.rs b/examples/fullmesh.rs
index 67861a7..f5b307b 100644
--- a/examples/fullmesh.rs
+++ b/examples/fullmesh.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 use std::io::Write;
-use std::net::SocketAddr;
 
 use log::info;
 
@@ -9,8 +8,8 @@ use sodiumoxide::crypto::auth;
 use sodiumoxide::crypto::sign::ed25519;
 
 use netapp::peering::fullmesh::*;
+use netapp::util::*;
 use netapp::NetApp;
-use netapp::NodeID;
 
 #[derive(StructOpt, Debug)]
 #[structopt(name = "netapp")]
@@ -70,12 +69,7 @@ async fn main() {
 
 	let mut bootstrap_peers = vec![];
 	for peer in opt.bootstrap_peers.iter() {
-		if let Some(delim) = peer.find('@') {
-			let (key, ip) = peer.split_at(delim);
-			let pubkey = NodeID::from_slice(&hex::decode(&key).unwrap()).unwrap();
-			let ip = ip[1..].parse::<SocketAddr>().unwrap();
-			bootstrap_peers.push((pubkey, ip));
-		}
+		bootstrap_peers.push(parse_peer_addr(peer).expect("Invalid peer address"));
 	}
 
 	let peering = FullMeshPeeringStrategy::new(netapp.clone(), bootstrap_peers);
diff --git a/src/util.rs b/src/util.rs
index bf8f4cb..fa2f37a 100644
--- a/src/util.rs
+++ b/src/util.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+use std::net::SocketAddr;
+
 use serde::Serialize;
 
 use log::info;
@@ -56,3 +58,13 @@ pub fn watch_ctrl_c() -> watch::Receiver<bool> {
 	});
 	watch_cancel
 }
+
+/// Parse a peer's address including public key, written in the format:
+/// `<public key hex>@<ip>:<port>`
+pub fn parse_peer_addr(peer: &str) -> Option<(NodeID, SocketAddr)> {
+	let delim = peer.find('@')?;
+	let (key, ip) = peer.split_at(delim);
+	let pubkey = NodeID::from_slice(&hex::decode(&key).ok()?)?;
+	let ip = ip[1..].parse::<SocketAddr>().ok()?;
+	Some((pubkey, ip))
+}