diff --git a/conformance/utils/echo/pod.go b/conformance/utils/echo/pod.go
index 8e4dd884ad..fcd04ae29e 100644
--- a/conformance/utils/echo/pod.go
+++ b/conformance/utils/echo/pod.go
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"net"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -58,7 +57,7 @@ func (m *MeshPod) MakeRequestAndExpectEventuallyConsistentResponse(t *testing.T,
 	t.Helper()
 
 	http.AwaitConvergence(t, timeoutConfig.RequiredConsecutiveSuccesses, timeoutConfig.MaxTimeToConsistency, func(elapsed time.Duration) bool {
-		req := makeRequest(exp.Request)
+		req := makeRequest(t, exp.Request)
 
 		resp, err := m.request(req)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -76,12 +75,12 @@ func (m *MeshPod) MakeRequestAndExpectEventuallyConsistentResponse(t *testing.T,
 	t.Logf("Request passed")
 }
 
-func makeRequest(r http.Request) []string {
+func makeRequest(t *testing.T, r http.Request) []string {
 	protocol := strings.ToLower(r.Protocol)
 	if protocol == "" {
 		protocol = "http"
 	}
-	host := calculateHost(r.Host, protocol)
+	host := http.CalculateHost(t, r.Host, protocol)
 	args := []string{"client", fmt.Sprintf("%s://%s%s", protocol, host, r.Path)}
 	if r.Method != "" {
 		args = append(args, "--method="+r.Method)
@@ -113,32 +112,6 @@ func compareRequest(exp http.ExpectedResponse, resp Response) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// copied from conformance/http to get the ipv6 matching
-func calculateHost(reqHost, scheme string) string {
-	host, port, err := net.SplitHostPort(reqHost)
-	if err != nil {
-		return reqHost
-	}
-	if strings.ToLower(scheme) == "http" && port == "80" {
-		return ipv6SafeHost(host)
-	}
-	if strings.ToLower(scheme) == "https" && port == "443" {
-		return ipv6SafeHost(host)
-	}
-	return reqHost
-}
-
-func ipv6SafeHost(host string) string {
-	// We assume that host is a literal IPv6 address if host has
-	// colons.
-	// Per https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc3986#section-3.2.2.
-	// This is like net.JoinHostPort, but we don't need a port.
-	if strings.Contains(host, ":") {
-		return "[" + host + "]"
-	}
-	return host
-}
-
 func (m *MeshPod) request(args []string) (Response, error) {
 	container := "echo"
 
diff --git a/conformance/utils/http/http.go b/conformance/utils/http/http.go
index a86ea48e09..61fbf4eccb 100644
--- a/conformance/utils/http/http.go
+++ b/conformance/utils/http/http.go
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func MakeRequest(t *testing.T, expected *ExpectedResponse, gwAddr, protocol, sch
 	}
 
 	path, query, _ := strings.Cut(expected.Request.Path, "?")
-	reqURL := url.URL{Scheme: scheme, Host: calculateHost(gwAddr, scheme), Path: path, RawQuery: query}
+	reqURL := url.URL{Scheme: scheme, Host: CalculateHost(t, gwAddr, scheme), Path: path, RawQuery: query}
 
 	t.Logf("Making %s request to %s", expected.Request.Method, reqURL.String())
 
@@ -140,14 +140,21 @@ func MakeRequest(t *testing.T, expected *ExpectedResponse, gwAddr, protocol, sch
 	return req
 }
 
-// calculateHost will calculate the Host header as per [HTTP spec]. To
+// CalculateHost will calculate the Host header as per [HTTP spec]. To
 // summarize, host will not include any port if it is implied from the scheme. In
 // case of any error, the input gwAddr will be returned as the default.
 //
 // [HTTP spec]: https://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc2616/rfc2616-sec14.html#sec14.23
-func calculateHost(gwAddr, scheme string) string {
-	host, port, err := net.SplitHostPort(gwAddr)
+func CalculateHost(t *testing.T, gwAddr, scheme string) string {
+	host, port, err := net.SplitHostPort(gwAddr) // note: this will strip brackets of an IPv6 address
+	if err != nil && strings.Contains(err.Error(), "too many colons in address") {
+		// This is an IPv6 address; assume it's valid ipv6
+		// Assume caller won't add a port without brackets
+		gwAddr = "[" + gwAddr + "]"
+		host, port, err = net.SplitHostPort(gwAddr)
+	}
 	if err != nil {
+		t.Logf("Failed to parse host %q: %v", gwAddr, err)
 		return gwAddr
 	}
 	if strings.ToLower(scheme) == "http" && port == "80" {