diff --git a/ironic/common/utils.py b/ironic/common/utils.py
index 087cedc57e..dd53dbfa1b 100644
--- a/ironic/common/utils.py
+++ b/ironic/common/utils.py
@@ -472,18 +472,13 @@ def validate_network_port(port, port_name="Port"):
     :returns: An integer port number.
     :raises: InvalidParameterValue, if the port is invalid.
     """
-    try:
-        port = int(port)
-    except ValueError:
-        raise exception.InvalidParameterValue(_(
-            '%(port_name)s "%(port)s" is not a valid integer.') %
-            {'port_name': port_name, 'port': port})
-    if port < 1 or port > 65535:
-        raise exception.InvalidParameterValue(_(
-            '%(port_name)s "%(port)s" is out of range. Valid port '
-            'numbers must be between 1 and 65535.') %
-            {'port_name': port_name, 'port': port})
-    return port
+
+    if netutils.is_valid_port(port):
+        return int(port)
+
+    raise exception.InvalidParameterValue(_(
+        '%(port_name)s "%(port)s" is not a valid port.') %
+        {'port_name': port_name, 'port': port})
 
 
 def render_template(template, params, is_file=True):
diff --git a/ironic/tests/unit/common/test_utils.py b/ironic/tests/unit/common/test_utils.py
index 2c6acec117..30fd3d1ab8 100644
--- a/ironic/tests/unit/common/test_utils.py
+++ b/ironic/tests/unit/common/test_utils.py
@@ -545,23 +545,23 @@ class GetUpdatedCapabilitiesTestCase(base.TestCase):
         self.assertIsInstance(cap_returned, str)
 
     def test_validate_network_port(self):
-        port = utils.validate_network_port('1', 'message')
-        self.assertEqual(1, port)
+        port = utils.validate_network_port('0', 'message')
+        self.assertEqual(0, port)
         port = utils.validate_network_port('65535')
         self.assertEqual(65535, port)
 
     def test_validate_network_port_fail(self):
         self.assertRaisesRegex(exception.InvalidParameterValue,
-                               'Port "65536" is out of range.',
+                               'Port "65536" is not a valid port.',
                                utils.validate_network_port,
                                '65536')
         self.assertRaisesRegex(exception.InvalidParameterValue,
-                               'fake_port "-1" is out of range.',
+                               'fake_port "-1" is not a valid port.',
                                utils.validate_network_port,
                                '-1',
                                'fake_port')
         self.assertRaisesRegex(exception.InvalidParameterValue,
-                               'Port "invalid" is not a valid integer.',
+                               'Port "invalid" is not a valid port.',
                                utils.validate_network_port,
                                'invalid')