diff --git a/neutron/plugins/ml2/drivers/openvswitch/agent/ovs_dvr_neutron_agent.py b/neutron/plugins/ml2/drivers/openvswitch/agent/ovs_dvr_neutron_agent.py
index 3de6a023a2a..62ebc4c5d8b 100644
--- a/neutron/plugins/ml2/drivers/openvswitch/agent/ovs_dvr_neutron_agent.py
+++ b/neutron/plugins/ml2/drivers/openvswitch/agent/ovs_dvr_neutron_agent.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 
 import sys
 
+import netaddr
 from neutron_lib import constants as n_const
 from oslo_config import cfg
 from oslo_log import log as logging
@@ -198,7 +199,9 @@ class OVSDVRNeutronAgent(object):
                 LOG.debug("L2 Agent DVR: Received response for "
                           "get_dvr_mac_address_by_host() from "
                           "plugin: %r", details)
-                self.dvr_mac_address = details['mac_address']
+                self.dvr_mac_address = (
+                    netaddr.EUI(details['mac_address'],
+                    dialect=netaddr.mac_unix_expanded))
                 return
 
     def setup_dvr_flows_on_integ_br(self):
@@ -307,9 +310,11 @@ class OVSDVRNeutronAgent(object):
         dvr_macs = self.plugin_rpc.get_dvr_mac_address_list(self.context)
         LOG.debug("L2 Agent DVR: Received these MACs: %r", dvr_macs)
         for mac in dvr_macs:
-            if mac['mac_address'] == self.dvr_mac_address:
+            c_mac = netaddr.EUI(mac['mac_address'],
+                                dialect=netaddr.mac_unix_expanded)
+            if c_mac == self.dvr_mac_address:
                 continue
-            self._add_dvr_mac(mac['mac_address'])
+            self._add_dvr_mac(c_mac)
 
     def dvr_mac_address_update(self, dvr_macs):
         if not self.dvr_mac_address:
@@ -319,9 +324,11 @@ class OVSDVRNeutronAgent(object):
 
         dvr_host_macs = set()
         for entry in dvr_macs:
-            if entry['mac_address'] == self.dvr_mac_address:
+            e_mac = netaddr.EUI(entry['mac_address'],
+                                dialect=netaddr.mac_unix_expanded)
+            if e_mac == self.dvr_mac_address:
                 continue
-            dvr_host_macs.add(entry['mac_address'])
+            dvr_host_macs.add(e_mac)
 
         if dvr_host_macs == self.registered_dvr_macs:
             LOG.debug("DVR Mac address already up to date")
diff --git a/neutron/tests/unit/plugins/ml2/drivers/openvswitch/agent/test_ovs_neutron_agent.py b/neutron/tests/unit/plugins/ml2/drivers/openvswitch/agent/test_ovs_neutron_agent.py
index 85a4c863a25..6c41296b122 100644
--- a/neutron/tests/unit/plugins/ml2/drivers/openvswitch/agent/test_ovs_neutron_agent.py
+++ b/neutron/tests/unit/plugins/ml2/drivers/openvswitch/agent/test_ovs_neutron_agent.py
@@ -3097,9 +3097,9 @@ class TestOvsDvrNeutronAgent(object):
                 mock.patch.object(self.agent.dvr_agent.plugin_rpc,
                                   'get_dvr_mac_address_list',
                                   return_value=[{'host': 'cn1',
-                                  'mac_address': 'aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff'},
+                                  'mac_address': 'aa-bb-cc-dd-ee-ff'},
                                   {'host': 'cn2',
-                                  'mac_address': '11:22:33:44:55:66'}]):
+                                  'mac_address': '11-22-33-44-55-66'}]):
             self.agent.dvr_agent.setup_dvr_flows_on_integ_br()
             self.assertTrue(self.agent.dvr_agent.in_distributed_mode())
             physical_networks = list(
@@ -3125,7 +3125,7 @@ class TestOvsDvrNeutronAgent(object):
         with mock.patch.object(self.agent.dvr_agent.plugin_rpc,
                                'get_dvr_mac_address_by_host',
                                return_value={'host': 'cn1',
-                                  'mac_address': 'aa:22:33:44:55:66'}):
+                                  'mac_address': 'aa-22-33-44-55-66'}):
             self.agent.dvr_agent.get_dvr_mac_address()
             self.assertEqual('aa:22:33:44:55:66',
                              self.agent.dvr_agent.dvr_mac_address)
@@ -3146,7 +3146,7 @@ class TestOvsDvrNeutronAgent(object):
                 self.assertFalse(self.agent.dvr_agent.in_distributed_mode())
 
     def test_get_dvr_mac_address_retried(self):
-        valid_entry = {'host': 'cn1', 'mac_address': 'aa:22:33:44:55:66'}
+        valid_entry = {'host': 'cn1', 'mac_address': 'aa-22-33-44-55-66'}
         raise_timeout = oslo_messaging.MessagingTimeout()
         # Raise a timeout the first 2 times it calls get_dvr_mac_address()
         self._setup_for_dvr_test()