diff.diff

diff --git a/gossip/resolver/resolver.go b/gossip/resolver/resolver.go
index 6afa291..38e7a8e 100644
--- a/gossip/resolver/resolver.go
+++ b/gossip/resolver/resolver.go
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ package resolver
 import (
 	"net"
 	"strings"
-	"unicode"
 
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/base"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/util"
@@ -80,8 +79,8 @@ func NewResolver(context *base.Context, spec string) (Resolver, error) {
 	// For non-unix resolvers, make sure we fill in the host when not specified (eg: ":26257")
 	if typ != "unix" {
 		// Non-unix resolvers address first character must be letter or digit if only one character.
-		if len(addr) == 1 && !unicode.IsLetter(rune(addr[0])) && !unicode.IsDigit(rune(addr[0])) {
-			return nil, util.Errorf("invalid address value in gossip resolver spec: %q", spec)
+		if len(addr) == 0 {
+			return nil, util.Errorf("empty address value in gossip resolver spec")
 		}
 
 		// Ensure addr has port and host set.
diff --git a/gossip/resolver/resolver_test.go b/gossip/resolver/resolver_test.go
index 637cd60..25259bc 100644
--- a/gossip/resolver/resolver_test.go
+++ b/gossip/resolver/resolver_test.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 var nodeTestBaseContext = testutils.NewNodeTestBaseContext()
 
 func TestParseResolverSpec(t *testing.T) {
+	def := util.EnsureHostPort(":")
 	testCases := []struct {
 		input           string
 		success         bool
@@ -35,21 +36,23 @@ func TestParseResolverSpec(t *testing.T) {
 	}{
 		// Ports are not checked at parsing time. They are at GetAddress time though.
 		{"127.0.0.1:26222", true, "tcp", "127.0.0.1:26222"},
-		{":26257", true, "tcp", util.EnsureHostPort(":26257")},
+		{":26257", true, "tcp", def},
 		{"127.0.0.1", true, "tcp", "127.0.0.1:26257"},
 		{"tcp=127.0.0.1", true, "tcp", "127.0.0.1:26257"},
 		{"tcp=127.0.0.1:23456", true, "tcp", "127.0.0.1:23456"},
 		{"lb=127.0.0.1", true, "lb", "127.0.0.1:26257"},
 		{"unix=/tmp/unix-socket12345", true, "unix", "/tmp/unix-socket12345"},
 		{"http-lb=localhost:26257", true, "http-lb", "localhost:26257"},
-		{"http-lb=:26257", true, "http-lb", util.EnsureHostPort(":26257")},
+		{"http-lb=newhost:1234", true, "http-lb", "newhost:1234"},
+		{"http-lb=:26257", true, "http-lb", def},
+		{"http-lb=:", true, "http-lb", def},
 		{"", false, "", ""},
 		{"foo=127.0.0.1", false, "", ""},
 		{"lb=", false, "", ""},
 		{"", false, "tcp", ""},
-		{":", false, "tcp", ""},
+		{":", true, "tcp", def},
 		{"tcp=", false, "tcp", ""},
-		{"tcp=:", false, "tcp", ""},
+		{"tcp=:", true, "tcp", def},
 	}
 
 	for tcNum, tc := range testCases {