diff --git a/ryu/ofproto/ofproto_v1_2_parser.py b/ryu/ofproto/ofproto_v1_2_parser.py
index d2d8fffd..a8a61e7a 100644
--- a/ryu/ofproto/ofproto_v1_2_parser.py
+++ b/ryu/ofproto/ofproto_v1_2_parser.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 import struct
 import itertools
 
+from ryu.lib import addrconv
 from ryu.lib import mac
 from ryu import utils
 from ofproto_parser import StringifyMixin, MsgBase, msg_pack_into, msg_str_attr
@@ -175,6 +176,9 @@ class OFPPort(ofproto_parser.namedtuple('OFPPort', (
     @classmethod
     def parser(cls, buf, offset):
         port = struct.unpack_from(ofproto_v1_2.OFP_PORT_PACK_STR, buf, offset)
+        i = cls._fields.index('hw_addr')
+        port = list(port)
+        port[i] = addrconv.mac.bin_to_text(port[i])
         return cls(*port)
 
 
@@ -997,7 +1001,8 @@ class OFPPortMod(MsgBase):
     def _serialize_body(self):
         msg_pack_into(ofproto_v1_2.OFP_PORT_MOD_PACK_STR, self.buf,
                       ofproto_v1_2.OFP_HEADER_SIZE,
-                      self.port_no, self.hw_addr, self.config,
+                      self.port_no, addrconv.mac.text_to_bin(self.hw_addr),
+                      self.config,
                       self.mask, self.advertise)