diff --git a/cli/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/cli/net/ConnectivityIntentCommand.java b/cli/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/cli/net/ConnectivityIntentCommand.java
index add9cd3..3b28bb0 100644
--- a/cli/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/cli/net/ConnectivityIntentCommand.java
+++ b/cli/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/cli/net/ConnectivityIntentCommand.java
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@
  */
 package org.onlab.onos.cli.net;
 
+import static com.google.common.base.Strings.isNullOrEmpty;
+import static org.onlab.onos.net.flow.DefaultTrafficTreatment.builder;
+
 import java.util.LinkedList;
 import java.util.List;
 
@@ -29,13 +32,9 @@
 import org.onlab.onos.net.intent.constraint.LambdaConstraint;
 import org.onlab.onos.net.intent.constraint.LinkTypeConstraint;
 import org.onlab.onos.net.resource.Bandwidth;
-import org.onlab.packet.Ethernet;
 import org.onlab.packet.IpPrefix;
 import org.onlab.packet.MacAddress;
 
-import static com.google.common.base.Strings.isNullOrEmpty;
-import static org.onlab.onos.net.flow.DefaultTrafficTreatment.builder;
-
 /**
  * Base class for command line operations for connectivity based intents.
  */
@@ -99,11 +98,10 @@
      */
     protected TrafficSelector buildTrafficSelector() {
         TrafficSelector.Builder selectorBuilder = DefaultTrafficSelector.builder();
-        Short ethType = Ethernet.TYPE_IPV4;
+        short ethType = EthType.IPV4.value();
 
         if (!isNullOrEmpty(ethTypeString)) {
-            EthType ethTypeParameter = EthType.valueOf(ethTypeString);
-            ethType = ethTypeParameter.value();
+            ethType = EthType.parseFromString(ethTypeString);
         }
         selectorBuilder.matchEthType(ethType);
 
@@ -116,7 +114,8 @@
         }
 
         if (!isNullOrEmpty(ipProtoString)) {
-            selectorBuilder.matchIPProtocol((byte) Short.parseShort(ipProtoString));
+            short ipProtoShort = IpProtocol.parseFromString(ipProtoString);
+            selectorBuilder.matchIPProtocol((byte) ipProtoShort);
         }
 
         if (!isNullOrEmpty(srcIpString)) {
diff --git a/cli/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/cli/net/EthType.java b/cli/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/cli/net/EthType.java
index 368c7b2..2e46aea 100644
--- a/cli/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/cli/net/EthType.java
+++ b/cli/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/cli/net/EthType.java
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
     /**
      * Constructs an EthType with the given value.
      *
-     * @param value value to use when this EthType is seen.
+     * @param value value to use when this EthType is seen
      */
     private EthType(short value) {
         this.value = value;
@@ -52,4 +52,31 @@
     public short value() {
         return this.value;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Parse a string input that could contain an EthType value. The value
+     * may appear in the string either as a known protocol name (one of the
+     * values of this enum), or a numeric protocol value.
+     *
+     * @param input the input string to parse
+     * @return the numeric value of the parsed Ethernet type
+     * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the input string does not contain a
+     * value that can be parsed into an Ethernet type
+     */
+    public static short parseFromString(String input) {
+        try {
+            return valueOf(input).value();
+        } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
+            // The input is not a known Ethernet type name, let's see if it's an
+            // Ethernet type value (short). We parse with Integer to handle
+            // unsigned values correctly.
+            try {
+                return (short) Integer.parseInt(input);
+            } catch (NumberFormatException e1) {
+                throw new IllegalArgumentException(
+                        "EthType value must be either a string protocol name"
+                        + " or a 16-bit protocol value");
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/cli/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/cli/net/EthTypeCompleter.java b/cli/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/cli/net/EthTypeCompleter.java
index 7a218fe..a0b8c2b 100644
--- a/cli/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/cli/net/EthTypeCompleter.java
+++ b/cli/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/cli/net/EthTypeCompleter.java
@@ -30,11 +30,10 @@
         // Delegate string completer
         StringsCompleter delegate = new StringsCompleter();
         SortedSet<String> strings = delegate.getStrings();
-        strings.add(EthType.ARP.toString());
-        strings.add(EthType.BSN.toString());
-        strings.add(EthType.IPV4.toString());
-        strings.add(EthType.LLDP.toString());
-        strings.add(EthType.RARP.toString());
+
+        for (EthType eth : EthType.values()) {
+            strings.add(eth.toString());
+        }
 
         // Now let the completer do the work for figuring out what to offer.
         return delegate.complete(buffer, cursor, candidates);
diff --git a/cli/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/cli/net/IpProtocol.java b/cli/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/cli/net/IpProtocol.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4be169b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/cli/net/IpProtocol.java
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2014 Open Networking Laboratory
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package org.onlab.onos.cli.net;
+
+import org.onlab.packet.IPv4;
+
+/**
+ * Known protocol values for IP protocol field that can be supplied to the CLI.
+ */
+public enum IpProtocol {
+    /** ICMP. **/
+    ICMP(IPv4.PROTOCOL_ICMP),
+    /** TCP. **/
+    TCP(IPv4.PROTOCOL_TCP),
+    /** UDP. **/
+    UDP(IPv4.PROTOCOL_UDP);
+
+    private short value;
+
+    /**
+     * Constructs an IpProtocol with the given value.
+     *
+     * @param value value to use when this IpProtocol is seen
+     */
+    private IpProtocol(short value) {
+        this.value = value;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Gets the value to use for this IpProtocol.
+     *
+     * @return short value to use for this IpProtocol
+     */
+    public short value() {
+        return this.value;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Parse a string input that could contain an IpProtocol value. The value
+     * may appear in the string either as a known protocol name (one of the
+     * values of this enum), or a numeric protocol value.
+     *
+     * @param input the input string to parse
+     * @return the numeric value of the parsed IP protocol
+     * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the input string does not contain a
+     * value that can be parsed into an IP protocol
+     */
+    public static short parseFromString(String input) {
+        try {
+            return valueOf(input).value();
+        } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
+            // The input is not a known IP protocol name, let's see if it's an IP
+            // protocol value (byte). We parse with Short to handle unsigned values
+            // correctly.
+            try {
+                return Short.parseShort(input);
+            } catch (NumberFormatException e1) {
+                throw new IllegalArgumentException(
+                        "IpProtocol value must be either a string protocol name"
+                        + " or an 8-bit protocol value");
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/cli/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/cli/net/IpProtocolCompleter.java b/cli/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/cli/net/IpProtocolCompleter.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0915168
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/cli/net/IpProtocolCompleter.java
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2014 Open Networking Laboratory
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package org.onlab.onos.cli.net;
+
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.SortedSet;
+
+import org.apache.karaf.shell.console.Completer;
+import org.apache.karaf.shell.console.completer.StringsCompleter;
+
+/**
+ * IP protocol completer.
+ */
+public class IpProtocolCompleter implements Completer {
+    @Override
+    public int complete(String buffer, int cursor, List<String> candidates) {
+        // Delegate string completer
+        StringsCompleter delegate = new StringsCompleter();
+        SortedSet<String> strings = delegate.getStrings();
+
+        for (IpProtocol ip : IpProtocol.values()) {
+            strings.add(ip.toString());
+        }
+
+        // Now let the completer do the work for figuring out what to offer.
+        return delegate.complete(buffer, cursor, candidates);
+    }
+
+}
diff --git a/cli/src/main/resources/OSGI-INF/blueprint/shell-config.xml b/cli/src/main/resources/OSGI-INF/blueprint/shell-config.xml
index e4ecc9d..073d237 100644
--- a/cli/src/main/resources/OSGI-INF/blueprint/shell-config.xml
+++ b/cli/src/main/resources/OSGI-INF/blueprint/shell-config.xml
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@
             </completers>
             <optional-completers>
                 <entry key="-t" value-ref="ethTypeCompleter"/>
+                <entry key="--ipProto" value-ref="ipProtocolCompleter"/>
             </optional-completers>
         </command>
         <command>
@@ -156,6 +157,7 @@
             </completers>
             <optional-completers>
                 <entry key="-t" value-ref="ethTypeCompleter"/>
+                <entry key="--ipProto" value-ref="ipProtocolCompleter"/>
             </optional-completers>
         </command>
         <command>
@@ -236,5 +238,6 @@
     <bean id="connectPointCompleter" class="org.onlab.onos.cli.net.ConnectPointCompleter"/>
     <bean id="nullCompleter" class="org.apache.karaf.shell.console.completer.NullCompleter"/>
     <bean id="ethTypeCompleter" class="org.onlab.onos.cli.net.EthTypeCompleter"/>
+    <bean id="ipProtocolCompleter" class="org.onlab.onos.cli.net.IpProtocolCompleter"/>
 
 </blueprint>