diff --git a/utils/misc/src/main/java/org/onlab/packet/VlanId.java b/utils/misc/src/main/java/org/onlab/packet/VlanId.java
index 04b87f1..92d8a59 100644
--- a/utils/misc/src/main/java/org/onlab/packet/VlanId.java
+++ b/utils/misc/src/main/java/org/onlab/packet/VlanId.java
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@
             return new VlanId(ANY_VALUE);
         }
         try {
-            return new VlanId(Short.parseShort(value));
+            return VlanId.vlanId(Short.parseShort(value));
         } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException(e);
         }
diff --git a/utils/misc/src/test/java/org/onlab/packet/VlanIdTest.java b/utils/misc/src/test/java/org/onlab/packet/VlanIdTest.java
index 66cec51..952a346 100644
--- a/utils/misc/src/test/java/org/onlab/packet/VlanIdTest.java
+++ b/utils/misc/src/test/java/org/onlab/packet/VlanIdTest.java
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 
     @Test
     public void testEquality() {
-
         VlanId vlan1 = VlanId.vlanId("None");
         VlanId vlan2 = VlanId.vlanId((short) -1);
         VlanId vlan3 = VlanId.vlanId((short) 100);
@@ -48,11 +47,15 @@
         assertEquals("incorrect VLAN value", 10, vlan1.toShort());
         assertEquals("invalid untagged value", VlanId.UNTAGGED,
                      vlan2.toShort(), vlan3.toShort());
-
     }
 
     @Test(expected = IllegalArgumentException.class)
-    public void testIllicitVLAN() {
+    public void testIllicitVlan() {
         VlanId.vlanId((short) 5000);
     }
+
+    @Test(expected = IllegalArgumentException.class)
+    public void testIllicitVlanString() {
+        VlanId.vlanId("5000");
+    }
 }