diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index c18a8a0c..95ee29e8 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ const Multiaddr = withIs.proto(function (addr) {
      */
     this.buffer = codec.fromBuffer(addr)
   } else if (typeof addr === 'string' || addr instanceof String) {
+    if (addr.length > 0 && addr.charAt(0) !== '/') {
+      throw new Error(`multiaddr "${addr}" must start with a "/"`)
+    }
     this.buffer = codec.fromString(addr)
   } else if (addr.buffer && addr.protos && addr.protoCodes) { // Multiaddr
     this.buffer = codec.fromBuffer(addr.buffer) // validate + copy buffer
@@ -297,14 +300,20 @@ Multiaddr.prototype.equals = function equals (addr) {
  * // {family: 'IPv4', address: '127.0.0.1', port: '4001'}
  */
 Multiaddr.prototype.nodeAddress = function nodeAddress () {
-  if (!this.isThinWaistAddress()) {
-    throw new Error('Multiaddr must be "thin waist" address for nodeAddress.')
-  }
-
   const codes = this.protoCodes()
+  const names = this.protoNames()
   const parts = this.toString().split('/').slice(1)
+
+  if (parts.length < 4) {
+    throw new Error('multiaddr must have a valid format: "/{ip4, ip6, dns4, dns6}/{address}/{tcp, udp}/{port}".')
+  } else if (codes[0] !== 4 && codes[0] !== 41 && codes[0] !== 54 && codes[0] !== 55) {
+    throw new Error(`no protocol with name: "'${names[0]}'". Must have a valid family name: "{ip4, ip6, dns4, dns6}".`)
+  } else if (parts[2] !== 'tcp' && parts[2] !== 'udp') {
+    throw new Error(`no protocol with name: "'${names[1]}'". Must have a valid transport protocol: "{tcp, udp}".`)
+  }
+
   return {
-    family: (codes[0] === 41) ? 'IPv6' : 'IPv4',
+    family: (codes[0] === 41 || codes[0] === 55) ? 6 : 4,
     address: parts[1], // ip addr
     port: parts[3] // tcp or udp port
   }
diff --git a/test/index.spec.js b/test/index.spec.js
index 14a8014b..8f4772bc 100644
--- a/test/index.spec.js
+++ b/test/index.spec.js
@@ -443,11 +443,11 @@ describe('helpers', () => {
   })
 
   describe('.nodeAddress', () => {
-    it('throws on non thinWaistAddress', () => {
+    it('throws on an invalid node address', () => {
       expect(
         () => multiaddr('/ip4/192.168.0.1/utp').nodeAddress()
       ).to.throw(
-        /thin waist/
+        /multiaddr must have a valid format/
       )
     })
 
@@ -456,10 +456,44 @@ describe('helpers', () => {
         multiaddr('/ip4/192.168.0.1/tcp/1234').nodeAddress()
       ).to.be.eql({
         address: '192.168.0.1',
-        family: 'IPv4',
+        family: 4,
         port: '1234'
       })
     })
+
+    it('returns a node friendly address with dns', () => {
+      expect(
+        multiaddr('/dns4/wss0.bootstrap.libp2p.io/tcp/443').nodeAddress()
+      ).to.be.eql({
+        address: 'wss0.bootstrap.libp2p.io',
+        family: 4,
+        port: '443'
+      })
+    })
+
+    it('throws on an invalid format address when the addr is not prefixed with a /', () => {
+      expect(
+        () => multiaddr('ip4/192.168.0.1/udp').nodeAddress()
+      ).to.throw(
+        /must start with a/
+      )
+    })
+
+    it('throws on an invalid protocol name when the addr has an invalid one', () => {
+      expect(
+        () => multiaddr('/ip5/127.0.0.1/udp/5000')
+      ).to.throw(
+        /no protocol with name/
+      )
+    })
+
+    it('throws on an invalid protocol name when the transport protocol is not valid', () => {
+      expect(
+        () => multiaddr('/ip4/127.0.0.1/utp/5000')
+      ).to.throw(
+        /no protocol with name/
+      )
+    })
   })
 
   describe('.fromNodeAddress', () => {
@@ -501,10 +535,10 @@ describe('helpers', () => {
     }
     families.forEach((family) => {
       transports.forEach((transport) => {
-        it(`returns true for ${family}-${transport}`, () => {
+        it(`returns true for /${family}-${transport}`, () => {
           expect(
             multiaddr(
-              `${family}/${addresses[family]}/${transport}/1234`
+              `/${family}/${addresses[family]}/${transport}/1234`
             ).isThinWaistAddress()
           ).to.equal(true)
         })