diff --git a/flags-applicative.cabal b/flags-applicative.cabal
--- a/flags-applicative.cabal
+++ b/flags-applicative.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                flags-applicative
-version:             0.0.4.4
+version:             0.0.4.5
 synopsis:            Applicative flag parsing
 description:         https://github.com/mtth/flags-applicative
 homepage:            https://github.com/mtth/flags-applicative
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
   build-depends:       base >= 4.8 && < 5
                      , containers >= 0.6 && < 0.7
                      , mtl >= 2.2 && < 2.3
+                     , network >= 2.8 && < 2.9
                      , text >= 1.2 && < 1.3
   default-language:    Haskell2010
   ghc-options:         -Wall
diff --git a/src/Flags/Applicative.hs b/src/Flags/Applicative.hs
--- a/src/Flags/Applicative.hs
+++ b/src/Flags/Applicative.hs
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
   -- * Running parsers
   , parseFlags, parseSystemFlagsOrDie
   -- * Defining flags
-  , switch, boolFlag, flag, textFlag, autoFlag, textListFlag, autoListFlag
+  , switch, boolFlag, flag, textFlag, hostFlag, autoFlag, textListFlag, autoListFlag
   ) where
 
 import Control.Applicative ((<|>), Alternative, empty)
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
 import Data.Set (Set)
 import Data.Semigroup ((<>))
 import Data.Text (Text)
+import Network.Socket (HostName, PortNumber)
 import System.Exit (die)
 import System.Environment (getArgs)
 import qualified Data.Map.Strict as Map
@@ -282,6 +283,14 @@
 -- | Returns a parser for a single text value.
 textFlag :: Name -> Description -> FlagParser Text
 textFlag = flag Right
+
+hostFlag :: Name -> Description -> FlagParser (HostName, Maybe PortNumber)
+hostFlag = flag $ \txt -> do
+  let (hostname, suffix) = T.breakOn ":" txt
+  mbPort <- case T.stripPrefix ":" suffix of
+      Nothing -> Right Nothing
+      Just portStr -> Just <$> readEither (T.unpack portStr)
+  pure (T.unpack hostname, mbPort)
 
 -- | Returns a parser for any value with a 'Read' instance. Prefer 'textFlag' for textual values
 -- since 'flag'  will expect its values to be double-quoted and might not work as expected.
diff --git a/test/Spec.hs b/test/Spec.hs
--- a/test/Spec.hs
+++ b/test/Spec.hs
@@ -81,3 +81,20 @@
         parser = boolFlag "foo" ""
         res = parseFlags parser ["--foo", "--bar=1", "--swallowed_switches=bar"]
       res `shouldBe` Left (UnexpectedFlagValue "bar")
+    it "should parse a hostname" $ do
+      let
+        parser = hostFlag "host" ""
+        res = parseFlags parser ["--host=foo.com"]
+      res `shouldBe` Right (("foo.com", Nothing), [])
+    it "should parse a hostname and a port" $ do
+      let
+        parser = hostFlag "host" ""
+        res = parseFlags parser ["--host=localhost:1234"]
+      res `shouldBe` Right (("localhost", Just 1234), [])
+    it "should fail when given an invalid port" $ do
+      let
+        parser = hostFlag "host" ""
+        res = parseFlags parser ["--host=localhost:1a2"]
+      case res of
+        Left (InvalidFlagValue "host" _ _) -> pure ()
+        _ -> expectationFailure $ show res