diff --git a/tools/widl/parser.l b/tools/widl/parser.l
index 4cd98bb2af..e9bfb1f712 100644
--- a/tools/widl/parser.l
+++ b/tools/widl/parser.l
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ int import_stack_ptr = 0;
 
 static void pop_import(void);
 
-static UUID* parse_uuid(const char*u)
+UUID *parse_uuid(const char *u)
 {
   UUID* uuid = xmalloc(sizeof(UUID));
   char b[3];
diff --git a/tools/widl/parser.y b/tools/widl/parser.y
index ae7f8f199d..8399b400b4 100644
--- a/tools/widl/parser.y
+++ b/tools/widl/parser.y
@@ -265,6 +265,7 @@ static void check_all_user_types(ifref_list_t *ifaces);
 %type <type> coclass coclasshdr coclassdef
 %type <num> pointer_type version
 %type <str> libraryhdr
+%type <uuid> uuid_string
 
 %left ','
 %right '?' ':'
@@ -498,7 +499,7 @@ attribute:					{ $$ = NULL; }
 	| tSWITCHIS '(' expr ')'		{ $$ = make_attrp(ATTR_SWITCHIS, $3); }
 	| tSWITCHTYPE '(' type ')'		{ $$ = make_attrp(ATTR_SWITCHTYPE, $3); }
 	| tTRANSMITAS '(' type ')'		{ $$ = make_attrp(ATTR_TRANSMITAS, $3); }
-	| tUUID '(' aUUID ')'			{ $$ = make_attrp(ATTR_UUID, $3); }
+	| tUUID '(' uuid_string ')'		{ $$ = make_attrp(ATTR_UUID, $3); }
 	| tV1ENUM				{ $$ = make_attr(ATTR_V1ENUM); }
 	| tVARARG				{ $$ = make_attr(ATTR_VARARG); }
 	| tVERSION '(' version ')'		{ $$ = make_attrv(ATTR_VERSION, $3); }
@@ -506,6 +507,12 @@ attribute:					{ $$ = NULL; }
 	| pointer_type				{ $$ = make_attrv(ATTR_POINTERTYPE, $1); }
 	;
 
+uuid_string:
+	  aUUID
+	| aSTRING				{ if (!is_valid_uuid($1))
+						    yyerror("invalid UUID: %s", $1);
+						  $$ = parse_uuid($1); }
+
 callconv:
 	| tSTDCALL
 	;
@@ -2037,3 +2044,20 @@ static void check_all_user_types(ifref_list_t *ifrefs)
       check_for_user_types_and_context_handles(f->args);
   }
 }
+
+int is_valid_uuid(const char *s)
+{
+  int i;
+
+  for (i = 0; i < 36; ++i)
+    if (i == 8 || i == 13 || i == 18 || i == 23)
+    {
+      if (s[i] != '-')
+        return FALSE;
+    }
+    else
+      if (!isxdigit(s[i]))
+        return FALSE;
+
+  return s[i] == '\0';
+}
diff --git a/tools/widl/utils.h b/tools/widl/utils.h
index 3641aaecae..aa1d6b4817 100644
--- a/tools/widl/utils.h
+++ b/tools/widl/utils.h
@@ -42,4 +42,7 @@ void chat(const char *s, ...) __attribute__((format (printf, 1, 2)));
 
 char *dup_basename(const char *name, const char *ext);
 
+UUID *parse_uuid(const char *u);
+int is_valid_uuid(const char *s);
+
 #endif