diff --git a/locator/token_metadata.cc b/locator/token_metadata.cc
index 461e33978f..b1533c6a17 100644
--- a/locator/token_metadata.cc
+++ b/locator/token_metadata.cc
@@ -1087,6 +1087,12 @@ token_metadata::get_endpoint_for_host_id(host_id host_id) const {
     return _impl->get_endpoint_for_host_id(host_id);
 }
 
+host_id_or_endpoint token_metadata::parse_host_id_and_endpoint(const sstring& host_id_string) const {
+    auto res = host_id_or_endpoint(host_id_string);
+    res.resolve(*this);
+    return res;
+}
+
 const std::unordered_map<inet_address, host_id>&
 token_metadata::get_endpoint_to_host_id_map_for_reading() const {
     return _impl->get_endpoint_to_host_id_map_for_reading();
@@ -1461,4 +1467,20 @@ host_id_or_endpoint::host_id_or_endpoint(const sstring& s, param_type restrict)
     }
 }
 
+void host_id_or_endpoint::resolve(const token_metadata& tm) {
+    if (id) {
+        auto endpoint_opt = tm.get_endpoint_for_host_id(id);
+        if (!endpoint_opt) {
+            throw std::runtime_error(format("Host ID {} not found in the cluster", id));
+        }
+        endpoint = *endpoint_opt;
+    } else {
+        auto opt_id = tm.get_host_id_if_known(endpoint);
+        if (!opt_id) {
+            throw std::runtime_error(format("Host inet address {} not found in the cluster", endpoint));
+        }
+        id = *opt_id;
+    }
+}
+
 } // namespace locator
diff --git a/locator/token_metadata.hh b/locator/token_metadata.hh
index 433b9a840b..a3cfc43064 100644
--- a/locator/token_metadata.hh
+++ b/locator/token_metadata.hh
@@ -133,6 +133,8 @@ private:
     bool _sort_by_proximity = true;
 };
 
+class token_metadata;
+
 struct host_id_or_endpoint {
     host_id id;
     gms::inet_address endpoint;
@@ -152,6 +154,10 @@ struct host_id_or_endpoint {
     bool has_endpoint() const noexcept {
         return endpoint != gms::inet_address();
     }
+
+    // Map the host_id to endpoint based on whichever of them is set,
+    // using the token_metadata
+    void resolve(const token_metadata& tm);
 };
 
 using dc_rack_fn = seastar::noncopyable_function<endpoint_dc_rack(inet_address)>;
@@ -241,6 +247,10 @@ public:
     /** Return the end-point for a unique host ID */
     std::optional<inet_address> get_endpoint_for_host_id(locator::host_id host_id) const;
 
+    /// Parses the \c host_id_string either as a host uuid or as an ip address and returns the mapping.
+    /// Throws std::invalid_argument on parse error or std::runtime_error if the host_id wasn't found.
+    host_id_or_endpoint parse_host_id_and_endpoint(const sstring& host_id_string) const;
+
     /** @return a copy of the endpoint-to-id map for read-only operations */
     const std::unordered_map<inet_address, host_id>& get_endpoint_to_host_id_map_for_reading() const;