diff --git a/fdroidserver/common.py b/fdroidserver/common.py
index 38922cde..da5e72b0 100644
--- a/fdroidserver/common.py
+++ b/fdroidserver/common.py
@@ -486,14 +486,7 @@ def read_config(opts=None):
     fill_config_defaults(config)
 
     if 'serverwebroot' in config:
-        if isinstance(config['serverwebroot'], str):
-            roots = [{'url': config['serverwebroot']}]
-        elif all(isinstance(item, str) for item in config['serverwebroot']):
-            roots = [{'url': i} for i in config['serverwebroot']]
-        elif all(isinstance(item, dict) for item in config['serverwebroot']):
-            roots = config['serverwebroot']
-        else:
-            raise TypeError(_('only accepts strings, lists, and tuples'))
+        roots = parse_mirrors_config(config['serverwebroot'])
         rootlist = []
         for d in roots:
             # since this is used with rsync, where trailing slashes have
@@ -506,15 +499,7 @@ def read_config(opts=None):
         config['serverwebroot'] = rootlist
 
     if 'servergitmirrors' in config:
-        if isinstance(config['servergitmirrors'], str):
-            roots = [{"url": config['servergitmirrors']}]
-        elif all(isinstance(item, str) for item in config['servergitmirrors']):
-            roots = [{'url': i} for i in config['servergitmirrors']]
-        elif all(isinstance(item, dict) for item in config['servergitmirrors']):
-            roots = config['servergitmirrors']
-        else:
-            raise TypeError(_('only accepts strings, lists, and tuples'))
-        config['servergitmirrors'] = roots
+        config['servergitmirrors'] = parse_mirrors_config(config['servergitmirrors'])
 
         limit = config['git_mirror_size_limit']
         config['git_mirror_size_limit'] = parse_human_readable_size(limit)
@@ -557,6 +542,18 @@ def read_config(opts=None):
     return config
 
 
+def parse_mirrors_config(mirrors):
+    """Mirrors can be specified as a string, list of strings, or dictionary map."""
+    if isinstance(mirrors, str):
+        return [{"url": mirrors}]
+    elif all(isinstance(item, str) for item in mirrors):
+        return [{'url': i} for i in mirrors]
+    elif all(isinstance(item, dict) for item in mirrors):
+        return mirrors
+    else:
+        raise TypeError(_('only accepts strings, lists, and tuples'))
+
+
 def file_entry(filename, hash_value=None):
     meta = {}
     meta["name"] = "/" + filename.split("/", 1)[1]
diff --git a/tests/common.TestCase b/tests/common.TestCase
index 55202dcc..a92dc92a 100755
--- a/tests/common.TestCase
+++ b/tests/common.TestCase
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import logging
 import optparse
 import os
 import re
+import ruamel.yaml
 import shutil
 import subprocess
 import sys
@@ -2892,6 +2893,27 @@ class CommonTest(unittest.TestCase):
             fdroidserver.common.read_config()['serverwebroot'],
         )
 
+    def test_parse_mirrors_config_str(self):
+        s = 'foo@example.com:/var/www'
+        mirrors = ruamel.yaml.YAML(typ='safe').load("""'%s'""" % s)
+        self.assertEqual(
+            [{'url': s}], fdroidserver.common.parse_mirrors_config(mirrors)
+        )
+
+    def test_parse_mirrors_config_list(self):
+        s = 'foo@example.com:/var/www'
+        mirrors = ruamel.yaml.YAML(typ='safe').load("""- '%s'""" % s)
+        self.assertEqual(
+            [{'url': s}], fdroidserver.common.parse_mirrors_config(mirrors)
+        )
+
+    def test_parse_mirrors_config_dict(self):
+        s = 'foo@example.com:/var/www'
+        mirrors = ruamel.yaml.YAML(typ='safe').load("""- url: '%s'""" % s)
+        self.assertEqual(
+            [{'url': s}], fdroidserver.common.parse_mirrors_config(mirrors)
+        )
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     os.chdir(os.path.dirname(__file__))