AbstractA controller able to achieve bidirectional power flow for a boost‐like full‐bridge rectifier is presented. It is shown that no single output yields a stable zero dynamics for power flowing both ways. The controller is computed using port Hamiltonian passivity techniques for a suitable generalized state space averaging truncation of the system, which transforms the control objectives, namely specified output mean value of the voltage dc‐bus and unity input power factor in the ac side, into a regulation problem. Simulation and experimental results for the full system confirm the correctness of the simplifications introduced to obtain the controller. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.