diff --git a/fail2ban/client/jailreader.py b/fail2ban/client/jailreader.py
index 56b8889c..c86c3153 100644
--- a/fail2ban/client/jailreader.py
+++ b/fail2ban/client/jailreader.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ from .filterreader import FilterReader
 from .actionreader import ActionReader
 from ..version import version
 from ..helpers import getLogger
-from ..helpers import splitcommaspace
+from ..helpers import splitwords
 
 # Gets the instance of the logger.
 logSys = getLogger(__name__)
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ class JailReader(ConfigReader):
 			elif opt == "maxretry":
 				stream.append(["set", self.__name, "maxretry", self.__opts[opt]])
 			elif opt == "ignoreip":
-				for ip in splitcommaspace(self.__opts[opt]):
+				for ip in splitwords(self.__opts[opt]):
 					stream.append(["set", self.__name, "addignoreip", ip])
 			elif opt == "findtime":
 				stream.append(["set", self.__name, "findtime", self.__opts[opt]])
diff --git a/fail2ban/helpers.py b/fail2ban/helpers.py
index 8e1b0e32..fc51a88e 100644
--- a/fail2ban/helpers.py
+++ b/fail2ban/helpers.py
@@ -128,12 +128,12 @@ def excepthook(exctype, value, traceback):
 		"Unhandled exception in Fail2Ban:", exc_info=True)
 	return sys.__excepthook__(exctype, value, traceback)
 
-def splitcommaspace(s):
-	"""Helper to split on any comma or space
+def splitwords(s):
+	"""Helper to split words on any comma, space, or a new line
 
 	Returns empty list if input is empty (or None) and filters
 	out empty entries
 	"""
 	if not s:
 		return []
-	return filter(bool, re.split('[ ,]', s))
+	return filter(bool, map(str.strip, re.split('[ ,\n]', s)))
diff --git a/fail2ban/tests/misctestcase.py b/fail2ban/tests/misctestcase.py
index e28ce422..48074d53 100644
--- a/fail2ban/tests/misctestcase.py
+++ b/fail2ban/tests/misctestcase.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ from glob import glob
 from StringIO import StringIO
 
 from ..helpers import formatExceptionInfo, mbasename, TraceBack, FormatterWithTraceBack, getLogger
-from ..helpers import splitcommaspace
+from ..helpers import splitwords
 from ..server.datetemplate import DatePatternRegex
 
 
@@ -56,13 +56,15 @@ class HelpersTest(unittest.TestCase):
 			# might be fragile due to ' vs "
 			self.assertEqual(args, "('Very bad', None)")
 
-	def testsplitcommaspace(self):
-		self.assertEqual(splitcommaspace(None), [])
-		self.assertEqual(splitcommaspace(''), [])
-		self.assertEqual(splitcommaspace('  '), [])
-		self.assertEqual(splitcommaspace('1'), ['1'])
-		self.assertEqual(splitcommaspace(' 1 2 '), ['1', '2'])
-		self.assertEqual(splitcommaspace(' 1, 2 , '), ['1', '2'])
+	def testsplitwords(self):
+		self.assertEqual(splitwords(None), [])
+		self.assertEqual(splitwords(''), [])
+		self.assertEqual(splitwords('  '), [])
+		self.assertEqual(splitwords('1'), ['1'])
+		self.assertEqual(splitwords(' 1 2 '), ['1', '2'])
+		self.assertEqual(splitwords(' 1, 2 , '), ['1', '2'])
+		self.assertEqual(splitwords(' 1\n  2'), ['1', '2'])
+		self.assertEqual(splitwords(' 1\n  2, 3'), ['1', '2', '3'])
 
 
 class SetupTest(unittest.TestCase):