diff --git a/fail2ban/client/configparserinc.py b/fail2ban/client/configparserinc.py
index d6cda7f7..35fa7498 100644
--- a/fail2ban/client/configparserinc.py
+++ b/fail2ban/client/configparserinc.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import re
 import sys
 from ..helpers import getLogger
 
-if sys.version_info >= (3,2): # pragma: no cover
+if sys.version_info >= (3,2):
 
 	# SafeConfigParser deprecated from Python 3.2 (renamed to ConfigParser)
 	from configparser import ConfigParser as SafeConfigParser, \
diff --git a/fail2ban/client/configreader.py b/fail2ban/client/configreader.py
index 643cdf3a..caab67aa 100644
--- a/fail2ban/client/configreader.py
+++ b/fail2ban/client/configreader.py
@@ -28,13 +28,25 @@ import glob
 import os
 from ConfigParser import NoOptionError, NoSectionError
 
-from .configparserinc import SafeConfigParserWithIncludes, logLevel
+from .configparserinc import sys, SafeConfigParserWithIncludes, logLevel
 from ..helpers import getLogger
 
 # Gets the instance of the logger.
 logSys = getLogger(__name__)
 
 
+# if sys.version_info >= (3,5):
+# 	def _merge_dicts(x, y):
+# 		return {**x, **y}
+# else:
+def _merge_dicts(x, y):
+	r = x
+	if y:
+		r = x.copy()
+		r.update(y)
+	return r
+
+
 class ConfigReader():
 	"""Generic config reader class.
 
@@ -127,9 +139,9 @@ class ConfigReader():
 			return self._cfg.options(*args)
 		return {}
 
-	def get(self, sec, opt):
+	def get(self, sec, opt, raw=False, vars={}):
 		if self._cfg is not None:
-			return self._cfg.get(sec, opt)
+			return self._cfg.get(sec, opt, raw, vars)
 		return None
 
 	def getOptions(self, *args, **kwargs):
@@ -210,6 +222,8 @@ class ConfigReaderUnshared(SafeConfigParserWithIncludes):
 	
 	def getOptions(self, sec, options, pOptions=None, shouldExist=False):
 		values = dict()
+		if pOptions is None:
+			pOptions = {}
 		for optname in options:
 			if isinstance(options, (list,tuple)):
 				if len(optname) > 2:
@@ -218,15 +232,15 @@ class ConfigReaderUnshared(SafeConfigParserWithIncludes):
 					(opttype, optname), optvalue = optname, None
 			else:
 				opttype, optvalue = options[optname]
+			if optname in pOptions:
+				continue
 			try:
 				if opttype == "bool":
 					v = self.getboolean(sec, optname)
 				elif opttype == "int":
 					v = self.getint(sec, optname)
 				else:
-					v = self.get(sec, optname)
-				if not pOptions is None and optname in pOptions:
-					continue
+					v = self.get(sec, optname, vars=pOptions)
 				values[optname] = v
 			except NoSectionError as e:
 				if shouldExist:
@@ -289,6 +303,12 @@ class DefinitionInitConfigReader(ConfigReader):
 		return SafeConfigParserWithIncludes.read(self._cfg, self._file)
 	
 	def getOptions(self, pOpts):
+		# overwrite static definition options with init values, supplied as
+		# direct parameters from jail-config via action[xtra1="...", xtra2=...]:
+		if self._initOpts:
+			if not pOpts:
+				pOpts = dict()
+			pOpts = _merge_dicts(pOpts, self._initOpts)
 		self._opts = ConfigReader.getOptions(
 			self, "Definition", self._configOpts, pOpts)
 		
diff --git a/fail2ban/client/filterreader.py b/fail2ban/client/filterreader.py
index 8b30f914..5e6b2b74 100644
--- a/fail2ban/client/filterreader.py
+++ b/fail2ban/client/filterreader.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ __license__ = "GPL"
 import os
 import shlex
 
-from .configreader import DefinitionInitConfigReader
+from .configreader import DefinitionInitConfigReader, _merge_dicts
 from ..server.action import CommandAction
 from ..helpers import getLogger
 
@@ -50,7 +50,9 @@ class FilterReader(DefinitionInitConfigReader):
 		return self.__file
 
 	def getCombined(self):
-		combinedopts = dict(list(self._opts.items()) + list(self._initOpts.items()))
+		combinedopts = self._opts
+		if self._initOpts:
+			combinedopts = _merge_dicts(self._opts, self._initOpts)
 		if not len(combinedopts):
 			return {}
 		opts = CommandAction.substituteRecursiveTags(combinedopts)