diff --git a/fail2ban/server/datedetector.py b/fail2ban/server/datedetector.py
index 42df308e..13d70699 100644
--- a/fail2ban/server/datedetector.py
+++ b/fail2ban/server/datedetector.py
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ import time
 
 from threading import Lock
 
-from .datetemplate import re, DateTemplate, DatePatternRegex, DateTai64n, DateEpoch
+from .datetemplate import re, DateTemplate, DatePatternRegex, DateTai64n, DateEpoch, \
+	RE_EPOCH_PATTERN
 from .strptime import validateTimeZone
 from .utils import Utils
 from ..helpers import getLogger
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ logSys = getLogger(__name__)
 
 logLevel = 6
 
-RE_DATE_PREMATCH = re.compile("\{DATE\}", re.IGNORECASE)
+RE_DATE_PREMATCH = re.compile(r"(?<!\\)\{DATE\}", re.IGNORECASE)
 DD_patternCache = Utils.Cache(maxCount=1000, maxTime=60*60)
 
 
@@ -48,12 +49,18 @@ def _getPatternTemplate(pattern, key=None):
 	template = DD_patternCache.get(key)
 
 	if not template:
-		if key in ("EPOCH", "{^LN-BEG}EPOCH", "^EPOCH"):
-			template = DateEpoch(lineBeginOnly=(key != "EPOCH"))
-		elif key in ("TAI64N", "{^LN-BEG}TAI64N", "^TAI64N"):
-			template = DateTai64n(wordBegin=('start' if key != "TAI64N" else False))
-		else:
-			template = DatePatternRegex(pattern)
+		if "EPOCH" in key:
+			if RE_EPOCH_PATTERN.search(pattern):
+				template = DateEpoch(pattern=pattern, longFrm="LEPOCH" in key)
+			elif key in ("EPOCH", "{^LN-BEG}EPOCH", "^EPOCH"):
+				template = DateEpoch(lineBeginOnly=(key != "EPOCH"))
+			elif key in ("LEPOCH", "{^LN-BEG}LEPOCH", "^LEPOCH"):
+				template = DateEpoch(lineBeginOnly=(key != "LEPOCH"), longFrm=True)
+		if template is None:
+			if key in ("TAI64N", "{^LN-BEG}TAI64N", "^TAI64N"):
+				template = DateTai64n(wordBegin=('start' if key != "TAI64N" else False))
+			else:
+				template = DatePatternRegex(pattern)
 
 	DD_patternCache.set(key, template)
 	return template
diff --git a/fail2ban/server/datetemplate.py b/fail2ban/server/datetemplate.py
index 44ea54a8..49fa0c66 100644
--- a/fail2ban/server/datetemplate.py
+++ b/fail2ban/server/datetemplate.py
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ RE_LINE_BOUND_END = re.compile(r'(?<![\\\|])(?:\$\)?)$')
 
 RE_ALPHA_PATTERN = re.compile(r'(?<!\%)\%[aAbBpc]')
 
+RE_EPOCH_PATTERN = re.compile(r"(?<!\\)\{L?EPOCH\}", re.IGNORECASE)
+
+
 class DateTemplate(object):
 	"""A template which searches for and returns a date from a log line.
 
@@ -192,14 +195,25 @@ class DateEpoch(DateTemplate):
 	regex
 	"""
 
-	def __init__(self, lineBeginOnly=False):
+	def __init__(self, lineBeginOnly=False, pattern=None, longFrm=False):
 		DateTemplate.__init__(self)
 		self.name = "Epoch"
-		if not lineBeginOnly:
-			regex = r"((?:^|(?P<square>(?<=^\[))|(?P<selinux>(?<=\baudit\()))\d{10,11}\b(?:\.\d{3,6})?)(?:(?(selinux)(?=:\d+\)))|(?(square)(?=\])))"
+		self._longFrm = longFrm;
+		self._grpIdx = 1
+		epochRE = r"\d{10,11}\b(?:\.\d{3,6})?"
+		if longFrm:
+			self.name = "LongEpoch";
+			epochRE = r"\d{10,11}(?:\d{3}(?:\.\d{1,6}|\d{3})?)?"
+		if pattern:
+			# pattern should capture/cut out the whole match:
+			regex = "(" + RE_EPOCH_PATTERN.sub(lambda v: "(%s)" % epochRE, pattern) + ")"
+			self._grpIdx = 2
+			self.setRegex(regex)
+		elif not lineBeginOnly:
+			regex = r"((?:^|(?P<square>(?<=^\[))|(?P<selinux>(?<=\baudit\()))%s)(?:(?(selinux)(?=:\d+\)))|(?(square)(?=\])))" % epochRE
 			self.setRegex(regex, wordBegin=False) ;# already line begin resp. word begin anchored
 		else:
-			regex = r"((?P<square>(?<=^\[))?\d{10,11}\b(?:\.\d{3,6})?)(?(square)(?=\]))"
+			regex = r"((?P<square>(?<=^\[))?%s)(?(square)(?=\]))" % epochRE
 			self.setRegex(regex, wordBegin='start', wordEnd=True)
 
 	def getDate(self, line, dateMatch=None, default_tz=None):
@@ -220,8 +234,14 @@ class DateEpoch(DateTemplate):
 		if not dateMatch:
 			dateMatch = self.matchDate(line)
 		if dateMatch:
+			v = dateMatch.group(self._grpIdx)
 			# extract part of format which represents seconds since epoch
-			return (float(dateMatch.group(1)), dateMatch)
+			if self._longFrm and len(v) >= 13:
+				if len(v) >= 16 and '.' not in v:
+					v = float(v) / 1000000
+				else:
+					v = float(v) / 1000
+			return (float(v), dateMatch)
 
 
 class DatePatternRegex(DateTemplate):
diff --git a/fail2ban/tests/datedetectortestcase.py b/fail2ban/tests/datedetectortestcase.py
index 02facf30..36471489 100644
--- a/fail2ban/tests/datedetectortestcase.py
+++ b/fail2ban/tests/datedetectortestcase.py
@@ -77,6 +77,48 @@ class DateDetectorTest(LogCaptureTestCase):
 				log = date + " [sshd] error: PAM: Authentication failure"
 				datelog = self.datedetector.getTime(log)
 				self.assertFalse(datelog)
+
+	def testGetEpochMsTime(self):
+		self.__datedetector = DateDetector()
+		self.__datedetector.appendTemplate('LEPOCH')
+		# correct short/long epoch time, using all variants:
+		for fact in (1, 1000, 1000000):
+			for dateUnix in (1138049999, 32535244799):
+				for date in ("%s", "[%s]", "[%s]", "audit(%s:101)"):
+					dateLong = dateUnix * fact
+					date = date % dateLong
+					log = date + " [sshd] error: PAM: Authentication failure"
+					datelog = self.datedetector.getTime(log)
+					self.assertTrue(datelog, "Parse epoch time for %s failed" % (date,))
+					( datelog, matchlog ) = datelog
+					self.assertEqual(int(datelog), dateUnix)
+					self.assertEqual(matchlog.group(1), str(dateLong))
+		# wrong, no epoch time (< 10 digits, more as 17 digits, begin/end of word) :
+		for dateUnix in ('123456789', '999999999999999999', '1138049999A', 'A1138049999'):
+			for date in ("%s", "[%s]", "[%s.555]", "audit(%s.555:101)"):
+				date = date % dateUnix
+				log = date + " [sshd] error: PAM: Authentication failure"
+				datelog = self.datedetector.getTime(log)
+				self.assertFalse(datelog)
+
+	def testGetEpochPattern(self):
+		self.__datedetector = DateDetector()
+		self.__datedetector.appendTemplate('(?<=\|\s){LEPOCH}(?=\s\|)')
+		# correct short/long epoch time, using all variants:
+		for fact in (1, 1000, 1000000):
+			for dateUnix in (1138049999, 32535244799):
+				dateLong = dateUnix * fact
+				log = "auth-error | %s | invalid password" % dateLong
+				datelog = self.datedetector.getTime(log)
+				self.assertTrue(datelog, "Parse epoch time failed: %r" % (log,))
+				( datelog, matchlog ) = datelog
+				self.assertEqual(int(datelog), dateUnix)
+				self.assertEqual(matchlog.group(1), str(dateLong))
+		# wrong epoch time format (does not match pattern):
+		for log in ("test%s123", "test-right | %stest", "test%s | test-left"):
+			log = log % dateLong
+			datelog = self.datedetector.getTime(log)
+			self.assertFalse(datelog)
 	
 	def testGetTime(self):
 		log = "Jan 23 21:59:59 [sshd] error: PAM: Authentication failure"
diff --git a/fail2ban/tests/fail2banregextestcase.py b/fail2ban/tests/fail2banregextestcase.py
index f3a51773..148d774c 100644
--- a/fail2ban/tests/fail2banregextestcase.py
+++ b/fail2ban/tests/fail2banregextestcase.py
@@ -290,6 +290,17 @@ class Fail2banRegexTest(LogCaptureTestCase):
 		self.assertTrue(fail2banRegex.start(args))
 		self.assertLogged('Lines: 1 lines, 0 ignored, 1 matched, 0 missed')
 
+	def testRegexEpochPatterns(self):
+		(opts, args, fail2banRegex) = _Fail2banRegex(
+			"-r", "-d", "^\[{LEPOCH}\]\s+", "--maxlines", "5",
+			"[1516469849] 192.0.2.1 FAIL: failure\n"
+			"[1516469849551] 192.0.2.2 FAIL: failure\n"
+			"[1516469849551000] 192.0.2.3 FAIL: failure\n"
+			"[1516469849551.000] 192.0.2.4 FAIL: failure",
+			r"^<HOST> FAIL\b"
+		)
+		self.assertTrue(fail2banRegex.start(args))
+		self.assertLogged('Lines: 4 lines, 0 ignored, 4 matched, 0 missed')
 
 	def testWrongFilterFile(self):
 		# use test log as filter file to cover eror cases...