diff --git a/fail2ban/client/configreader.py b/fail2ban/client/configreader.py
index c6dd1b60..f333cdc1 100644
--- a/fail2ban/client/configreader.py
+++ b/fail2ban/client/configreader.py
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ class ConfigReaderUnshared(SafeConfigParserWithIncludes):
 	# 1 -> the name of the option
 	# 2 -> the default value for the option
 	
-	def getOptions(self, sec, options, pOptions=None):
+	def getOptions(self, sec, options, pOptions=None, shouldExist=False):
 		values = dict()
 		for option in options:
 			try:
@@ -222,6 +222,8 @@ class ConfigReaderUnshared(SafeConfigParserWithIncludes):
 					continue
 				values[option[1]] = v
 			except NoSectionError, e:
+				if shouldExist:
+					raise
 				# No "Definition" section or wrong basedir
 				logSys.error(e)
 				values[option[1]] = option[2]
diff --git a/fail2ban/client/fail2banclient.py b/fail2ban/client/fail2banclient.py
index 23d31dc5..a8e0a331 100644
--- a/fail2ban/client/fail2banclient.py
+++ b/fail2ban/client/fail2banclient.py
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class Fail2banClient(Fail2banCmdLine, Thread):
 		output("and bans the corresponding IP addresses using firewall rules.")
 		output("")
 
-	def __sigTERMhandler(self, signum, frame):
+	def __sigTERMhandler(self, signum, frame): # pragma: no cover
 		# Print a new line because we probably come from wait
 		output("")
 		logSys.warning("Caught signal %d. Exiting" % signum)
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ class Fail2banClient(Fail2banCmdLine, Thread):
 				logSys.error("Failed to access socket path: %s."
 							 " Is fail2ban running?",
 							 self._conf["socket"])
-		except Exception as e:
+		except Exception as e: # pragma: no cover
 			logSys.error("Exception while checking socket access: %s",
 						 self._conf["socket"])
 			logSys.error(e)
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ class Fail2banClient(Fail2banCmdLine, Thread):
 				"There is no directory %s to contain the socket file %s."
 				% (socket_dir, self._conf["socket"]))
 			return None
-		if not os.access(socket_dir, os.W_OK | os.X_OK):
+		if not os.access(socket_dir, os.W_OK | os.X_OK): # pragma: no cover
 			logSys.error(
 				"Directory %s exists but not accessible for writing"
 				% (socket_dir,))
@@ -204,9 +204,9 @@ class Fail2banClient(Fail2banCmdLine, Thread):
 				# Start server direct here in main thread (not fork):
 				self._server = Fail2banServer.startServerDirect(self._conf, False)
 
-		except ExitException:
+		except ExitException: # pragma: no cover
 			pass
-		except Exception as e:
+		except Exception as e: # pragma: no cover
 			output("")
 			logSys.error("Exception while starting server " + ("background" if background else "foreground"))
 			if self._conf["verbose"] > 1:
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ class Fail2banClient(Fail2banCmdLine, Thread):
 			if self._conf.get("interactive", False):
 				output('  ## stop ... ')
 			self.__processCommand(['stop'])
-			if not self.__waitOnServer(False):
+			if not self.__waitOnServer(False): # pragma: no cover
 				logSys.error("Could not stop server")
 				return False
 			# in interactive mode reset config, to make full-reload if there something changed:
@@ -298,12 +298,12 @@ class Fail2banClient(Fail2banCmdLine, Thread):
 	def __processStartStreamAfterWait(self, *args):
 		try:
 			# Wait for the server to start
-			if not self.__waitOnServer():
+			if not self.__waitOnServer(): # pragma: no cover
 				logSys.error("Could not find server, waiting failed")
 				return False
 				# Configure the server
 			self.__processCmd(*args)
-		except ServerExecutionException as e:
+		except ServerExecutionException as e: # pragma: no cover
 			if self._conf["verbose"] > 1:
 				logSys.exception(e)
 			logSys.error("Could not start server. Maybe an old "
@@ -385,12 +385,12 @@ class Fail2banClient(Fail2banCmdLine, Thread):
 							elif not cmd == "":
 								try:
 									self.__processCommand(shlex.split(cmd))
-								except Exception, e:
+								except Exception, e: # pragma: no cover
 									if self._conf["verbose"] > 1:
 										logSys.exception(e)
 									else:
 										logSys.error(e)
-				except (EOFError, KeyboardInterrupt):
+				except (EOFError, KeyboardInterrupt): # pragma: no cover
 					output("")
 					raise
 			# Single command mode
diff --git a/fail2ban/client/fail2banserver.py b/fail2ban/client/fail2banserver.py
index a6c8a7c5..a511e017 100644
--- a/fail2ban/client/fail2banserver.py
+++ b/fail2ban/client/fail2banserver.py
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ class Fail2banServer(Fail2banCmdLine):
 			server.start(conf["socket"],
 							conf["pidfile"], conf["force"], 
 							conf=conf)
-		except Exception as e:
+		except Exception as e: # pragma: no cover
 			try:
 				if server:
 					server.quit()
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ class Fail2banServer(Fail2banCmdLine):
 		# Forks the current process, don't fork if async specified (ex: test cases)
 		pid = 0
 		frk = not conf["async"] and PRODUCTION
-		if frk:
+		if frk: # pragma: no cover
 			pid = os.fork()
 		logSys.debug("-- async starting of server in %s, fork: %s - %s", os.getpid(), frk, pid)
 		if pid == 0:
@@ -108,22 +108,20 @@ class Fail2banServer(Fail2banCmdLine):
 					exe = sys.executable
 					args[0:0] = [exe]
 				logSys.debug("Starting %r with args %r", exe, args)
-				if frk:
-					return os.execv(exe, args)
+				if frk: # pragma: no cover
+					os.execv(exe, args)
 				else:
 					# use P_WAIT instead of P_NOWAIT (to prevent defunct-zomby process), it startet as daemon, so parent exit fast after fork):
 					ret = os.spawnv(os.P_WAIT, exe, args)
-					if ret != 0:
+					if ret != 0: # pragma: no cover
 						raise OSError(ret, "Unknown error by executing server %r with %r" % (args[1], exe))
-					return 0
 			except OSError as e: # pragma: no cover
 				if not frk: #not PRODUCTION:
 					raise
 				# Use the PATH env.
 				logSys.warning("Initial start attempt failed (%s). Starting %r with the same args", e, SERVER)
-				if frk:
-					return os.execvp(SERVER, args)
-		return pid
+				if frk: # pragma: no cover
+					os.execvp(SERVER, args)
 
 	@staticmethod
 	def getServerPath():
@@ -189,7 +187,7 @@ class Fail2banServer(Fail2banCmdLine):
 			pid = os.getpid()
 			server = Fail2banServer.startServerDirect(self._conf, background)
 			# If forked - just exit other processes
-			if pid != os.getpid():
+			if pid != os.getpid(): # pragma: no cover
 				os._exit(0)
 			if cli:
 				cli._server = server
@@ -198,7 +196,7 @@ class Fail2banServer(Fail2banCmdLine):
 			if not async and cli:
 				Utils.wait_for(lambda: phase.get('done', None) is not None, self._conf["timeout"])
 				if not phase.get('done', False):
-					if server:
+					if server: # pragma: no cover
 						server.quit()
 					exit(-1)
 				logSys.debug('Starting server done')
@@ -206,7 +204,9 @@ class Fail2banServer(Fail2banCmdLine):
 		except Exception, e:
 			if self._conf["verbose"] > 1:
 				logSys.exception(e)
-			if server:
+			else:
+				logSys.error(e)
+			if server: # pragma: no cover
 				server.quit()
 			exit(-1)
 
diff --git a/fail2ban/client/jailreader.py b/fail2ban/client/jailreader.py
index 46f910e3..be53b3f3 100644
--- a/fail2ban/client/jailreader.py
+++ b/fail2ban/client/jailreader.py
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ class JailReader(ConfigReader):
 				["string", "action", ""]]
 
 		# Read first options only needed for merge defaults ('known/...' from filter):
-		self.__opts = ConfigReader.getOptions(self, self.__name, opts1st)
+		self.__opts = ConfigReader.getOptions(self, self.__name, opts1st, shouldExist=True)
 		if not self.__opts:
 			return False
 		
diff --git a/fail2ban/tests/fail2banclienttestcase.py b/fail2ban/tests/fail2banclienttestcase.py
index aa507fe6..82ffe9b3 100644
--- a/fail2ban/tests/fail2banclienttestcase.py
+++ b/fail2ban/tests/fail2banclienttestcase.py
@@ -347,6 +347,21 @@ class Fail2banClientTest(Fail2banClientServerBase):
 				self.assertLogged("Server ready")
 				self.assertLogged("Exit with code 0")
 				self.pruneLog()
+				# test reload missing jail (interactive):
+				INTERACT += [
+					"reload ~~unknown~jail~fail~~",
+					"exit"
+				]
+				self.assertRaises(ExitException, _exec_client, 
+					(CLIENT,) + startparams + ("-i",))
+				self.assertLogged("Failed during configuration: No section: '~~unknown~jail~fail~~'")
+				self.pruneLog()
+				# test reload missing jail (direct):
+				self.assertRaises(FailExitException, _exec_client, 
+					(CLIENT,) + startparams + ("reload", "~~unknown~jail~fail~~"))
+				self.assertLogged("Failed during configuration: No section: '~~unknown~jail~fail~~'")
+				self.assertLogged("Exit with code -1")
+				self.pruneLog()
 			finally:
 				self.pruneLog()
 				# stop:
@@ -425,6 +440,12 @@ class Fail2banClientTest(Fail2banClientServerBase):
 			self.assertLogged("There is no directory " + tmp+"/miss" + " to contain the socket file")
 			self.pruneLog()
 
+			## not running
+			self.assertRaises(FailExitException, _exec_client, 
+				(CLIENT, "-c", tmp+"/config", "-s", tmp+"/f2b.sock", "reload",))
+			self.assertLogged("Could not find server")
+			self.pruneLog()
+
 			## already exists:
 			open(tmp+"/f2b.sock", 'a').close()
 			self.assertRaises(FailExitException, _exec_client,