diff --git a/fail2ban/client/configreader.py b/fail2ban/client/configreader.py
index 82bf0fdc..d9bfb271 100644
--- a/fail2ban/client/configreader.py
+++ b/fail2ban/client/configreader.py
@@ -267,7 +267,9 @@ class DefinitionInitConfigReader(ConfigReader):
 
 	# needed for fail2ban-regex that doesn't need fancy directories
 	def readexplicit(self):
-		return SafeConfigParserWithIncludes.read(self, self._file)
+		if not self._cfg:
+			self.touch(self._file)
+		return SafeConfigParserWithIncludes.read(self._cfg, self._file)
 	
 	def getOptions(self, pOpts):
 		self._opts = ConfigReader.getOptions(
diff --git a/fail2ban/tests/clientreadertestcase.py b/fail2ban/tests/clientreadertestcase.py
index 3f24f2b5..331d821c 100644
--- a/fail2ban/tests/clientreadertestcase.py
+++ b/fail2ban/tests/clientreadertestcase.py
@@ -334,6 +334,22 @@ class FilterReaderTest(unittest.TestCase):
 		filterReader.getOptions(None)
 		self.assertRaises(ValueError, FilterReader.convert, filterReader)
 
+	def testFilterReaderExplicit(self):
+		# read explicit uses absolute path:
+		path_ = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(TEST_FILES_DIR, "filter.d"))
+		filterReader = FilterReader(os.path.join(path_, "testcase01.conf"), "testcase01", {})
+		self.assertEqual(filterReader.readexplicit(), 
+			[os.path.join(path_, "testcase-common.conf"), os.path.join(path_, "testcase01.conf")]
+		)
+		try:
+			filterReader.getOptions(None)
+			# from included common
+			filterReader.get('Definition', '__prefix_line')
+			# from testcase01
+			filterReader.get('Definition', 'failregex')
+			filterReader.get('Definition', 'ignoreregex')
+		except Exception, e:
+			self.fail('unexpected options after readexplicit: %s' % (e))
 
 class JailsReaderTestCache(LogCaptureTestCase):