diff --git a/fail2ban/server/filter.py b/fail2ban/server/filter.py
index af23a1d2..e19b322e 100644
--- a/fail2ban/server/filter.py
+++ b/fail2ban/server/filter.py
@@ -375,6 +375,8 @@ class Filter(JailThread):
 	# @return True if IP address is in ignore list
 
 	def inIgnoreIPList(self, ip, log_ignore=False):
+		if isinstance(ip, basestring):
+			ip = IPAddr(ip)
 		for net in self.__ignoreIpList:
 			# if it isn't a valid IP address, try DNS resolution
 			if not net.isValidIP() and net.getRaw() != "":
@@ -394,7 +396,6 @@ class Filter(JailThread):
 			command = CommandAction.replaceTag(self.__ignoreCommand, { 'ip': ip } )
 			logSys.debug('ignore command: ' + command)
 			ret_ignore = CommandAction.executeCmd(command)
-
 			self.logIgnoreIp(ip, log_ignore and ret_ignore, ignore_source="command")
 			return ret_ignore
 
diff --git a/fail2ban/tests/servertestcase.py b/fail2ban/tests/servertestcase.py
index 96734262..d9db6c47 100644
--- a/fail2ban/tests/servertestcase.py
+++ b/fail2ban/tests/servertestcase.py
@@ -125,14 +125,14 @@ class TransmitterBase(unittest.TestCase):
 			self.transm.proceed(["get", jail, cmd]), (0, []))
 		for n, value in enumerate(values):
 			ret = self.transm.proceed(["set", jail, cmdAdd, value])
-			self.assertEqual((ret[0], sorted(ret[1])), (0, sorted(values[:n+1])))
+			self.assertEqual((ret[0], sorted(map(str, ret[1]))), (0, sorted(map(str, values[:n+1]))))
 			ret = self.transm.proceed(["get", jail, cmd])
-			self.assertEqual((ret[0], sorted(ret[1])), (0, sorted(values[:n+1])))
+			self.assertEqual((ret[0], sorted(map(str, ret[1]))), (0, sorted(map(str, values[:n+1]))))
 		for n, value in enumerate(values):
 			ret = self.transm.proceed(["set", jail, cmdDel, value])
-			self.assertEqual((ret[0], sorted(ret[1])), (0, sorted(values[n+1:])))
+			self.assertEqual((ret[0], sorted(map(str, ret[1]))), (0, sorted(map(str, values[n+1:]))))
 			ret = self.transm.proceed(["get", jail, cmd])
-			self.assertEqual((ret[0], sorted(ret[1])), (0, sorted(values[n+1:])))
+			self.assertEqual((ret[0], sorted(map(str, ret[1]))), (0, sorted(map(str, values[n+1:]))))
 
 	def jailAddDelRegexTest(self, cmd, inValues, outValues, jail):
 		cmdAdd = "add" + cmd