diff --git a/fail2ban/server/filter.py b/fail2ban/server/filter.py
index 9428e750..9edf0b69 100644
--- a/fail2ban/server/filter.py
+++ b/fail2ban/server/filter.py
@@ -559,7 +559,7 @@ class FileFilter(Filter):
 	#
 	# @param path log file path
 
-	def addLogPath(self, path, tail = False):
+	def addLogPath(self, path, tail=False):
 		if self.containsLogPath(path):
 			logSys.error(path + " already exists")
 		else:
@@ -655,7 +655,7 @@ class FileFilter(Filter):
 	# MyTime.time()-self.findTime. When a failure is detected, a FailTicket
 	# is created and is added to the FailManager.
 
-	def getFailures(self, filename, startTime = None):
+	def getFailures(self, filename, startTime=None):
 		container = self.getFileContainer(filename)
 		if container is None:
 			logSys.error("Unable to get failures in " + filename)
@@ -673,14 +673,19 @@ class FileFilter(Filter):
 			logSys.exception(e)
 			return False
 		except OSError, e: # pragma: no cover - Requires implemention error in FileContainer to generate
-			logSys.error("Internal errror in FileContainer open method - please report as a bug to https://github.com/fail2ban/fail2ban/issues")
+			logSys.error("Internal error in FileContainer open method - please report as a bug to https://github.com/fail2ban/fail2ban/issues")
 			logSys.exception(e)
 			return False
 
 		# prevent completely read of big files first time (after start of service), initial seek to start time using half-interval search algorithm:
 		if container.getPos() == 0 and startTime is not None:
-			# startTime = MyTime.time() - self.getFindTime()
-			self.seekToTime(container, startTime)
+			try:
+				# startTime = MyTime.time() - self.getFindTime()
+				self.seekToTime(container, startTime)
+			except Exception, e: # pragma: no cover
+				logSys.error("Error during seek to start time in \"%s\"", filename)
+				logSys.exception(e)
+				return False
 
 		# yoh: has_content is just a bool, so do not expect it to
 		# change -- loop is exited upon break, and is not entered at
@@ -717,7 +722,7 @@ class FileFilter(Filter):
 		cntr = 0
 		unixTime = None
 		lasti = 0
-		movecntr = 3
+		movecntr = 1
 		while maxp > minp:
 			i = int(minp + (maxp - minp) / 2)
 			pos = container.seek(i)
@@ -726,7 +731,8 @@ class FileFilter(Filter):
 			lncntr = 5;
 			dateTimeMatch = None
 			llen = 0
-			i = pos
+			if lastpos == pos:
+				i = pos
 			while True:
 				line = container.readline()
 				if not line:
@@ -763,6 +769,7 @@ class FileFilter(Filter):
 			lastpos = container.seek(lastFew, False)
 		else:
 			lastpos = container.seek(lastpos, False)
+		container.setPos(lastpos)
 		if logSys.getEffectiveLevel() <= logging.DEBUG:
 			logSys.debug("Position %s from %s, found time %s (%s) within %s seeks", lastpos, fs, unixTime, 
 				(datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(unixTime).strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S") if unixTime is not None else ''), cntr)
@@ -943,10 +950,6 @@ class DNSUtils:
 			logSys.warning("Unable to find a corresponding IP address for %s: %s"
 						% (dns, e))
 			return list()
-		except socket.error, e:
-			logSys.warning("Socket error raised trying to resolve hostname %s: %s"
-						% (dns, e))
-			return list()
 
 	@staticmethod
 	def searchIP(text):
@@ -967,7 +970,7 @@ class DNSUtils:
 		try:
 			socket.inet_aton(s[0])
 			return True
-		except socket.error:
+		except socket.error: # pragma: no cover
 			return False
 
 	@staticmethod
diff --git a/fail2ban/tests/filtertestcase.py b/fail2ban/tests/filtertestcase.py
index a462cf80..26f1801a 100644
--- a/fail2ban/tests/filtertestcase.py
+++ b/fail2ban/tests/filtertestcase.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import unittest
 import getpass
 import os
 import sys
-import time
+import time, datetime
 import tempfile
 import uuid
 
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ except ImportError:
 
 from ..server.jail import Jail
 from ..server.filterpoll import FilterPoll
-from ..server.filter import Filter, FileFilter, DNSUtils
+from ..server.filter import Filter, FileFilter, FileContainer, DNSUtils
 from ..server.failmanager import FailManagerEmpty
 from ..server.mytime import MyTime
 from .utils import setUpMyTime, tearDownMyTime, mtimesleep, LogCaptureTestCase
@@ -314,6 +314,60 @@ class LogFileFilterPoll(unittest.TestCase):
 		self.assertTrue(self.filter.isModified(LogFileFilterPoll.FILENAME))
 		self.assertFalse(self.filter.isModified(LogFileFilterPoll.FILENAME))
 
+	def testSeekToTime(self):
+		fname = tempfile.mktemp(prefix='tmp_fail2ban', suffix='.log')
+		tm = lambda time: datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(time).strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")
+		time = 1417512352
+		f = open(fname, 'w')
+		fc = FileContainer(fname, self.filter.getLogEncoding())
+		fc.open()
+		fc.setPos(0); self.filter.seekToTime(fc, time)
+		try:
+			f.flush()
+			# empty :
+			fc.setPos(0); self.filter.seekToTime(fc, time)
+			self.assertEqual(fc.getPos(), 0)
+			# one entry with exact time:
+			f.write("%s [sshd] error: PAM: failure len 1\n" % tm(time))
+			f.flush()
+			fc.setPos(0); self.filter.seekToTime(fc, time)
+			# one entry with smaller time:
+			f.seek(0)
+			f.write("%s [sshd] error: PAM: failure len 1\n" % tm(time - 10))
+			f.flush()
+			fc.setPos(0); self.filter.seekToTime(fc, time)
+			self.assertEqual(fc.getPos(), 0)
+			f.write("%s [sshd] error: PAM: failure len 3 2 1\n" % tm(time - 9))
+			f.flush()
+			fc.setPos(0); self.filter.seekToTime(fc, time)
+			self.assertEqual(fc.getPos(), 0)
+			# add exact time between:
+			f.write("%s [sshd] error: PAM: failure\n" % tm(time - 1))
+			f.flush()
+			fc.setPos(0); self.filter.seekToTime(fc, time)
+			self.assertEqual(fc.getPos(), 110)
+			# stil one exact line:
+			f.write("%s [sshd] error: PAM: Authentication failure\n" % tm(time))
+			f.write("%s [sshd] error: PAM: failure len 1\n" % tm(time))
+			f.flush()
+			fc.setPos(0); self.filter.seekToTime(fc, time)
+			self.assertEqual(fc.getPos(), 110)
+			# add something hereafter:
+			f.write("%s [sshd] error: PAM: failure len 3 2 1\n" % tm(time + 2))
+			f.write("%s [sshd] error: PAM: Authentication failure\n" % tm(time + 3))
+			f.flush()
+			fc.setPos(0); self.filter.seekToTime(fc, time)
+			self.assertEqual(fc.getPos(), 110)
+			# add something hereafter:
+			f.write("%s [sshd] error: PAM: failure\n" % tm(time + 9))
+			f.write("%s [sshd] error: PAM: failure len 3 2 1\n" % tm(time + 9))
+			f.flush()
+			fc.setPos(0); self.filter.seekToTime(fc, time)
+			self.assertEqual(fc.getPos(), 110)
+
+		finally:
+			fc.close()
+			_killfile(f, fname)
 
 class LogFileMonitor(LogCaptureTestCase):
 	"""Few more tests for FilterPoll API