diff --git a/fail2ban/server/database.py b/fail2ban/server/database.py
index dd48ceb3..4e38b6ed 100644
--- a/fail2ban/server/database.py
+++ b/fail2ban/server/database.py
@@ -45,24 +45,38 @@ if sys.version_info >= (3,):
 			logSys.error('json dumps failed: %s', e)
 			x = '{}'
 		return x
+	def _json_loads_safe(x):
+		try:
+			x = json.loads(x.decode(locale.getpreferredencoding(), 'replace'))
+		except Exception, e: # pragma: no cover
+			logSys.error('json loads failed: %s', e)
+			x = {}
+		return x
 else:
+	def _normalize(x):
+		if isinstance(x, dict):
+			return dict((_normalize(k), _normalize(v)) for k, v in x.iteritems())
+		elif isinstance(x, list):
+			return [_normalize(element) for element in x]
+		elif isinstance(x, unicode):
+			return x.encode(locale.getpreferredencoding())
+		else:
+			return x
 	def _json_dumps_safe(x):
 		try:
-			x = json.dumps(x, ensure_ascii=False).decode(
+			x = json.dumps(_normalize(x), ensure_ascii=False).decode(
 				locale.getpreferredencoding(), 'replace')
 		except Exception, e: # pragma: no cover
 			logSys.error('json dumps failed: %s', e)
 			x = '{}'
 		return x
-
-def _json_loads_safe(x):
-	try:
-		x = json.loads(x.decode(
-			locale.getpreferredencoding(), 'replace'))
-	except Exception, e: # pragma: no cover
-		logSys.error('json loads failed: %s', e)
-		x = {}
-	return x
+	def _json_loads_safe(x):
+		try:
+			x = _normalize(json.loads(x.decode(locale.getpreferredencoding(), 'replace')))
+		except Exception, e: # pragma: no cover
+			logSys.error('json loads failed: %s', e)
+			x = {}
+		return x
 
 sqlite3.register_adapter(dict, _json_dumps_safe)
 sqlite3.register_converter("JSON", _json_loads_safe)
@@ -449,8 +463,8 @@ class Fail2BanDb(object):
 		tickets = []
 		for ip, timeofban, data in self._getBans(**kwargs):
 			#TODO: Implement data parts once arbitrary match keys completed
-			tickets.append(FailTicket(ip, timeofban, data['matches']))
-			tickets[-1].setAttempt(data['failures'])
+			tickets.append(FailTicket(ip, timeofban, data.get('matches')))
+			tickets[-1].setAttempt(data.get('failures', 1))
 		return tickets
 
 	def getBansMerged(self, ip=None, jail=None, bantime=None):
@@ -502,8 +516,8 @@ class Fail2BanDb(object):
 						prev_banip = banip
 						matches = []
 						failures = 0
-					matches.extend(data['matches'])
-					failures += data['failures']
+					matches.extend(data.get('matches', []))
+					failures += data.get('failures', 1)
 					prev_timeofban = timeofban
 				ticket = FailTicket(banip, prev_timeofban, matches)
 				ticket.setAttempt(failures)
diff --git a/fail2ban/tests/databasetestcase.py b/fail2ban/tests/databasetestcase.py
index b56414ae..9665e322 100644
--- a/fail2ban/tests/databasetestcase.py
+++ b/fail2ban/tests/databasetestcase.py
@@ -181,15 +181,31 @@ class DatabaseTest(LogCaptureTestCase):
 		if Fail2BanDb is None: # pragma: no cover
 			return
 		self.testAddJail()
-		ticket = FailTicket("127.0.0.1", 0, ['... user "\xd1\xe2\xe5\xf2\xe0"  ...'])
-		self.db.addBan(self.jail, ticket)
+		# invalid + valid, invalid + valid unicode, invalid + valid dual converted (like in filter:readline by fallback) ...
+		tickets = [
+		  FailTicket("127.0.0.1", 0, ['user "\xd1\xe2\xe5\xf2\xe0"', 'user "\xc3\xa4\xc3\xb6\xc3\xbc\xc3\x9f"']),
+		  FailTicket("127.0.0.2", 0, ['user "\xd1\xe2\xe5\xf2\xe0"', u'user "\xc3\xa4\xc3\xb6\xc3\xbc\xc3\x9f"']),
+		  FailTicket("127.0.0.3", 0, ['user "\xd1\xe2\xe5\xf2\xe0"', b'user "\xc3\xa4\xc3\xb6\xc3\xbc\xc3\x9f"'.decode('utf-8', 'replace')])
+		]
+		self.db.addBan(self.jail, tickets[0])
+		self.db.addBan(self.jail, tickets[1])
+		self.db.addBan(self.jail, tickets[2])
 
-		self.assertEqual(len(self.db.getBans(jail=self.jail)), 1)
-		readticket = self.db.getBans(jail=self.jail)[0]
+		readtickets = self.db.getBans(jail=self.jail)
+		self.assertEqual(len(readtickets), 3)
 		## python 2 or 3 :
+		invstr = u'user "\ufffd\ufffd\ufffd\ufffd\ufffd"'.encode('utf-8', 'replace')
 		self.assertTrue(
-			   readticket == FailTicket("127.0.0.1", 0, [u'... user "\ufffd\ufffd\ufffd\ufffd\ufffd"  ...'])
-			or readticket == ticket
+			   readtickets[0] == FailTicket("127.0.0.1", 0, [invstr, 'user "\xc3\xa4\xc3\xb6\xc3\xbc\xc3\x9f"'])
+			or readtickets[0] == tickets[0]
+		)
+		self.assertTrue(
+			   readtickets[1] == FailTicket("127.0.0.2", 0, [invstr, u'user "\xc3\xa4\xc3\xb6\xc3\xbc\xc3\x9f"'.encode('utf-8', 'replace')])
+			or readtickets[1] == tickets[1]
+		)
+		self.assertTrue(
+			   readtickets[2] == FailTicket("127.0.0.3", 0, [invstr, 'user "\xc3\xa4\xc3\xb6\xc3\xbc\xc3\x9f"'])
+			or readtickets[2] == tickets[2]
 		)
 
 	def testDelBan(self):