diff --git a/bin/fail2ban-testcases b/bin/fail2ban-testcases
index 22a44a8b..606b0b06 100755
--- a/bin/fail2ban-testcases
+++ b/bin/fail2ban-testcases
@@ -67,6 +67,9 @@ def get_opt_parser():
 		Option('-f', "--fast", action="store_true",
 			   dest="fast",
 			   help="Try to increase speed of the tests, decreasing of wait intervals, memory database"),
+		Option('-i', "--ignore", action="store_true",
+			   dest="negate_re",
+			   help="negate [regexps] filter to ignore tests matched specified regexps"),
 		Option("-t", "--log-traceback", action='store_true',
 			   help="Enrich log-messages with compressed tracebacks"),
 		Option("--full-traceback", action='store_true',
diff --git a/fail2ban/server/mytime.py b/fail2ban/server/mytime.py
index 329e2465..816b04c4 100644
--- a/fail2ban/server/mytime.py
+++ b/fail2ban/server/mytime.py
@@ -98,6 +98,25 @@ class MyTime:
 		else:
 			return time.localtime(MyTime.myTime)
 
+	## precreate/precompile primitives used in str2seconds:
+
+	## preparing expression:
+	_str2sec_prep = re.compile(r"(?i)(?<=[a-z])(\d)")
+	## finally expression:
+	_str2sec_fini = re.compile(r"(\d)\s+(\d)")
+	## wrapper for each sub part:
+	_str2sec_subpart = r"(?i)(?<=[\d\s])(%s)\b"
+	## parts to be replaced - pair of (regexp x replacement):
+	_str2sec_parts = (
+		(re.compile(_str2sec_subpart % r"days?|da|dd?"),      "*"+str(24*60*60)),
+		(re.compile(_str2sec_subpart % r"weeks?|wee?|ww?"),   "*"+str(7*24*60*60)),
+		(re.compile(_str2sec_subpart % r"months?|mon?"),      "*"+str((365*3+366)*24*60*60/4/12)),
+		(re.compile(_str2sec_subpart % r"years?|yea?|yy?"),   "*"+str((365*3+366)*24*60*60/4)),
+		(re.compile(_str2sec_subpart % r"seconds?|sec?|ss?"), "*"+str(1)),
+		(re.compile(_str2sec_subpart % r"minutes?|min?|mm?"), "*"+str(60)),
+		(re.compile(_str2sec_subpart % r"hours?|hou?|hh?"),   "*"+str(60*60)),
+	)
+
 	@staticmethod
 	def str2seconds(val):
 		"""Wraps string expression like "1h 2m 3s" into number contains seconds (3723).
@@ -120,13 +139,9 @@ class MyTime:
 		if isinstance(val, (int, long, float, complex)):
 			return val
 		# replace together standing abbreviations, example '1d12h' -> '1d 12h':
-		val = re.sub(r"(?i)(?<=[a-z])(\d)", r" \1", val)
+		val = MyTime._str2sec_prep.sub(r" \1", val)
 		# replace abbreviation with expression:
-		for rexp, rpl in (
-			(r"days?|da|dd?", 24*60*60), (r"weeks?|wee?|ww?", 7*24*60*60), (r"months?|mon?", (365*3+366)*24*60*60/4/12), 
-			(r"years?|yea?|yy?", (365*3+366)*24*60*60/4), 
-			(r"seconds?|sec?|ss?", 1), (r"minutes?|min?|mm?", 60), (r"hours?|hou?|hh?", 60*60),
-		):
-			val = re.sub(r"(?i)(?<=[\d\s])(%s)\b" % rexp, "*"+str(rpl), val)
-		val = re.sub(r"(\d)\s+(\d)", r"\1+\2", val);
+		for rexp, rpl in MyTime._str2sec_parts:
+			val = rexp.sub(rpl, val)
+		val = MyTime._str2sec_fini.sub(r"\1+\2", val)
 		return eval(val)
diff --git a/fail2ban/tests/utils.py b/fail2ban/tests/utils.py
index 0ba0c7c6..0ca61183 100644
--- a/fail2ban/tests/utils.py
+++ b/fail2ban/tests/utils.py
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ class F2B(optparse.Values):
 	def __init__(self, opts={}):
 		self.__dict__ = opts.__dict__ if opts else {
 			'fast': False, 'memory_db':False, 'no_gamin': False, 'no_network': False, 
+			"negate_re": False,
 		}
 		if self.fast:
 			self.memory_db = True
@@ -158,7 +159,8 @@ def gatherTests(regexps=None, opts=None):
 				for test in suite:
 					s = str(test)
 					for r in self._regexps:
-						if r.search(s):
+						m = r.search(s)
+						if (m if not opts.negate_re else not m):
 							matched.append(test)
 							break
 				for test in matched: