diff --git a/fail2ban/protocol.py b/fail2ban/protocol.py
index a81c6657..9e5e4245 100644
--- a/fail2ban/protocol.py
+++ b/fail2ban/protocol.py
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ protocol = [
 ["set <JAIL> usedns <VALUE>", "sets the usedns mode for <JAIL>"],
 ["set <JAIL> attempt <IP> [<failure1> ... <failureN>]", "manually notify about <IP> failure"], 
 ["set <JAIL> banip <IP> ... <IP>", "manually Ban <IP> for <JAIL>"], 
-["set <JAIL> unbanip [--report-absent] <IP> ... <IP>", "manually Unban <IP> in <JAIL>"], 
+["set <JAIL> unbanip [--report-absent] [--expr] <IP> ... <IP>", "manually Unban <IP> in <JAIL>"], 
 ["set <JAIL> maxretry <RETRY>", "sets the number of failures <RETRY> before banning the host for <JAIL>"], 
 ["set <JAIL> maxmatches <INT>", "sets the max number of matches stored in memory per ticket in <JAIL>"], 
 ["set <JAIL> maxlines <LINES>", "sets the number of <LINES> to buffer for regex search for <JAIL>"], 
diff --git a/fail2ban/server/actions.py b/fail2ban/server/actions.py
index 74e2a615..3a0a8e3f 100644
--- a/fail2ban/server/actions.py
+++ b/fail2ban/server/actions.py
@@ -242,6 +242,33 @@ class Actions(JailThread, Mapping):
 
 		return self.__checkBan(tickets)
 
+	def removeMultiBannedIP(self, ips=None, db=True, ifexists=False):
+		"""Removes multiple banned IPs calling actions' unban method
+
+		Parameters
+		----------
+		ip : list, tuple or None
+			The IPs as list to unban or all IPs if None
+
+		Raises
+		------
+		ValueError
+			If at least one `ip` is not banned
+		"""
+		if ips is None:
+			return self.__flushBan(db)
+		missed = []
+		cnt = 0
+		for ip in ips:
+			try:
+				cnt += self.removeBannedIP(ip, db, ifexists)
+			except ValueError:
+				if not ifexists:
+					missed.append(ip)
+		if missed:
+			raise ValueError("not banned: %r" % missed)
+		return cnt
+
 	def removeBannedIP(self, ip=None, db=True, ifexists=False):
 		"""Removes banned IP calling actions' unban method
 
@@ -250,8 +277,8 @@ class Actions(JailThread, Mapping):
 
 		Parameters
 		----------
-		ip : list, str, IPAddr or None
-			The IP address (or multiple IPs as list) to unban or all IPs if None
+		ip : str, IPAddr, TUPLE_ID representation (tuple/list) or None
+			The ID to unban or all IPs if None
 
 		Raises
 		------
@@ -261,26 +288,6 @@ class Actions(JailThread, Mapping):
 		# Unban all?
 		if ip is None:
 			return self.__flushBan(db)
-		# Multiple IPs:
-		if isinstance(ip, (list, tuple)):
-			missed = []
-			cnt = 0
-			for i in ip:
-				try:
-					cnt += self.removeBannedIP(i, db, ifexists)
-				except ValueError:
-					if not ifexists:
-						missed.append(i)
-			if missed:
-				raise ValueError("not banned: %r" % missed)
-			return cnt
-		# IPs can be represented in string format (e.g.: tuples)
-		is_ip_parsed = True
-		if isinstance(ip, str):
-			try:
-				ip = eval(ip)
-			except Exception:
-				is_ip_parsed = False
 		# Single IP:
 		# Always delete ip from database (also if currently not banned)
 		if db and self._jail.database is not None:
@@ -292,12 +299,12 @@ class Actions(JailThread, Mapping):
 			self.__unBan(ticket)
 		else:
 			# Multiple IPs by subnet or dns:
-			if not is_ip_parsed and not isinstance(ip, IPAddr):
+			if not isinstance(ip, (IPAddr, tuple, list)):
 				ipa = IPAddr(ip)
 				if not ipa.isSingle: # subnet (mask/cidr) or raw (may be dns/hostname):
 					ips = list(filter(ipa.contains, self.banManager.getBanList()))
 					if ips:
-						return self.removeBannedIP(ips, db, ifexists)
+						return self.removeMultiBannedIP(ips, db, ifexists)
 			# not found:
 			msg = "%s is not banned" % str(ip)
 			logSys.log(logging.MSG, msg)
diff --git a/fail2ban/server/server.py b/fail2ban/server/server.py
index bdbe88ca..beafe8d9 100644
--- a/fail2ban/server/server.py
+++ b/fail2ban/server/server.py
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import os
 import signal
 import stat
 import sys
+from ast import literal_eval
 
 from .observer import Observers, ObserverThread
 from .jails import Jails
@@ -528,18 +529,26 @@ class Server:
 	def setBanIP(self, name, value):
 		return self.__jails[name].actions.addBannedIP(value)
 
-	def setUnbanIP(self, name=None, value=None, ifexists=True):
+	def setUnbanIP(self, name=None, values=None, ifexists=True, ifexpr=False):
+		def parseExpr(v):
+			try:
+				return literal_eval(v)
+			except SyntaxError:
+				return v
 		if name is not None:
 			# single jail:
 			jails = [self.__jails[name]]
 		else:
 			# in all jails:
 			jails = list(self.__jails.values())
-		# unban given or all (if value is None):
+		# parse values if it contains an expression
+		if values and ifexpr:
+			values = map(parseExpr, values)
+		# unban given or all (if values is None):
 		cnt = 0
 		ifexists |= (name is None)
 		for jail in jails:
-			cnt += jail.actions.removeBannedIP(value, ifexists=ifexists)
+			cnt += jail.actions.removeMultiBannedIP(values, ifexists=ifexists)
 		return cnt
 		
 	def banned(self, name=None, ids=None):
diff --git a/fail2ban/server/transmitter.py b/fail2ban/server/transmitter.py
index 28931344..cee0b7a5 100644
--- a/fail2ban/server/transmitter.py
+++ b/fail2ban/server/transmitter.py
@@ -363,13 +363,17 @@ class Transmitter:
 			value = command[2:]
 			return self.__server.setBanIP(name,value)
 		elif command[1] == "unbanip":
+			ifexpr = False
 			ifexists = True
-			if command[2] != "--report-absent":
-				value = command[2:]
-			else:
+			offset = 2
+			if "--report-absent" in command:
 				ifexists = False
-				value = command[3:]
-			return self.__server.setUnbanIP(name, value, ifexists=ifexists)
+				offset += 1
+			if "--expr" in command:
+				ifexpr = True
+				offset += 1
+			value = command[offset:]
+			return self.__server.setUnbanIP(name, value, ifexists=ifexists, ifexpr=ifexpr)
 		elif command[1] == "addaction":
 			args = [command[2]]
 			if len(command) > 3: