diff --git a/fail2ban/server/filter.py b/fail2ban/server/filter.py
index b2031096..459a47d0 100644
--- a/fail2ban/server/filter.py
+++ b/fail2ban/server/filter.py
@@ -742,7 +742,12 @@ class FileFilter(Filter):
 
 try:
 	import hashlib
-	md5sum = hashlib.md5
+	try:
+		md5sum = hashlib.md5
+		# try to use it (several standards like FIPS forbid it):
+		md5sum(' ').hexdigest()
+	except: # pragma: no cover
+		md5sum = hashlib.sha1
 except ImportError: # pragma: no cover
 	# hashlib was introduced in Python 2.5.  For compatibility with those
 	# elderly Pythons, import from md5