diff --git a/fail2ban/server/banmanager.py b/fail2ban/server/banmanager.py
index 9aa69f5a..10578945 100644
--- a/fail2ban/server/banmanager.py
+++ b/fail2ban/server/banmanager.py
@@ -143,10 +143,12 @@ class BanManager:
 			return_dict["country"].append("error")
 			return_dict["rir"].append("error")
 			return return_dict
-		self.__lock.acquire()
+		# get ips in lock:
+		with self.__lock:
+			banIPs = [banData.getIP() for banData in self.__banList.values()]
+		# get cymru info:
 		try:
-			for banData in self.__banList.values():
-				ip = banData.getIP()
+			for ip in banIPs:
 				# Reference: http://www.team-cymru.org/Services/ip-to-asn.html#dns
 				question = ip.getPTR(
 					"origin.asn.cymru.com" if ip.isIPv4
@@ -170,14 +172,17 @@ class BanManager:
 				except dns.exception.DNSException as dnse:
 					logSys.error("Unhandled DNSException querying Cymru for %s TXT" % question)
 					logSys.exception(dnse)
+					return_dict["error"] = dnse
+					break
 				except Exception as e:
 					logSys.error("Unhandled Exception querying Cymru for %s TXT" % question)
 					logSys.exception(e)
+					return_dict["error"] = e
+					break
 		except Exception as e:
 			logSys.error("Failure looking up extended Cymru info")
 			logSys.exception(e)
-		finally:
-			self.__lock.release()
+			return_dict["error"] = e
 		return return_dict
 
 	##
@@ -188,15 +193,12 @@ class BanManager:
 	# @return list of Banned ASNs
 
 	def geBanListExtendedASN(self, cymru_info):
-		self.__lock.acquire()
 		try:
 			return [asn for asn in cymru_info["asn"]]
 		except Exception as e:
 			logSys.error("Failed to lookup ASN")
 			logSys.exception(e)
 			return []
-		finally:
-			self.__lock.release()
 
 	##
 	# Returns list of Banned Countries from Cymru info
@@ -206,15 +208,12 @@ class BanManager:
 	# @return list of Banned Countries
 
 	def geBanListExtendedCountry(self, cymru_info):
-		self.__lock.acquire()
 		try:
 			return [country for country in cymru_info["country"]]
 		except Exception as e:
 			logSys.error("Failed to lookup Country")
 			logSys.exception(e)
 			return []
-		finally:
-			self.__lock.release()
 
 	##
 	# Returns list of Banned RIRs from Cymru info
@@ -224,15 +223,12 @@ class BanManager:
 	# @return list of Banned RIRs
 
 	def geBanListExtendedRIR(self, cymru_info):
-		self.__lock.acquire()
 		try:
 			return [rir for rir in cymru_info["rir"]]
 		except Exception as e:
 			logSys.error("Failed to lookup RIR")
 			logSys.exception(e)
 			return []
-		finally:
-			self.__lock.release()
 
 	##
 	# Create a ban ticket.
diff --git a/fail2ban/tests/banmanagertestcase.py b/fail2ban/tests/banmanagertestcase.py
index b627599d..d557f16e 100644
--- a/fail2ban/tests/banmanagertestcase.py
+++ b/fail2ban/tests/banmanagertestcase.py
@@ -147,8 +147,15 @@ class StatusExtendedCymruInfo(unittest.TestCase):
 		"""Call after every test case."""
 		pass
 
-	def testCymruInfo(self):
+	def _getBanListExtendedCymruInfo(self):
 		cymru_info = self.__banManager.getBanListExtendedCymruInfo()
+		if cymru_info.get("error"): # pragma: no cover - availability
+			raise unittest.SkipTest('Skip test because service is not available: %s' % cymru_info["error"])
+		return cymru_info
+
+
+	def testCymruInfo(self):
+		cymru_info = self._getBanListExtendedCymruInfo()
 		self.assertDictEqual(cymru_info,
 						  {"asn": [self.__asn],
 						   "country": [self.__country],
@@ -156,17 +163,17 @@ class StatusExtendedCymruInfo(unittest.TestCase):
 
 	def testCymruInfoASN(self):
 		self.assertEqual(
-			self.__banManager.geBanListExtendedASN(self.__banManager.getBanListExtendedCymruInfo()),
+			self.__banManager.geBanListExtendedASN(self._getBanListExtendedCymruInfo()),
 			[self.__asn])
 
 	def testCymruInfoCountry(self):
 		self.assertEqual(
-			self.__banManager.geBanListExtendedCountry(self.__banManager.getBanListExtendedCymruInfo()),
+			self.__banManager.geBanListExtendedCountry(self._getBanListExtendedCymruInfo()),
 			[self.__country])
 
 	def testCymruInfoRIR(self):
 		self.assertEqual(
-			self.__banManager.geBanListExtendedRIR(self.__banManager.getBanListExtendedCymruInfo()),
+			self.__banManager.geBanListExtendedRIR(self._getBanListExtendedCymruInfo()),
 			[self.__rir])
 
 	def testCymruInfoNxdomain(self):
@@ -175,7 +182,7 @@ class StatusExtendedCymruInfo(unittest.TestCase):
 		# non-existing IP
 		ticket = BanTicket("0.0.0.0", 1167605999.0)
 		self.assertTrue(self.__banManager.addBanTicket(ticket))
-		cymru_info = self.__banManager.getBanListExtendedCymruInfo()
+		cymru_info = self._getBanListExtendedCymruInfo()
 		self.assertDictEqual(cymru_info,
 						  {"asn": ["nxdomain"],
 						   "country": ["nxdomain"],
@@ -186,7 +193,7 @@ class StatusExtendedCymruInfo(unittest.TestCase):
 		# and new ones
 		ticket = BanTicket("10.0.0.0", 1167606000.0)
 		self.assertTrue(self.__banManager.addBanTicket(ticket))
-		cymru_info = self.__banManager.getBanListExtendedCymruInfo()
+		cymru_info = self._getBanListExtendedCymruInfo()
 		self.assertDictEqual(dict((k, sorted(v)) for k, v in cymru_info.iteritems()),
 						  {"asn": sorted(["nxdomain", "4565",]),
 						   "country": sorted(["nxdomain", "unknown"]),
diff --git a/fail2ban/tests/utils.py b/fail2ban/tests/utils.py
index ea051872..0f5ea9bd 100644
--- a/fail2ban/tests/utils.py
+++ b/fail2ban/tests/utils.py
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ def initTests(opts):
 		# sleep intervals are large - use replacement for sleep to check time to sleep:
 		_org_sleep = time.sleep
 		def _new_sleep(v):
-			if (v > Utils.DEFAULT_SLEEP_TIME): # pragma: no cover
+			if v > min(1, Utils.DEFAULT_SLEEP_TIME): # pragma: no cover
 				raise ValueError('[BAD-CODE] To long sleep interval: %s, try to use conditional Utils.wait_for instead' % v)
 			_org_sleep(min(v, Utils.DEFAULT_SLEEP_TIME))
 		time.sleep = _new_sleep