diff --git a/fail2ban/client/fail2bancmdline.py b/fail2ban/client/fail2bancmdline.py
index 3c6bd0bf..53c86de6 100644
--- a/fail2ban/client/fail2bancmdline.py
+++ b/fail2ban/client/fail2bancmdline.py
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ logSys = getLogger("fail2ban")
 def output(s): # pragma: no cover
 	print(s)
 
-CONFIG_PARAMS = ("socket", "pidfile", "logtarget", "loglevel", "syslogsocket",)
+# Config parameters required to start fail2ban which can be also set via command line (overwrite fail2ban.conf),
+CONFIG_PARAMS = ("socket", "pidfile", "logtarget", "loglevel", "syslogsocket")
 # Used to signal - we are in test cases (ex: prevents change logging params, log capturing, etc)
 PRODUCTION = True
 
@@ -94,9 +95,9 @@ class Fail2banCmdLine():
 		output("and bans the corresponding IP addresses using firewall rules.")
 		output("")
 		output("Options:")
-		output("    -c <DIR>                configuration directory")
-		output("    -s <FILE>               socket path")
-		output("    -p <FILE>               pidfile path")
+		output("    -c, --conf <DIR>        configuration directory")
+		output("    -s, --socket <FILE>     socket path")
+		output("    -p, --pidfile <FILE>    pidfile path")
 		output("    --pname <NAME>          name of the process (main thread) to identify instance (default fail2ban-server)")
 		output("    --loglevel <LEVEL>      logging level")
 		output("    --logtarget <TARGET>    logging target, use file-name or stdout, stderr, syslog or sysout.")
@@ -130,17 +131,15 @@ class Fail2banCmdLine():
 		"""
 		for opt in optList:
 			o = opt[0]
-			if o == "-c":
+			if o in ("-c", "--conf"):
 				self._conf["conf"] = opt[1]
-			elif o == "-s":
+			elif o in ("-s", "--socket"):
 				self._conf["socket"] = opt[1]
-			elif o == "-p":
+			elif o in ("-p", "--pidfile"):
 				self._conf["pidfile"] = opt[1]
-			elif o.startswith("--log") or o.startswith("--sys"):
-				self._conf[ o[2:] ] = opt[1]
-			elif o in ["-d", "--dp", "--dump-pretty"]:
+			elif o in ("-d", "--dp", "--dump-pretty"):
 				self._conf["dump"] = True if o == "-d" else 2
-			elif o == "-t" or o == "--test":
+			elif o in ("-t", "--test"):
 				self.cleanConfOnly = True
 				self._conf["test"] = True
 			elif o == "-v":
@@ -164,12 +163,14 @@ class Fail2banCmdLine():
 				from ..server.mytime import MyTime
 				output(MyTime.str2seconds(opt[1]))
 				return True
-			elif o in ["-h", "--help"]:
+			elif o in ("-h", "--help"):
 				self.dispUsage()
 				return True
-			elif o in ["-V", "--version"]:
+			elif o in ("-V", "--version"):
 				self.dispVersion(o == "-V")
 				return True
+			elif o.startswith("--"): # other long named params (see also resetConf)
+				self._conf[ o[2:] ] = opt[1]
 		return None
 
 	def initCmdLine(self, argv):
@@ -186,7 +187,8 @@ class Fail2banCmdLine():
 			try:
 				cmdOpts = 'hc:s:p:xfbdtviqV'
 				cmdLongOpts = ['loglevel=', 'logtarget=', 'syslogsocket=', 'test', 'async',
-					'pname=', 'timeout=', 'str2sec=', 'help', 'version', 'dp', '--dump-pretty']
+					'conf=', 'pidfile=', 'pname=', 'socket=',
+					'timeout=', 'str2sec=', 'help', 'version', 'dp', '--dump-pretty']
 				optList, self._args = getopt.getopt(self._argv[1:], cmdOpts, cmdLongOpts)
 			except getopt.GetoptError:
 				self.dispUsage()
@@ -228,7 +230,8 @@ class Fail2banCmdLine():
 					if not conf:
 						self.configurator.readEarly()
 						conf = self.configurator.getEarlyOptions()
-					self._conf[o] = conf[o]
+					if o in conf:
+						self._conf[o] = conf[o]
 
 			logSys.info("Using socket file %s", self._conf["socket"])
 
diff --git a/man/fail2ban-client.1 b/man/fail2ban-client.1
index 32a90851..ad4fa0ed 100644
--- a/man/fail2ban-client.1
+++ b/man/fail2ban-client.1
@@ -10,13 +10,13 @@ Fail2Ban v0.10.5 reads log file that contains password failure report
 and bans the corresponding IP addresses using firewall rules.
 .SH OPTIONS
 .TP
-\fB\-c\fR <DIR>
+\fB\-c\fR, \fB\-\-conf\fR <DIR>
 configuration directory
 .TP
-\fB\-s\fR <FILE>
+\fB\-s\fR, \fB\-\-socket\fR <FILE>
 socket path
 .TP
-\fB\-p\fR <FILE>
+\fB\-p\fR, \fB\-\-pidfile\fR <FILE>
 pidfile path
 .TP
 \fB\-\-pname\fR <NAME>
diff --git a/man/fail2ban-server.1 b/man/fail2ban-server.1
index d75158a8..c7516cc8 100644
--- a/man/fail2ban-server.1
+++ b/man/fail2ban-server.1
@@ -10,13 +10,13 @@ Fail2Ban v0.10.5 reads log file that contains password failure report
 and bans the corresponding IP addresses using firewall rules.
 .SH OPTIONS
 .TP
-\fB\-c\fR <DIR>
+\fB\-c\fR, \fB\-\-conf\fR <DIR>
 configuration directory
 .TP
-\fB\-s\fR <FILE>
+\fB\-s\fR, \fB\-\-socket\fR <FILE>
 socket path
 .TP
-\fB\-p\fR <FILE>
+\fB\-p\fR, \fB\-\-pidfile\fR <FILE>
 pidfile path
 .TP
 \fB\-\-pname\fR <NAME>