diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index d95b9ab1..b1915834 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-fail2ban (0.5.4-5.9) unstable; urgency=low
+fail2ban (0.5.4-5.10) unstable; urgency=low
 
   * Added a notification regarding the importance of 0.5.4-5 change of
     failregex in the config file.
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ fail2ban (0.5.4-5.9) unstable; urgency=low
   * Introduced fwcheck option to verify consistency of the
     chains. Implemented automatic restart of fail2ban main function in
     case if check of fwban or fwban command failed (closes: #329163, #331695).
+    (Introduced patch was further adjusted by upstream author)
 
  -- Yaroslav Halchenko <debian@onerussian.com>  Mon,  3 Oct 2005 22:26:28 -1000
 
diff --git a/fail2ban.py b/fail2ban.py
index 63c60095..2d65070e 100755
--- a/fail2ban.py
+++ b/fail2ban.py
@@ -100,9 +100,7 @@ def initializeFwRules():
 	executeCmd(conf["cmdstart"], conf["debug"])
 	# Execute start command of each section
 	for element in logFwList:
-		l = element[4]
-		executeCmd(l["fwstart"], conf["debug"])
-
+		element[2].initialize(conf["debug"])
 
 def reBan():
 	""" For each section asks the Firewall to reban known IPs
@@ -117,13 +115,12 @@ def restoreFwRules():
 	for element in logFwList:
 		try:
 			element[2].flushBanList(conf["debug"])
-		except ExternalError, e:
+		except ExternalError:
 			# nothing bad really - we can survive :-)
 			pass
 	# Execute end command of each section
 	for element in logFwList:
-		l = element[4]
-		executeCmd(l["fwend"], conf["debug"])
+		element[2].restore(conf["debug"])
 	# Execute global end command
 	executeCmd(conf["cmdend"], conf["debug"])
 
@@ -220,6 +217,7 @@ def main():
 					["int", "reinittime", 100],
 					["int", "maxreinits", 100])
 
+
 	# Gets global configuration options
 	conf.update(confReader.getLogOptions("DEFAULT", optionValues))
 	
@@ -398,7 +396,7 @@ def main():
 			fObj = Firewall(l["fwban"], l["fwunban"], l["fwcheck"], l["bantime"])
 			# Links them into a list. I'm not really happy
 			# with this :/
-			logFwList.append([t, lObj, fObj, dict(), l])
+			logFwList.append([t, lObj, fObj, dict()])
 	
 	logSys.info("Enabled sections: %s"%enabledSections)
 	
@@ -416,8 +414,8 @@ def main():
 			logSys.warn(ip + " is not a valid IP address")
 	
 	initializeFwRules()
-	
-	lastReinitTime = time.time()-conf["reinittime"]-1 # try to reinit once if it fails immediately
+	# try to reinit once if it fails immediately
+	lastReinitTime = time.time() - conf["reinittime"] - 1
 	reinits = 0
 	# Main loop
 	while True:
@@ -484,23 +482,28 @@ def main():
 			reinits += 1
 			logSys.error(e)
 			if ((unixTime - lastReinitTime > conf["reinittime"]) and
-				((conf["maxreinits"]<0) or (reinits < conf["maxreinits"]))):
+				((conf["maxreinits"] < 0) or (reinits < conf["maxreinits"]))):
 				logSys.warn("#%d reinitialization of firewalls"%reinits)
 				lastReinitTime = unixTime
 			else:
-				logSys.error("Exiting: reinits follow too often, or too many reinit attempts")
+				logSys.error("Exiting: reinits follow too often, or too many " +
+							 "reinit attempts")
 				killApp()
-
 			# save firewalls to keep a list of IPs for rebanning
 			logFwListCopy = copy.deepcopy(logFwList)
-			# restore as much as possible
-			restoreFwRules()
-			# reinitialize all the chains
-			initializeFwRules()
-			# restore the lists of baned IPs
-			logFwList.__init__(logFwListCopy)
-			# reBan known IPs
-			reBan()
+			try:
+				# restore as much as possible
+				restoreFwRules()
+				# reinitialize all the chains
+				initializeFwRules()
+				# restore the lists of baned IPs
+				logFwList.__init__(logFwListCopy)
+				# reBan known IPs
+				reBan()
+			except ExternalError:
+				raise ExternalError("Big Oops happened: situation is out of " +
+									"control. Something is wrong with your " +
+									"setup. Please check your settings")
 		except KeyboardInterrupt:
 			# When the user press <ctrl>+<c> we exit nicely.
 			killApp()
diff --git a/firewall/firewall.py b/firewall/firewall.py
index c552bf3a..04aac6e1 100644
--- a/firewall/firewall.py
+++ b/firewall/firewall.py
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ import time, os, logging, re
 
 from utils.process import executeCmd
 from utils.strings import replaceTag
-from utils.process import ExternalError
 
 # Gets the instance of the logger.
 logSys = logging.getLogger("fail2ban")
@@ -42,23 +41,44 @@ class Firewall:
 		self.banRule = banRule
 		self.unBanRule = unBanRule
 		self.checkRule = checkRule
+		self.startRule = ""
+		self.endRule = ""
 		self.banTime = banTime
 		self.banList = dict()
 	
+	def setStartRule(self, cmd):
+		self.startRule = cmd
+		
+	def getStartRule(self):
+		return self.startRule
+	
+	def setEndRule(self, cmd):
+		self.endRule = cmd
+		
+	def getEndRule(self):
+		return self.endRule
+	
+	def initialize(self, debug):
+		logSys.debug("Initialize firewall rules")
+		executeCmd(self.startRule, debug)
+	
+	def restore(self, debug):
+		logSys.debug("Restore firewall rules")
+		executeCmd(self.endRule, debug)
+	
 	def addBanIP(self, aInfo, debug):
 		""" Bans an IP.
 		"""
 		ip = aInfo["ip"]
-		self.runCheck("pre-fwban", debug)
 		if not self.inBanList(ip):
 			crtTime = time.time()
 			logSys.warn("Ban " + ip)
 			self.banList[ip] = crtTime
 			aInfo["bantime"] = crtTime
-			cmd = self.banIP(aInfo)
-			if executeCmd(cmd, debug):
-				raise ExternalError("Firewall: execution of fwban command '%s' failed"%cmd)
+			self.runCheck(debug)
+			executeCmd(self.banIP(aInfo), debug)
 		else:
+			self.runCheck(debug)
 			logSys.error(ip+" already in ban list")
 	
 	def delBanIP(self, aInfo, debug):
@@ -66,37 +86,36 @@ class Firewall:
 		"""
 		ip = aInfo["ip"]
 		if self.inBanList(ip):
-			logSys.warn("Unban "+ip)
+			logSys.warn("Unban " + ip)
 			del self.banList[ip]
-			self.runCheck("pre-fwunban", debug)
+			self.runCheck(debug)
 			executeCmd(self.unBanIP(aInfo), debug)
 		else:
 			logSys.error(ip+" not in ban list")
 
 	def reBan(self, debug):
 		""" Re-Bans known IPs.
+			TODO: implement "failures" and "failtime"
 		"""
 		for ip in self.banList:
 			aInfo = {"ip": ip,
-					 "bantime":self.banList[ip]}
-			logSys.warn("ReBan "+ip)
+					 "bantime": self.banList[ip]}
+			logSys.warn("ReBan " + ip)
 			# next piece is similar to the on in addBanIp
 			# so might be one more function will not hurt
-			self.runCheck("pre-fw-reban", debug)
-			cmd = self.banIP(aInfo)
-			if executeCmd(cmd, debug):
-				raise ExternalError("Firewall: execution of fwban command '%s' failed"%cmd)
+			self.runCheck(debug)
+			executeCmd(self.banIP(aInfo), debug)
 	
 	def inBanList(self, ip):
 		""" Checks if IP is in ban list.
 		"""
 		return self.banList.has_key(ip)
 
-	def runCheck(self, location, debug):
-		""" Runs fwcheck command and throws an exception if it returns non-0 result """
-		if executeCmd(self.checkRule, debug):
-			raise ExternalError("Firewall: %s fwcheck command '%s' failed"
-								%(location,self.checkRule))
+	def runCheck(self, debug):
+		""" Runs fwcheck command and throws an exception if it returns non-0
+			result
+		"""
+		executeCmd(self.checkRule, debug)
 		
 	def checkForUnBan(self, debug):
 		""" Check for IP to remove from ban list.
diff --git a/utils/process.py b/utils/process.py
index b36f5098..f8be076d 100644
--- a/utils/process.py
+++ b/utils/process.py
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ import os, logging, signal
 logSys = logging.getLogger("fail2ban")
 
 class ExternalError(UserWarning):
-	""" Exception to warn about failed fwcheck or fwban command """
+	""" Exception to warn about failed command
+	"""
 	pass
 
 def createDaemon():
@@ -130,6 +131,7 @@ def executeCmd(cmd, debug):
 		retval = os.system(cmd)
 		if not retval == 0:
 			logSys.error("'" + cmd + "' returned " + `retval`)
+			raise ExternalError("Execution of command '%s' failed" % cmd)
 		return retval
 	else:
 		return None