diff --git a/fail2ban/client/fail2banregex.py b/fail2ban/client/fail2banregex.py
index 26e7394a..5921dfdd 100644
--- a/fail2ban/client/fail2banregex.py
+++ b/fail2ban/client/fail2banregex.py
@@ -720,14 +720,6 @@ class Fail2banRegex(object):
 
 		return True
 
-	def file_lines_gen(self, hdlr):
-		while 1:
-			line = hdlr.readline()
-			if line is None:
-				break
-			yield line
-		hdlr.close()
-
 	def start(self, args):
 
 		cmd_log, cmd_regex = args[:2]
@@ -746,10 +738,10 @@ class Fail2banRegex(object):
 
 		if os.path.isfile(cmd_log):
 			try:
-				hdlr = FileContainer(cmd_log, self._encoding, doOpen=True)
+				test_lines = FileContainer(cmd_log, self._encoding, doOpen=True)
+
 				self.output( "Use         log file : %s" % cmd_log )
 				self.output( "Use         encoding : %s" % self._encoding )
-				test_lines = self.file_lines_gen(hdlr)
 			except IOError as e: # pragma: no cover
 				output( e )
 				return False
diff --git a/fail2ban/server/filter.py b/fail2ban/server/filter.py
index 9a2df255..e16d86c9 100644
--- a/fail2ban/server/filter.py
+++ b/fail2ban/server/filter.py
@@ -1280,6 +1280,7 @@ class FileContainer:
 
 	def __init__(self, filename, encoding, tail=False, doOpen=False):
 		self.__filename = filename
+		self.waitForLineEnd = True
 		self.setEncoding(encoding)
 		self.__tail = tail
 		self.__handler = None
@@ -1469,9 +1470,10 @@ class FileContainer:
 					l = r.rstrip('\r\n')
 					if l != r:
 						return l
-				# not fulfilled - seek back and return:
-				self.__handler.seek(-bl, 1)
-				return None
+				if self.waitForLineEnd:
+					# not fulfilled - seek back and return:
+					self.__handler.seek(-bl, 1)
+					return None
 		return l
 
 	def close(self):
@@ -1482,6 +1484,15 @@ class FileContainer:
 			self.__handler.close()
 			self.__handler = None
 
+	def __iter__(self):
+		return self
+	def next(self):
+		line = self.readline()
+		if line is None:
+			self.close()
+			raise StopIteration
+		return line
+
 _decode_line_warn = Utils.Cache(maxCount=1000, maxTime=24*60*60);
 
 
diff --git a/fail2ban/tests/samplestestcase.py b/fail2ban/tests/samplestestcase.py
index 5a72ffa9..b33b46c1 100644
--- a/fail2ban/tests/samplestestcase.py
+++ b/fail2ban/tests/samplestestcase.py
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ __copyright__ = "Copyright (c) 2013 Steven Hiscocks"
 __license__ = "GPL"
 
 import datetime
-import fileinput
 import inspect
 import json
 import os
@@ -156,12 +155,15 @@ def testSampleRegexsFactory(name, basedir):
 		i = 0
 		while i < len(filenames):
 			filename = filenames[i]; i += 1;
-			logFile = fileinput.FileInput(os.path.join(TEST_FILES_DIR, "logs",
-				filename), mode='rb')
+			logFile = FileContainer(os.path.join(TEST_FILES_DIR, "logs",
+				filename), 'UTF-8', doOpen=True)
+			# avoid errors if no NL char at end of test log-file:
+			logFile.waitForLineEnd = False
 
 			ignoreBlock = False
+			lnnum = 0
 			for line in logFile:
-				line = FileContainer.decode_line(logFile.filename(), 'UTF-8', line)
+				lnnum += 1
 				jsonREMatch = re.match("^#+ ?(failJSON|(?:file|filter)Options|addFILE):(.+)$", line)
 				if jsonREMatch:
 					try:
@@ -201,9 +203,8 @@ def testSampleRegexsFactory(name, basedir):
 						# failJSON - faildata contains info of the failure to check it.
 					except ValueError as e: # pragma: no cover - we've valid json's
 						raise ValueError("%s: %s:%i" %
-							(e, logFile.filename(), logFile.filelineno()))
+							(e, logFile.getFileName(), lnnum))
 					line = next(logFile)
-					line = FileContainer.decode_line(logFile.filename(), 'UTF-8', line)
 				elif ignoreBlock or line.startswith("#") or not line.strip():
 					continue
 				else: # pragma: no cover - normally unreachable
@@ -298,7 +299,7 @@ def testSampleRegexsFactory(name, basedir):
 						import pprint
 						raise AssertionError("%s: %s on: %s:%i, line:\n  %s\nregex (%s):\n  %s\n"
 							"faildata: %s\nfail: %s" % (
-								fltName, e, logFile.filename(), logFile.filelineno(), 
+								fltName, e, logFile.getFileName(), lnnum, 
 								line, failregex, regexList[failregex] if failregex != -1 else None,
 								'\n'.join(pprint.pformat(faildata).splitlines()),
 								'\n'.join(pprint.pformat(fail).splitlines())))