diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index ecb8cc87..c4444e2a 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ releases.
   uses "fail2ban-python" now);
 * Fixed test case "testSetupInstallRoot" for not default python version (also
   using direct call, out of virtualenv);
+* Fixed ambiguous wrong recognized date pattern resp. its optional parts (see gh-1512);
 * `filter.d/ignorecommands/apache-fakegooglebot`
     - Fixed error within apache-fakegooglebot, that will be called 
       with wrong python version (gh-1506)
@@ -33,6 +34,8 @@ releases.
 ### New Features
 
 ### Enhancements
+* DateTemplate regexp extended with the word-end boundary, additionally to 
+  word-start boundary
 * Introduces new command "fail2ban-python", as automatically created symlink to 
   python executable, where fail2ban currently installed (resp. its modules are located):
     - allows to use the same version, fail2ban currently running, e.g. in 
diff --git a/fail2ban/server/datetemplate.py b/fail2ban/server/datetemplate.py
index 8210dad4..8e602289 100644
--- a/fail2ban/server/datetemplate.py
+++ b/fail2ban/server/datetemplate.py
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class DateTemplate(object):
 	def getRegex(self):
 		return self._regex
 
-	def setRegex(self, regex, wordBegin=True):
+	def setRegex(self, regex, wordBegin=True, wordEnd=True):
 		"""Sets regex to use for searching for date in log line.
 
 		Parameters
@@ -72,8 +72,12 @@ class DateTemplate(object):
 		regex : str
 			The regex the template will use for searching for a date.
 		wordBegin : bool
-			Defines whether the regex should be modified to search at
-			beginning of a word, by adding "\\b" to start of regex.
+			Defines whether the regex should be modified to search at beginning of a
+			word, by adding special boundary r'(?=^|\b|\W)' to start of regex.
+			Default True.
+		wordEnd : bool
+			Defines whether the regex should be modified to search at end of a word,
+			by adding special boundary r'(?=\b|\W|$)' to end of regex.
 			Default True.
 
 		Raises
@@ -82,8 +86,10 @@ class DateTemplate(object):
 			If regular expression fails to compile
 		"""
 		regex = regex.strip()
-		if (wordBegin and not re.search(r'^\^', regex)):
-			regex = r'\b' + regex
+		if wordBegin and not re.search(r'^\^', regex):
+			regex = r'(?=^|\b|\W)' + regex
+		if wordEnd and not re.search(r'\$$', regex):
+			regex += r'(?=\b|\W|$)'
 		self._regex = regex
 		self._cRegex = re.compile(regex, re.UNICODE | re.IGNORECASE)
 
diff --git a/fail2ban/tests/misctestcase.py b/fail2ban/tests/misctestcase.py
index e2b4c0b6..4dfff2d4 100644
--- a/fail2ban/tests/misctestcase.py
+++ b/fail2ban/tests/misctestcase.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ from utils import LogCaptureTestCase, logSys as DefLogSys
 
 from ..helpers import formatExceptionInfo, mbasename, TraceBack, FormatterWithTraceBack, getLogger
 from ..helpers import splitwords
+from ..server.datedetector import DateDetector
 from ..server.datetemplate import DatePatternRegex
 
 
@@ -340,3 +341,47 @@ class CustomDateFormatsTest(unittest.TestCase):
 		self.assertEqual(
 			date,
 			datetime.datetime(2007, 1, 25, 16, 0))
+
+	def testAmbiguousDatePattern(self):
+		defDD = DateDetector()
+		defDD.addDefaultTemplate()
+		logSys = DefLogSys
+		for (matched, dp, line) in (
+			# positive case:
+			('Jan 23 21:59:59',   None, 'Test failure Jan 23 21:59:59 for 192.0.2.1'),
+			# ambiguous "unbound" patterns (missed):
+			(False,               None, 'Test failure TestJan 23 21:59:59.011 2015 for 192.0.2.1'),
+			(False,               None, 'Test failure Jan 23 21:59:59123456789 for 192.0.2.1'),
+			# ambiguous "no optional year" patterns (matched):
+			('Aug 8 11:25:50',      None, 'Aug 8 11:25:50 14430f2329b8 Authentication failed from 192.0.2.1'),
+			('Aug 8 11:25:50',      None, '[Aug 8 11:25:50] 14430f2329b8 Authentication failed from 192.0.2.1'),
+			('Aug 8 11:25:50 2014', None, 'Aug 8 11:25:50 2014 14430f2329b8 Authentication failed from 192.0.2.1'),
+			# direct specified patterns:
+			('20:00:00 01.02.2003',    r'%H:%M:%S %d.%m.%Y$', '192.0.2.1 at 20:00:00 01.02.2003'),
+			('[20:00:00 01.02.2003]',  r'\[%H:%M:%S %d.%m.%Y\]', '192.0.2.1[20:00:00 01.02.2003]'),
+			('[20:00:00 01.02.2003]',  r'\[%H:%M:%S %d.%m.%Y\]', '[20:00:00 01.02.2003]192.0.2.1'),
+			('[20:00:00 01.02.2003]',  r'\[%H:%M:%S %d.%m.%Y\]$', '192.0.2.1[20:00:00 01.02.2003]'),
+			('[20:00:00 01.02.2003]',  r'^\[%H:%M:%S %d.%m.%Y\]', '[20:00:00 01.02.2003]192.0.2.1'),
+			('[17/Jun/2011 17:00:45]', r'^\[%d/%b/%Y %H:%M:%S\]', '[17/Jun/2011 17:00:45] Attempt, IP address 192.0.2.1'),
+			('[17/Jun/2011 17:00:45]', r'\[%d/%b/%Y %H:%M:%S\]', 'Attempt [17/Jun/2011 17:00:45] IP address 192.0.2.1'),
+			('[17/Jun/2011 17:00:45]', r'\[%d/%b/%Y %H:%M:%S\]', 'Attempt IP address 192.0.2.1, date: [17/Jun/2011 17:00:45]'),
+			# direct specified patterns (begin/end, missed):
+			(False,                 r'%H:%M:%S %d.%m.%Y', '192.0.2.1x20:00:00 01.02.2003'),
+			(False,                 r'%H:%M:%S %d.%m.%Y', '20:00:00 01.02.2003x192.0.2.1'),
+			# direct specified patterns (begin/end, matched):
+			('20:00:00 01.02.2003', r'%H:%M:%S %d.%m.%Y', '192.0.2.1 20:00:00 01.02.2003'),
+			('20:00:00 01.02.2003', r'%H:%M:%S %d.%m.%Y', '20:00:00 01.02.2003 192.0.2.1'),
+		):
+			logSys.debug('== test: %r', (matched, dp, line))
+			if dp is None:
+				dd = defDD
+			else:
+				dp = DatePatternRegex(dp)
+				dd = DateDetector()
+				dd.appendTemplate(dp)
+			date = dd.getTime(line)
+			if matched:
+				self.assertTrue(date)
+				self.assertEqual(matched, date[1].group())
+			else:
+				self.assertEqual(date, None)