diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandbanip.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandbanip.java
index 3301afc87..dff0edcbd 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandbanip.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandbanip.java
@@ -3,24 +3,40 @@ package com.earth2me.essentials.commands;
 import com.earth2me.essentials.Util;
 import org.bukkit.Server;
 import org.bukkit.command.CommandSender;
-
+import java.util.regex.Matcher;  
+import java.util.regex.Pattern; 
 
 public class Commandbanip extends EssentialsCommand
 {
-	public Commandbanip()
-	{
-		super("banip");
-	}
+    public Commandbanip()
+    {
+        super("banip");
+    }
 
-	@Override
-	public void run(Server server, CommandSender sender, String commandLabel, String[] args) throws Exception
-	{
-		if (args.length < 1)
-		{
-			throw new NotEnoughArgumentsException();
-		}
-
-		ess.getServer().banIP(args[0]);
-		sender.sendMessage(Util.i18n("banIpAddress"));
-	}
+    @Override
+    public void run(Server server, CommandSender sender, String commandLabel, String[] args) throws Exception
+    {
+        if (args.length < 1)
+        {
+            throw new NotEnoughArgumentsException();
+        }
+        
+        if ( isIPAddress(args[0]) {
+            ess.getServer().banIP(args[0]);
+            sender.sendMessage(Util.i18n("banIpAddress"));
+        }
+        else {
+            User u = ess.getUser(p);
+            ess.getServer().banIP(u.getAddress().getAddress().toString());
+            sender.sendMessage(Util.i18n("banIpAddress"));
+        }
+    }
+    
+    private boolean isIPAddress(String str) {  
+        String expression = "^(([0-9]|[1-9][0-9]|1[0-9]{2}|2[0-4][0-9]|25[0-5])\.){3}([0-9]|[1-9][0-9]|1[0-9]{2}|2[0-4][0-9]|25[0-5])$";
+        Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile(expression,Pattern.CASE_INSENSITIVE);
+        Matcher matcher = pattern.matcher(str);
+        
+        return matcher.matches();   
+    }
 }