diff --git a/lib/resources/iptables.rb b/lib/resources/iptables.rb
index 8ee8201ef..494e8ed09 100644
--- a/lib/resources/iptables.rb
+++ b/lib/resources/iptables.rb
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ class IpTables < Inspec.resource(1)
   "
 
   def initialize(params = {})
-    @table = params[:table] || nil
-    @chain = params[:chain] || nil
+    @table = params[:table]
+    @chain = params[:chain]
 
     # we're done if we are on linux
     return if inspec.os.linux?
@@ -43,29 +43,26 @@ class IpTables < Inspec.resource(1)
   end
 
   def has_rule?(rule = nil, _table = nil, _chain = nil)
-    found = false
-    retrieve_rules.each { |line|
-      # checks if the rule is part of the ruleset
-      # for now, we expect an excact match
-      found = true if line.casecmp(rule) == 0
-    }
-    found
+    # checks if the rule is part of the ruleset
+    # for now, we expect an exact match
+    retrieve_rules.any? { |line| line.casecmp(rule) == 0 }
   end
 
   def retrieve_rules
     return @iptables_cache if defined?(@iptables_cache)
 
     # construct iptables command to read all rules
-    @table.nil? ? table_cmd = '' : table_cmd = " -t #{@table} "
-    @chain.nil? ? chain_cmd = '' : chain_cmd = " #{@chain}"
-    cmd = inspec.command(format('iptables %s -S %s', table_cmd, chain_cmd).strip)
+    table_cmd = "-t #{@table}" if @table
+    iptables_cmd = format('iptables %s -S %s', table_cmd, @chain).strip
+
+    cmd = inspec.command(iptables_cmd)
     return [] if cmd.exit_status.to_i != 0
 
     # split rules, returns array or rules
-    @iptables_cache = cmd.stdout.chomp.split("\n")
+    @iptables_cache = cmd.stdout.split("\n").map(&:strip)
   end
 
   def to_s
-    format('Iptables %s %s', @table.nil? ? '' : "table: #{@table}", @chain.nil? ? '' : "chain: #{@chain}").strip
+    format('Iptables %s %s', @table && "table: #{@table}", @chain && "chain: #{@chain}").strip
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/integration/cookbooks/os_prepare/recipes/default.rb b/test/integration/cookbooks/os_prepare/recipes/default.rb
index a4296ad68..e214fae37 100644
--- a/test/integration/cookbooks/os_prepare/recipes/default.rb
+++ b/test/integration/cookbooks/os_prepare/recipes/default.rb
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ include_recipe('os_prepare::mount')
 include_recipe('os_prepare::service')
 include_recipe('os_prepare::package')
 include_recipe('os_prepare::registry_key')
+include_recipe('os_prepare::iptables')
 
 # configure repos, eg. nginx
 include_recipe('os_prepare::apt')
diff --git a/test/integration/cookbooks/os_prepare/recipes/iptables.rb b/test/integration/cookbooks/os_prepare/recipes/iptables.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c9121d72d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/cookbooks/os_prepare/recipes/iptables.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# encoding: utf-8
+# author: Stephan Renatus
+
+case node['platform']
+when 'ubuntu', 'rhel', 'centos', 'fedora'
+  execute 'iptables -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp -m tcp '\
+          '--dport 80 -m state --state NEW -m comment '\
+          '--comment "http on 80" -j ACCEPT'
+  execute 'iptables -N derby-cognos-web'
+  execute 'iptables -A INPUT -j derby-cognos-web'
+  execute 'iptables -A derby-cognos-web -p tcp -m tcp --dport 80 '\
+          '-m comment --comment "derby-cognos-web" -j ACCEPT'
+end
diff --git a/test/integration/test/integration/default/iptables_spec.rb b/test/integration/test/integration/default/iptables_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1bf0008da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/test/integration/default/iptables_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+# encoding: utf-8
+
+case os[:family]
+when 'ubuntu', 'fedora'
+  describe iptables do
+    it { should have_rule('-A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp -m tcp --dport 80 -m state --state NEW -m comment --comment "http on 80" -j ACCEPT') }
+    it { should_not have_rule('-A INPUT -i eth1 -p tcp -m tcp --dport 80 -j ACCEPT') }
+
+    # single-word comments have their quotes dropped
+    it { should have_rule('-A derby-cognos-web -p tcp -m tcp --dport 80 -m comment --comment derby-cognos-web -j ACCEPT') }
+  end
+when  'rhel', 'centos'
+  describe iptables do
+    it { should have_rule('-A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp -m tcp --dport 80 -m state --state NEW -m comment --comment "http on 80" -j ACCEPT') }
+    it { should_not have_rule('-A INPUT -i eth1 -p tcp -m tcp --dport 80 -j ACCEPT') }
+  end
+
+  describe iptables do
+    it { should have_rule('-A derby-cognos-web -p tcp -m tcp --dport 80 -m comment --comment "derby-cognos-web" -j ACCEPT') }
+  end if os[:release] == 6
+
+  describe iptables do
+    it { should have_rule('-A derby-cognos-web -p tcp -m tcp --dport 80 -m comment --comment derby-cognos-web -j ACCEPT') }
+  end if os[:release] == 7
+end
diff --git a/test/unit/mock/cmd/iptables-s b/test/unit/mock/cmd/iptables-s
index 57a642322..c86c36d30 100644
--- a/test/unit/mock/cmd/iptables-s
+++ b/test/unit/mock/cmd/iptables-s
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@
 -P OUTPUT ACCEPT
 -A INPUT -m conntrack --ctstate RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
 -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp -m tcp --dport 22 -m state --state NEW -j ACCEPT
--A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp -m tcp --dport 80 -m state --state NEW -j ACCEPT
+-A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp -m tcp --dport 80 -m state --state NEW -m comment --comment "http like its 1990" -j ACCEPT
diff --git a/test/unit/resources/iptables_test.rb b/test/unit/resources/iptables_test.rb
index 64bb8bf54..2bcc5428b 100644
--- a/test/unit/resources/iptables_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/resources/iptables_test.rb
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ describe 'Inspec::Resources::Iptables' do
     _(resource.has_rule?('-P OUTPUT DROP')).must_equal false
   end
 
+  it 'verify iptables with comments on ubuntu' do
+    resource = MockLoader.new(:ubuntu1404).load_resource('iptables')
+    _(resource.has_rule?('-A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp -m tcp --dport 80 -m state --state NEW -m comment --comment "http like its 1990" -j ACCEPT')).must_equal true
+  end
+
   it 'verify iptables on windows' do
     resource = MockLoader.new(:windows).load_resource('iptables')
     _(resource.has_rule?('-P OUTPUT ACCEPT')).must_equal false