diff --git a/lib/controller/checks.py b/lib/controller/checks.py
index 809a0e70153..f80cdfd27b1 100644
--- a/lib/controller/checks.py
+++ b/lib/controller/checks.py
@@ -271,15 +271,18 @@ def checkSqlInjection(place, parameter, value):
                     logger.debug(debugMsg)
                     continue
 
-                if kb.dbmsFilter and not intersect(payloadDbms, kb.dbmsFilter, True):
+                elif kb.dbmsFilter and not intersect(payloadDbms, kb.dbmsFilter, True):
                     debugMsg = "skipping test '%s' because " % title
                     debugMsg += "its declared DBMS is different than provided"
                     logger.debug(debugMsg)
                     continue
 
+                elif kb.reduceTests == False:
+                    pass
+
                 # Skip DBMS-specific test if it does not match the
                 # previously identified DBMS (via DBMS-specific payload)
-                if injection.dbms and not intersect(payloadDbms, injection.dbms, True):
+                elif injection.dbms and not intersect(payloadDbms, injection.dbms, True):
                     debugMsg = "skipping test '%s' because " % title
                     debugMsg += "its declared DBMS is different than identified"
                     logger.debug(debugMsg)
@@ -287,7 +290,7 @@ def checkSqlInjection(place, parameter, value):
 
                 # Skip DBMS-specific test if it does not match the
                 # previously identified DBMS (via DBMS-specific error message)
-                if kb.reduceTests and not intersect(payloadDbms, kb.reduceTests, True):
+                elif kb.reduceTests and not intersect(payloadDbms, kb.reduceTests, True):
                     debugMsg = "skipping test '%s' because the heuristic " % title
                     debugMsg += "tests showed that the back-end DBMS "
                     debugMsg += "could be '%s'" % unArrayizeValue(kb.reduceTests)
diff --git a/lib/core/settings.py b/lib/core/settings.py
index d444efd6a23..1f1f80a5358 100644
--- a/lib/core/settings.py
+++ b/lib/core/settings.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 from thirdparty.six import unichr as _unichr
 
 # sqlmap version (<major>.<minor>.<month>.<monthly commit>)
-VERSION = "1.6.7.2"
+VERSION = "1.6.8.1"
 TYPE = "dev" if VERSION.count('.') > 2 and VERSION.split('.')[-1] != '0' else "stable"
 TYPE_COLORS = {"dev": 33, "stable": 90, "pip": 34}
 VERSION_STRING = "sqlmap/%s#%s" % ('.'.join(VERSION.split('.')[:-1]) if VERSION.count('.') > 2 and VERSION.split('.')[-1] == '0' else VERSION, TYPE)
diff --git a/lib/request/connect.py b/lib/request/connect.py
index f862b18fc9c..0e6eae9b55e 100644
--- a/lib/request/connect.py
+++ b/lib/request/connect.py
@@ -1544,7 +1544,10 @@ def _(value):
                         if payload is None:
                             value = value.replace(kb.customInjectionMark, "")
                         else:
-                            value = re.sub(r"\w*%s" % re.escape(kb.customInjectionMark), payload, value)
+                            try:
+                                value = re.sub(r"\w*%s" % re.escape(kb.customInjectionMark), payload, value)
+                            except re.error:
+                                value = re.sub(r"\w*%s" % re.escape(kb.customInjectionMark), re.escape(payload), value)
                     return value
                 page, headers, code = Connect.getPage(url=_(kb.secondReq[0]), post=_(kb.secondReq[2]), method=kb.secondReq[1], cookie=kb.secondReq[3], silent=silent, auxHeaders=dict(auxHeaders, **dict(kb.secondReq[4])), response=response, raise404=False, ignoreTimeout=timeBasedCompare, refreshing=True)