diff --git a/crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/ip_ban_list.rs b/crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/ip_ban_list/ip_ban_list.rs
similarity index 90%
rename from crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/ip_ban_list.rs
rename to crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/ip_ban_list/ip_ban_list.rs
index e6e22aa3b2..7b29f36c67 100644
--- a/crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/ip_ban_list.rs
+++ b/crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/ip_ban_list/ip_ban_list.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use crate::middleware::ip_filter::ip_set::IpSet;
+use crate::middleware::ip_filter::ip_ban_list::ip_set::IpSet;
 use errors::{anyhow, AnyhowResult};
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::sync::{Arc, RwLock};
@@ -50,8 +50,8 @@ impl IpBanList {
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
-  use crate::middleware::ip_filter::ip_ban_list::IpBanList;
-  use crate::middleware::ip_filter::ip_set::IpSet;
+  use crate::middleware::ip_filter::ip_ban_list::ip_ban_list::IpBanList;
+  use crate::middleware::ip_filter::ip_ban_list::ip_set::IpSet;
 
   #[test]
   fn test_contains_ip() {
diff --git a/crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/ip_set.rs b/crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/ip_ban_list/ip_set.rs
similarity index 88%
rename from crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/ip_set.rs
rename to crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/ip_ban_list/ip_set.rs
index 2efbaf5f29..4f553b6c87 100644
--- a/crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/ip_set.rs
+++ b/crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/ip_ban_list/ip_set.rs
@@ -13,6 +13,12 @@ impl IpSet {
     }
   }
 
+  pub fn from_set(ip_set: HashSet<String>) -> Self {
+    Self {
+      ip_set,
+    }
+  }
+
   pub fn replace_set(&mut self, ip_set: HashSet<String>) {
     self.ip_set = ip_set;
   }
diff --git a/crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/ip_ban_list/load_ip_set_from_file.rs b/crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/ip_ban_list/load_ip_set_from_file.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cb8e52aee3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/ip_ban_list/load_ip_set_from_file.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+use crate::middleware::ip_filter::ip_ban_list::ip_set::IpSet;
+use errors::AnyhowResult;
+use std::collections::HashSet;
+use std::fs::File;
+use std::io::{BufRead, BufReader};
+use std::path::Path;
+
+pub fn load_ip_set_from_file<P: AsRef<Path>>(path: P) -> AnyhowResult<IpSet> {
+  let file = File::open(path)?;
+  let reader = BufReader::new(file);
+
+  let lines = reader.lines()
+      .filter_map(|line| line.ok())
+      .map(|line| line.trim().to_string())
+      .filter(|line| !(line.starts_with("#") || line.is_empty()))
+      .collect::<HashSet<String>>();
+
+  Ok(IpSet::from_set(lines))
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+  use std::path::PathBuf;
+  use crate::middleware::ip_filter::ip_ban_list::load_ip_set_from_file::load_ip_set_from_file;
+
+  fn test_file(path_from_repo_root: &str) -> PathBuf {
+    // https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/environment-variables.html
+    let mut path = PathBuf::from(env!("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR"));
+    path.push(format!("../../../{}", path_from_repo_root));
+    path
+  }
+
+  #[test]
+  fn test_load_ip_set_from_file() {
+    let filename = test_file("test_data/text_files/ip_addresses_and_comments.txt");
+    let ip_set = load_ip_set_from_file(filename).unwrap();
+
+    // Comments are not included
+    assert_eq!(ip_set.contains_ip_address("# this is test data"), false);
+
+    // IP addresses in the file are.
+    assert_eq!(ip_set.contains_ip_address("127.0.0.1"), true);
+
+    // Length is expected
+    assert_eq!(ip_set.len(), 4);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/ip_ban_list/mod.rs b/crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/ip_ban_list/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e81d8ec43d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/ip_ban_list/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+pub mod ip_ban_list;
+pub mod ip_set;
+pub mod load_ip_set_from_file;
diff --git a/crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/ip_filter_middleware.rs b/crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/ip_filter_middleware.rs
index 2860b56d26..886dae5686 100644
--- a/crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/ip_filter_middleware.rs
+++ b/crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/ip_filter_middleware.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
+use actix_web::Error;
 use actix_web::dev::{Service, Transform};
 use actix_web::dev::{ServiceRequest, ServiceResponse};
-use actix_web::Error;
+use crate::extractors::get_service_request_ip_address::get_service_request_ip_address;
 use crate::middleware::ip_filter::banned_error::BannedError;
-use crate::middleware::ip_filter::ip_ban_list::IpBanList;
+use crate::middleware::ip_filter::ip_ban_list::ip_ban_list::IpBanList;
 use futures_util::future::{err, ok, Either, Ready};
 use std::task::{Context, Poll};
-use crate::extractors::get_service_request_ip_address::get_service_request_ip_address;
 
 // There are two steps in middleware processing.
 // 1. Middleware initialization, middleware factory gets called with
diff --git a/crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/mod.rs b/crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/mod.rs
index 11ecca58a3..44a520446f 100644
--- a/crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/lib/actix_helpers/src/middleware/ip_filter/mod.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
 pub mod banned_error;
 pub mod ip_ban_list;
 pub mod ip_filter_middleware;
-pub mod ip_set;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test_data/text_files/ip_addresses_and_comments.txt b/test_data/text_files/ip_addresses_and_comments.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..de206bcf24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test_data/text_files/ip_addresses_and_comments.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# this is test data
+
+# local addresses
+127.0.0.1
+192.168.0.1
+
+# remote  addresses
+4.4.4.4
+8.8.8.8
+