diff --git a/src/apps/protocols/cifs/mode/filescount.pm b/src/apps/protocols/cifs/mode/filescount.pm
index 28ae338f7..88cbf1fc6 100644
--- a/src/apps/protocols/cifs/mode/filescount.pm
+++ b/src/apps/protocols/cifs/mode/filescount.pm
@@ -106,27 +106,28 @@ sub countFiles {
                 # Cannot list we skip
                 next;
             }
-
+            # this loop is recursive, when we find a directory we add it to the list used by the for loop.
+            # max_depth is used to limit the depth we search.
+            # same behaviour as ftp and sftp protocol.
             foreach my $file (@$files) {
-                next if ($file->[0] != SMBC_FILE && $file->[0] != SMBC_DIR); 
+                next if ($file->[0] != SMBC_FILE && $file->[0] != SMBC_DIR);
                 next if ($file->[1] eq '.' || $file->[1] eq '..');
 
                 my $name = $dir . '/' . $file->[1];
-    
-                if (defined($self->{option_results}->{filter_file}) && $self->{option_results}->{filter_file} ne '' &&
-                    $name !~ /$self->{option_results}->{filter_file}/) {
-                    $self->{output}->output_add(long_msg => sprintf("skipping '%s'", $name), debug => 1);
-                    next;
-                }
 
                 if ($file->[0] == SMBC_DIR) {
                     if (defined($self->{option_results}->{max_depth}) && $level + 1 <= $self->{option_results}->{max_depth}) {
                         push @$list, { name => $name, level => $level + 1 };
                     }
-                } else {
-                    $self->{output}->output_add(long_msg => sprintf("Match '%s'", $name));
-                    $self->{global}->{detected}++;
+                    next;
+                } elsif (!centreon::plugins::misc::is_empty($self->{option_results}->{filter_file})
+                    # if this is a file check the filter_file regex
+                    && $name !~ /$self->{option_results}->{filter_file}/) {
+                    $self->{output}->output_add(long_msg => sprintf("skipping '%s'", $name), debug => 1);
+                    next;
                 }
+                $self->{output}->output_add(long_msg => sprintf("Match '%s'", $name));
+                $self->{global}->{detected}++;
             }        
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/apps/protocols/ftp/mode/filescount.pm b/src/apps/protocols/ftp/mode/filescount.pm
index 3345814fb..8c186f9aa 100644
--- a/src/apps/protocols/ftp/mode/filescount.pm
+++ b/src/apps/protocols/ftp/mode/filescount.pm
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ sub run {
 
     my $exit_code = $self->{perfdata}->threshold_check(value => $count,
                                                        threshold => [ { label => 'critical', exit_litteral => 'critical' }, { label => 'warning', exit_litteral => 'warning' } ]);
-    
+
     $self->{output}->output_add(severity => $exit_code,
                                 short_msg => sprintf("Number of files : %s", $count));
     $self->{output}->perfdata_add(label => 'files',
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ sub countFiles {
     my ($self) = @_;
     my @listings;
     my $count = 0;
-    
+
     if (!defined($self->{option_results}->{directory}) || scalar(@{$self->{option_results}->{directory}}) == 0) {
         push @listings, [ { name => '.', level => 0 } ];
     } else {
@@ -121,36 +121,39 @@ sub countFiles {
             my $hash = pop @$list;
             my $dir = $hash->{name};
             my $level = $hash->{level};
-                        
+
             if (!(@files = apps::protocols::ftp::lib::ftp::execute($self, command => $map_commands{ls}->{$self->{ssl_or_not}}->{name}, command_args => [$dir]))) {
                 # Cannot list we skip
                 next;
             }
-
+            # this loop is recursive, when we find a directory we add it to the list used by the for loop.
+            # max_depth is used to limit the depth we search.
+            # same behaviour as cifs(samba) and sftp protocol.
             foreach my $line (@files) {
                 # IIS: 05-13-15  10:59AM              1184403 test.jpg
                 next if ($line !~ /(\S+)\s+\S+\s+\S+\s+\S+\s+\S+\s+\S+\s+\S+\s+\S+\s+(.*)/ &&
-                         $line !~ /^\s*\S+\s*\S+\s*(\S+)\s+(.*)/);
+                    $line !~ /^\s*\S+\s*\S+\s*(\S+)\s+(.*)/);
                 my ($rights, $filename) = ($1, $2);
                 my $bname = basename($filename);
                 next if ($bname eq '.' || $bname eq '..');
                 my $name = $dir . '/' . $bname;
-                
-                if (defined($self->{option_results}->{filter_file}) && $self->{option_results}->{filter_file} ne '' &&
-                    $name !~ /$self->{option_results}->{filter_file}/) {
+
+                if ($rights =~ /^(d|<DIR>)/i) {
+                    # in the case of a directory and the max level is not reached yet, we add it to the recursive browsing
+                    if (defined($self->{option_results}->{max_depth})
+                        && $level + 1 <= $self->{option_results}->{max_depth}) {
+                        push @$list, { name => $name, level => $level + 1 };
+                    }
+                    next;
+                } elsif (!centreon::plugins::misc::is_empty($self->{option_results}->{filter_file})
+                    && $name !~ /$self->{option_results}->{filter_file}/) {
                     $self->{output}->output_add(long_msg => sprintf("Skipping '%s'", $name));
+                     # in the case of a file that does not match the filter, we skip
                     next;
                 }
-            
-                if ($rights =~ /^(d|<DIR>)/i) {
-                    if (defined($self->{option_results}->{max_depth}) && $level + 1 <= $self->{option_results}->{max_depth}) {
-                        push @$list, { name => $name, level => $level + 1};
-                    }
-                } else {
-                    $self->{output}->output_add(long_msg => sprintf("Match '%s'", $name));
-                    $count++;
-                }
-            }        
+                $self->{output}->output_add(long_msg => sprintf("Match '%s'", $name));
+                $count++;
+            }
         }
     }
     return $count;
diff --git a/src/apps/protocols/sftp/mode/filescount.pm b/src/apps/protocols/sftp/mode/filescount.pm
index 6d74c3567..11e6c3853 100644
--- a/src/apps/protocols/sftp/mode/filescount.pm
+++ b/src/apps/protocols/sftp/mode/filescount.pm
@@ -34,12 +34,12 @@ sub set_counters {
 
     $self->{maps_counters}->{global} = [
         { label => 'files-detected', nlabel => 'files.detected.count', set => {
-                key_values => [ { name => 'detected' } ],
-                output_template => 'number of files: %s',
-                perfdatas => [
-                    { template => '%s', min => 0 }
-                ]
-            }
+            key_values      => [ { name => 'detected' } ],
+            output_template => 'number of files: %s',
+            perfdatas       => [
+                { template => '%s', min => 0 }
+            ]
+        }
         }
     ];
 }
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ sub manage_selection {
 sub countFiles {
     my ($self, %options) = @_;
     my @listings;
-    
+
     foreach my $dir (@{$self->{option_results}->{directory}}) {
         push @listings, [ { name => $dir, level => 0 } ];
     }
@@ -111,26 +111,27 @@ sub countFiles {
                 # Cannot list we skip
                 next;
             }
-
+            # this loop is recursive, when we find a directory we add it to the list used by the for loop.
+            # max_depth is used to limit the depth we search.
+            # same behaviour as cifs(samba) and ftp protocol.
             foreach my $file (@{$rv->{files}}) {
                 next if ($file->{name} eq '.' || $file->{name} eq '..');
                 my $name = $dir . '/' . $file->{name};
-    
-                if (defined($self->{option_results}->{filter_file}) && $self->{option_results}->{filter_file} ne '' &&
-                    $name !~ /$self->{option_results}->{filter_file}/) {
-                    $self->{output}->output_add(long_msg => sprintf("skipping '%s'", $name), debug => 1);
-                    next;
-                }
 
                 if ($file->{type} == 2) {
+                    # case of a directory
                     if (defined($self->{option_results}->{max_depth}) && $level + 1 <= $self->{option_results}->{max_depth}) {
                         push @$list, { name => $name, level => $level + 1 };
                     }
-                } else {
-                    $self->{output}->output_add(long_msg => sprintf("Match '%s'", $name));
-                    $self->{global}->{detected}++;
+                    next;
+                } elsif (!centreon::plugins::misc::is_empty($self->{option_results}->{filter_file})
+                    && $name !~ /$self->{option_results}->{filter_file}/) {
+                    $self->{output}->output_add(long_msg => sprintf("skipping '%s'", $name), debug => 1);
+                    next;
                 }
-            }        
+                $self->{output}->output_add(long_msg => sprintf("Match '%s'", $name));
+                $self->{global}->{detected}++;
+            }
         }
     }
 }