diff --git a/chatterbot/adapters/storage/jsondatabase.py b/chatterbot/adapters/storage/jsondatabase.py
index 8a8ae0282..1a1e64388 100644
--- a/chatterbot/adapters/storage/jsondatabase.py
+++ b/chatterbot/adapters/storage/jsondatabase.py
@@ -54,12 +54,19 @@ def _all_kwargs_match_values(self, kwarguments, values):
             if "__" in kwarg:
                 kwarg_parts = kwarg.split("__")
 
-                if kwarg_parts[1] == "contains":
+                key = kwarg_parts[0]
+                identifier = kwarg_parts[1]
+
+                if identifier == "contains":
                     text_values = []
-                    for val in values[kwarg_parts[0]]:
+                    for val in values[key]:
                         text_values.append(val[0])
 
-                    if (kwarguments[kwarg] not in text_values) and (kwarguments[kwarg] not in values[kwarg_parts[0]]):
+                    if (kwarguments[kwarg] not in text_values) and (kwarguments[kwarg] not in values[key]):
+                        return False
+
+                if identifier == "not":
+                    if (key in values) and (kwarguments[kwarg] == values[key]):
                         return False
 
             if kwarg in values:
diff --git a/chatterbot/chatterbot.py b/chatterbot/chatterbot.py
index 847775dda..5e45a891d 100644
--- a/chatterbot/chatterbot.py
+++ b/chatterbot/chatterbot.py
@@ -90,6 +90,22 @@ def get_response(self, input_text):
 
         all_statements = self.storage.filter()
 
+        '''
+        Filter out all statements that are not in response to another statement.
+        A statement must exist which lists the closest matching statement in the
+        in_response_to field. Otherwise, the logic adapter may find a closest
+        matching statement that does not have a known response.
+        '''
+        for statement in all_statements:
+            response_exists = False
+            for s in all_statements:
+                if statement in s.in_response_to:
+                    response_exists = True
+                    break # Exit for loop since one exists
+
+            if not response_exists:
+                all_statements.remove(statement)
+
         # Select the closest match to the input statement
         closest_match = self.logic.get(
             input_statement,
diff --git a/tests/storage_adapter_tests/test_jsondb_adapter.py b/tests/storage_adapter_tests/test_jsondb_adapter.py
index 78503a4b8..ddc8e492d 100644
--- a/tests/storage_adapter_tests/test_jsondb_adapter.py
+++ b/tests/storage_adapter_tests/test_jsondb_adapter.py
@@ -288,6 +288,58 @@ def test_filter_returns_statement_with_multiple_responses(self):
 
         self.assertEqual(len(response.in_response_to), 2)
 
+    def test_not_filter_no_responses(self):
+        statement = Statement(
+            "You are welcome.",
+            in_response_to=[]
+        )
+        self.adapter.update(statement)
+        response = self.adapter.filter(
+            in_response_to__not=[]
+        )
+
+        self.assertEqual(
+            len(response),
+            0,
+            "A response was found when none should have been returned."
+        )
+
+    def test_not_filter_multiple_responses(self):
+        statements = [
+            Statement(
+                "You are welcome.",
+                in_response_to=[]
+            ),
+            Statement(
+                "I like ducks.",
+                in_response_to=[]
+            ),
+            Statement(
+                "Hello.",
+                in_response_to=[Response("Hi.")]
+            ),
+            Statement(
+                "Hi.",
+                in_response_to=[Response("Hello.")]
+            ),
+            Statement(
+                "Hey!",
+                in_response_to=[Response("Hello.")]
+            )
+        ]
+
+        for statement in statements:
+            self.adapter.update(statement)
+
+        response = self.adapter.filter(
+            in_response_to__not=[]
+        )
+
+        self.assertEqual(len(response), 3)
+        self.assertIn("Hello.", response)
+        self.assertIn("Hi.", response)
+        self.assertIn("Hey!", response)
+
 
 class ReadOnlyJsonDatabaseAdapterTestCase(BaseJsonDatabaseAdapterTestCase):
 
diff --git a/tests/test_chatbot_output.py b/tests/test_chatbot_output.py
index c75146310..05dfd6b0f 100644
--- a/tests/test_chatbot_output.py
+++ b/tests/test_chatbot_output.py
@@ -170,12 +170,12 @@ def test_second_response_format(self):
         response = self.chatbot.get_response("Hi")
         # response = "Hello"
         second_response = self.chatbot.get_response("How are you?")
-        statement_object = self.chatbot.storage.find(second_response)
+        statement = self.chatbot.storage.find(second_response)
 
         self.assertEqual(second_response, self.test_statement.text)
-        #TODO: self.assertEqual(statement_object.get_response_count(), 2)
-        self.assertEqual(len(statement_object.in_response_to), 1)
-        self.assertIn("Hi", statement_object.in_response_to)
+        #TODO: self.assertEqual(statement.get_response_count(), 2)
+        self.assertEqual(len(statement.in_response_to), 1)
+        self.assertIn("Hi", statement.in_response_to)
 
 
 class ChatterBotStorageIntegrationTests(UntrainedChatBotTestCase):
diff --git a/tests/training_tests/test_training.py b/tests/training_tests/test_training.py
index 2269426bc..f1effeb17 100644
--- a/tests/training_tests/test_training.py
+++ b/tests/training_tests/test_training.py
@@ -108,3 +108,24 @@ def test_training_with_unicode_characters(self):
 
         self.assertEqual(response, conversation[2])
 
+    def test_similar_sentence_gets_same_response_multiple_times(self):
+        """
+        Tests if the bot returns the same response for the same question (which
+        is similar to the one present in the training set) when asked repeatedly.
+        """
+        training = [
+            'how do you login to gmail?',
+            'Goto gmail.com, enter your login information and hit enter!'
+        ]
+
+        similar_question = 'how do I login to gmail?'
+
+        self.chatbot.train(training)
+
+        response_to_trained_set = self.chatbot.get_response('how do you login to gmail?')
+        response_to_similar_question_1 = self.chatbot.get_response(similar_question)
+        response_to_similar_question_2 = self.chatbot.get_response(similar_question)
+
+        self.assertEqual(response_to_trained_set, response_to_similar_question_1)
+        self.assertEqual(response_to_similar_question_1, response_to_similar_question_2)
+