Context : The hard X–ray source IGR J11215–5952 has been discovered with INTEGRAL during a short outburst in 2005 and proposed as a new member of the class of supergiant fast X-ray transients .

Aims : We analysed INTEGRAL public observations of the source field in order to search for previous outbursts from this transient , not reported in literature .

Methods : Our results are based on a systematic re-analysis of INTEGRAL archival observations , using the latest analysis software and instrument calibrations .

Results : We report the discovery of two previously unnoticed outbursts , spaced by intervals of \sim 330 days , that occurred in July 2003 and May 2004 .
The 5–100 keV spectrum of IGR J11215–5952 is well described by a cut-off power law , with a photon index of \sim 0.5 , and a cut-off energy \sim 15–20 keV , typical of High Mass X–ray Binaries hosting a neutron star .
A 5–100 keV luminosity of \sim 3 \times 10 ^ { 36 } erg s ^ { -1 } has been derived ( assuming 6.2 kpc , the distance of the likely optical counterpart ) .

Conclusions : The 5–100 keV spectral properties , the recurrent nature of the outbursts , together with the reduced error region containing the blue supergiant star HD 306414 , support the hypothesis that IGR J11215–5952 is a member of the class of the Supergiant Fast X–ray Transients .