diff --git a/lib/fluent/plugin/in_tail/position_file.rb b/lib/fluent/plugin/in_tail/position_file.rb
index faf27e95ee..d00ecd3186 100644
--- a/lib/fluent/plugin/in_tail/position_file.rb
+++ b/lib/fluent/plugin/in_tail/position_file.rb
@@ -22,19 +22,18 @@ class PositionFile
       UNWATCHED_POSITION = 0xffffffffffffffff
       POSITION_FILE_ENTRY_REGEX = /^([^\t]+)\t([0-9a-fA-F]+)\t([0-9a-fA-F]+)/.freeze
 
-      def self.load(file, follow_inodes, existing_paths, logger:)
-        pf = new(file, follow_inodes, existing_paths, logger: logger)
-        pf.load
+      def self.load(file, follow_inodes, existing_targets, logger:)
+        pf = new(file, follow_inodes, logger: logger)
+        pf.load(existing_targets)
         pf
       end
 
-      def initialize(file, follow_inodes, existing_paths, logger: nil)
+      def initialize(file, follow_inodes, logger: nil)
         @file = file
         @logger = logger
         @file_mutex = Mutex.new
         @map = {}
         @follow_inodes = follow_inodes
-        @existing_paths = existing_paths
       end
 
       def [](target_info)
@@ -60,8 +59,8 @@ def unwatch(target_info)
         end
       end
 
-      def load
-        compact
+      def load(existing_targets = nil)
+        compact(existing_targets)
 
         map = {}
         @file_mutex.synchronize do
@@ -118,9 +117,9 @@ def try_compact
 
       private
 
-      def compact
+      def compact(existing_targets = nil)
         @file_mutex.synchronize do
-          entries = fetch_compacted_entries.values.map(&:to_entry_fmt)
+          entries = fetch_compacted_entries(existing_targets).values.map(&:to_entry_fmt)
 
           @file.pos = 0
           @file.truncate(0)
@@ -128,7 +127,7 @@ def compact
         end
       end
 
-      def fetch_compacted_entries
+      def fetch_compacted_entries(existing_targets = nil)
         entries = {}
 
         @file.pos = 0
@@ -151,23 +150,26 @@ def fetch_compacted_entries
             end
 
             if @follow_inodes
-              entries[ino] = Entry.new(path, pos, ino, file_pos + path.size + 1)
+              entries[ino] = Entry.new(path, pos, ino, file_pos + path.bytesize + 1)
             else
-              entries[path] = Entry.new(path, pos, ino, file_pos + path.size + 1)
+              entries[path] = Entry.new(path, pos, ino, file_pos + path.bytesize + 1)
             end
             file_pos += line.size
           end
         end
 
-        entries = remove_deleted_files_entries(entries, @existing_paths) if @follow_inodes
+        entries = remove_deleted_files_entries(entries, existing_targets) if @follow_inodes
         entries
       end
 
-      def remove_deleted_files_entries(existent_entries, existing_paths)
-        filtered_entries = existent_entries.select {|file_entry|
-          existing_paths.key?(file_entry)
-        }
-        filtered_entries
+      def remove_deleted_files_entries(existent_entries, existing_targets)
+        if existing_targets
+          existent_entries.select { |path_or_ino|
+            existing_targets.key?(path_or_ino)
+          }
+        else
+          existent_entries
+        end
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/test/plugin/in_tail/test_position_file.rb b/test/plugin/in_tail/test_position_file.rb
index 0715ab2996..dba669e1eb 100644
--- a/test/plugin/in_tail/test_position_file.rb
+++ b/test/plugin/in_tail/test_position_file.rb
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ def follow_inodes_block
   sub_test_case '#try_compact' do
     test 'compact invalid and convert 32 bit inode value' do
       write_data(@file, TEST_CONTENT)
-      Fluent::Plugin::TailInput::PositionFile.new(@file, false, {}, **{logger: $log}).try_compact
+      Fluent::Plugin::TailInput::PositionFile.new(@file, false, **{logger: $log}).try_compact
 
       @file.seek(0)
       lines = @file.readlines
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ def follow_inodes_block
         valid_path\t0000000000000002\t0000000000000001
         valid_path\t0000000000000003\t0000000000000004
       EOF
-      Fluent::Plugin::TailInput::PositionFile.new(@file, false, {}, **{logger: $log}).try_compact
+      Fluent::Plugin::TailInput::PositionFile.new(@file, false, **{logger: $log}).try_compact
 
       @file.seek(0)
       lines = @file.readlines
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ def follow_inodes_block
 
     test 'does not change when the file is changed' do
       write_data(@file, TEST_CONTENT)
-      pf = Fluent::Plugin::TailInput::PositionFile.new(@file, false, {}, **{logger: $log})
+      pf = Fluent::Plugin::TailInput::PositionFile.new(@file, false, **{logger: $log})
 
       mock.proxy(pf).fetch_compacted_entries do |r|
         @file.write("unwatched\t#{UNWATCHED_STR}\t0000000000000000\n")
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ def follow_inodes_block
     end
 
     test 'update seek position of remained position entry' do
-      pf = Fluent::Plugin::TailInput::PositionFile.new(@file, false, {}, **{logger: $log})
+      pf = Fluent::Plugin::TailInput::PositionFile.new(@file, false, **{logger: $log})
       target_info1 = Fluent::Plugin::TailInput::TargetInfo.new('path1', -1)
       target_info2 = Fluent::Plugin::TailInput::TargetInfo.new('path2', -1)
       target_info3 = Fluent::Plugin::TailInput::TargetInfo.new('path3', -1)
@@ -115,6 +115,24 @@ def follow_inodes_block
       assert_equal "path3\t#{UNWATCHED_STR}\t0000000000000000\n", lines[1]
       assert_equal 2, lines.size
     end
+
+    test 'should ignore initial existing files on follow_inode' do
+      write_data(@file, TEST_CONTENT)
+      pos_file = Fluent::Plugin::TailInput::PositionFile.load(@file, true, {}, **{logger: $log})
+      @file.seek(0)
+      assert_equal([], @file.readlines)
+
+      @file.seek(0)
+      write_data(@file, TEST_CONTENT)
+      pos_file.try_compact
+
+      @file.seek(0)
+      assert_equal([
+                     "valid_path\t0000000000000002\t0000000000000001\n",
+                     "inode23bit\t0000000000000000\t0000000000000000\n",
+                   ],
+                   @file.readlines)
+    end
   end
 
   sub_test_case '#load' do
@@ -134,7 +152,7 @@ def follow_inodes_block
         valid_path\t0000000000000002\t0000000000000001
         valid_path\t0000000000000003\t0000000000000004
       EOF
-      Fluent::Plugin::TailInput::PositionFile.new(@file, false, {}, **{logger: $log}).load
+      Fluent::Plugin::TailInput::PositionFile.new(@file, false, **{logger: $log}).load
 
       @file.seek(0)
       lines = @file.readlines