diff --git a/src/filetail/supervisor/io.rs b/src/filetail/supervisor/io.rs
index 3b481ae0..2bd4bb33 100644
--- a/src/filetail/supervisor/io.rs
+++ b/src/filetail/supervisor/io.rs
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn open_tail_file(
     let mut file = open_validated_tail_file(&source.path).await?;
     let metadata = file.metadata().await?;
     let identity = FileIdentity::from_metadata(&metadata);
-    let fingerprint = file_prefix_fingerprint(&mut file).await?;
+    let fingerprint = file_prefix_fingerprint(&mut file, FILE_TAIL_FINGERPRINT_BYTES).await?;
     let checkpoint_matches = source.checkpoint_dev == Some(identity.dev)
         && source.checkpoint_ino == Some(identity.ino)
         && source
@@ -89,8 +89,12 @@ pub(crate) async fn reopen_if_rotated_or_truncated(
     }
     if position > 0 {
         let mut file = open_validated_tail_file(&source.path).await?;
-        let current_fingerprint = file_prefix_fingerprint(&mut file).await?;
-        if current_fingerprint != fingerprint {
+        // Compare only the baseline bytes. Reading farther after a short file grows
+        // would misclassify an ordinary append as same-inode replacement, but keep
+        // the full current prefix so a real replacement gets a fresh baseline.
+        let current_fingerprint =
+            file_prefix_fingerprint(&mut file, FILE_TAIL_FINGERPRINT_BYTES).await?;
+        if !current_fingerprint.starts_with(fingerprint) {
             let metadata = file.metadata().await?;
             file.seek(std::io::SeekFrom::Start(0)).await?;
             return Ok(Some(OpenedTailFile {
@@ -121,7 +125,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn path_identity_changed(
 async fn reopen_from_start(source: &FileTailSource) -> Result<OpenedTailFile> {
     let mut file = open_validated_tail_file(&source.path).await?;
     let metadata = file.metadata().await?;
-    let fingerprint = file_prefix_fingerprint(&mut file).await?;
+    let fingerprint = file_prefix_fingerprint(&mut file, FILE_TAIL_FINGERPRINT_BYTES).await?;
     file.seek(std::io::SeekFrom::Start(0)).await?;
     Ok(OpenedTailFile {
         file,
@@ -131,8 +135,11 @@ async fn reopen_from_start(source: &FileTailSource) -> Result<OpenedTailFile> {
     })
 }
 
-async fn file_prefix_fingerprint(file: &mut tokio::fs::File) -> std::io::Result<Vec<u8>> {
-    let mut buf = vec![0; FILE_TAIL_FINGERPRINT_BYTES];
+async fn file_prefix_fingerprint(
+    file: &mut tokio::fs::File,
+    limit: usize,
+) -> std::io::Result<Vec<u8>> {
+    let mut buf = vec![0; limit.min(FILE_TAIL_FINGERPRINT_BYTES)];
     file.seek(std::io::SeekFrom::Start(0)).await?;
     let n = file.read(&mut buf).await?;
     buf.truncate(n);
diff --git a/src/filetail/supervisor_tests.rs b/src/filetail/supervisor_tests.rs
index 03b53cea..b89c2164 100644
--- a/src/filetail/supervisor_tests.rs
+++ b/src/filetail/supervisor_tests.rs
@@ -503,6 +503,58 @@ async fn reopen_if_rotated_or_truncated_detects_copytruncate() {
     assert_eq!(reopened.position, 0);
 }
 
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn reopen_if_rotated_or_truncated_ignores_append_beyond_original_fingerprint() {
+    let temp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+    let file_path = temp.path().join("app.log");
+    let old_contents = b"already here\n";
+    tokio::fs::write(&file_path, old_contents).await.unwrap();
+    let src = source("app", &file_path.to_string_lossy(), "app");
+    let mut opened = open_tail_file(&src, false).await.unwrap();
+    opened.position = old_contents.len() as u64;
+
+    let mut writer = tokio::fs::OpenOptions::new()
+        .append(true)
+        .open(&file_path)
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+    writer.write_all(b"after reconcile\n").await.unwrap();
+    writer.flush().await.unwrap();
+
+    let reopened =
+        reopen_if_rotated_or_truncated(&src, opened.identity, opened.position, &opened.fingerprint)
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+    assert!(
+        reopened.is_none(),
+        "append-only growth must not be mistaken for same-inode replacement"
+    );
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn reopen_if_rotated_or_truncated_refreshes_full_fingerprint_after_replacement() {
+    let temp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+    let file_path = temp.path().join("app.log");
+    let old_contents = b"old
+";
+    tokio::fs::write(&file_path, old_contents).await.unwrap();
+    let src = source("app", &file_path.to_string_lossy(), "app");
+    let mut opened = open_tail_file(&src, false).await.unwrap();
+    opened.position = old_contents.len() as u64;
+
+    let replacement = b"new replacement that is longer than the old prefix
+";
+    tokio::fs::write(&file_path, replacement).await.unwrap();
+
+    let reopened =
+        reopen_if_rotated_or_truncated(&src, opened.identity, opened.position, &opened.fingerprint)
+            .await
+            .unwrap()
+            .expect("replacement should reopen");
+    assert_eq!(reopened.position, 0);
+    assert_eq!(reopened.fingerprint, replacement.to_vec());
+}
+
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn reopen_if_rotated_or_truncated_detects_same_inode_copytruncate_regrow() {
     let temp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();