diff --git a/flume-ng-sources/flume-taildir-source/src/main/java/org/apache/flume/source/taildir/ReliableTaildirEventReader.java b/flume-ng-sources/flume-taildir-source/src/main/java/org/apache/flume/source/taildir/ReliableTaildirEventReader.java
index ae9583620a..d31111ba0c 100644
--- a/flume-ng-sources/flume-taildir-source/src/main/java/org/apache/flume/source/taildir/ReliableTaildirEventReader.java
+++ b/flume-ng-sources/flume-taildir-source/src/main/java/org/apache/flume/source/taildir/ReliableTaildirEventReader.java
@@ -92,8 +92,11 @@ private ReliableTaildirEventReader(Map<String, String> filePaths,
     this.fileNameHeader = fileNameHeader;
     updateTailFiles(skipToEnd);
 
-    logger.info("Updating position from position file: " + positionFilePath);
-    loadPositionFile(positionFilePath);
+    File positionFile = new File(positionFilePath);
+    if (positionFile.exists() && positionFile.isFile() && positionFile.length() != 0) {
+      logger.info("Updating position from position file: " + positionFilePath);
+      loadPositionFile(positionFilePath);
+    }
   }
 
   /**