diff --git a/plugin/input/file/file_test.go b/plugin/input/file/file_test.go
index 09deba19a..d8649a21d 100644
--- a/plugin/input/file/file_test.go
+++ b/plugin/input/file/file_test.go
@@ -431,8 +431,8 @@ func TestReadContinue(t *testing.T) {
 	blockSize := 2000
 	stopAfter := 100
 	processed := 0
-	inputEvents := make([]string, 0, blockSize*2)
-	outputEvents := make([]string, 0, cap(inputEvents)+stopAfter)
+	inputEvents := make(map[string]bool, blockSize*2)
+	outputEvents := make(map[string]bool, blockSize*2+stopAfter)
 	file := ""
 	size := 0
 
@@ -444,14 +444,14 @@ func TestReadContinue(t *testing.T) {
 			for x := 0; x < blockSize; x++ {
 				line := fmt.Sprintf(`{"data_1":"line_%d"}`, x)
 				size += len(line) + newLine
-				inputEvents = append(inputEvents, line)
+				inputEvents[line] = true
 				addString(file, line, true, false)
 			}
 		},
 		Assert: func(p *pipeline.Pipeline) {
 			processed = p.GetEventsTotal()
 			for i := 0; i < processed; i++ {
-				outputEvents = append(outputEvents, p.GetEventLogItem(i))
+				outputEvents[p.GetEventLogItem(i)] = true
 			}
 		},
 	}, stopAfter)
@@ -466,15 +466,16 @@ func TestReadContinue(t *testing.T) {
 			for x := 0; x < blockSize; x++ {
 				line := fmt.Sprintf(`{"data_2":"line_%d"}`, x)
 				size += len(line) + newLine
-				inputEvents = append(inputEvents, line)
+				inputEvents[line] = true
 				addString(file, line, true, false)
 			}
 		},
 		Assert: func(p *pipeline.Pipeline) {
 			for i := 0; i < p.GetEventsTotal(); i++ {
-				outputEvents = append(outputEvents, p.GetEventLogItem(i))
+				outputEvents[p.GetEventLogItem(i)] = true
 			}
 
+			// we compare maps because we can tolerate  dublicates
 			require.Equalf(
 				t, inputEvents, outputEvents,
 				"input events not equal output events (input len=%d, output len=%d)",
diff --git a/plugin/input/file/provider.go b/plugin/input/file/provider.go
index e41f1bb07..d2fb412e2 100644
--- a/plugin/input/file/provider.go
+++ b/plugin/input/file/provider.go
@@ -262,9 +262,8 @@ func (jp *jobProvider) addSymlink(inode inodeID, filename string) {
 }
 
 func (jp *jobProvider) refreshSymlink(symlink string, inode inodeID, isWrite bool) {
-	filename, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(symlink)
-	if err != nil {
-		jp.logger.Warnf("symlink have been removed %s", symlink)
+	if _, err := os.Lstat(symlink); err != nil {
+		jp.logger.Warnf("symlink has been removed %s: %s", symlink, err.Error())
 
 		jp.symlinksMu.Lock()
 		delete(jp.symlinks, inode)
@@ -272,6 +271,13 @@ func (jp *jobProvider) refreshSymlink(symlink string, inode inodeID, isWrite boo
 		return
 	}
 
+	filename, err := os.Readlink(symlink)
+	if err != nil {
+		jp.logger.Warnf("symlink %s is broken: %s", symlink, err.Error())
+		// for example, in the case of rotating the k8s pod logs symlink will be fixed soon
+		return
+	}
+
 	filename, err = filepath.Abs(filename)
 	if err != nil {
 		jp.logger.Warnf("can't follow symlink to %s: %s", filename, err.Error())
diff --git a/plugin/input/file/provider_test.go b/plugin/input/file/provider_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7973bea71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugin/input/file/provider_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+package file
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/ozontech/file.d/logger"
+	"github.com/ozontech/file.d/metric"
+	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
+	uuid "github.com/satori/go.uuid"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestRefreshSymlinkOnBrokenLink(t *testing.T) {
+	file, err := os.CreateTemp("", "input_file")
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err.Error())
+	}
+
+	linkName := filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), uuid.NewV4().String())
+	err = os.Symlink(file.Name(), linkName)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err.Error())
+	}
+	defer os.Remove(linkName)
+	ctl := metric.NewCtl("test", prometheus.NewRegistry())
+	metrics := newMetricCollection(
+		ctl.RegisterCounter("worker1", "help_test"),
+		ctl.RegisterCounter("worker2", "help_test"),
+		ctl.RegisterGauge("worker3", "help_test"),
+		ctl.RegisterGauge("worker4", "help_test"),
+	)
+	jp := NewJobProvider(&Config{
+		MaxFiles: 100,
+	}, metrics, logger.Instance)
+	jp.addSymlink(1, linkName)
+	jp.maintenanceSymlinks()
+	require.Equal(t, 1, len(jp.symlinks))
+
+	// broke link
+	os.Remove(file.Name())
+	jp.maintenanceSymlinks()
+	require.Equal(t, 1, len(jp.symlinks))
+
+	// delete link
+	os.Remove(linkName)
+	jp.maintenanceSymlinks()
+	require.Equal(t, 0, len(jp.symlinks))
+}