diff --git a/docs/JOURNAL_FILE_FORMAT.md b/docs/JOURNAL_FILE_FORMAT.md
index 712f3bce36..ede9d923a4 100644
--- a/docs/JOURNAL_FILE_FORMAT.md
+++ b/docs/JOURNAL_FILE_FORMAT.md
@@ -178,8 +178,10 @@ _packed_ struct Header {
         le64_t data_hash_chain_depth;
         le64_t field_hash_chain_depth;
         /* Added in 252 */
-        le32_t tail_entry_array_offset;                 \
-        le32_t tail_entry_array_n_entries;              \
+        le32_t tail_entry_array_offset;
+        le32_t tail_entry_array_n_entries;
+        /* Added in 254 */
+        le64_t tail_entry_offset;
 };
 ```
 
@@ -252,6 +254,9 @@ field hash table, minus one.
 **tail_entry_array_offset** and **tail_entry_array_n_entries** allow immediate
 access to the last entry array in the global entry array chain.
 
+**tail_entry_offset** allow immediate access to the last entry in the journal
+file.
+
 ## Extensibility
 
 The format is supposed to be extensible in order to enable future additions of
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-def.h b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-def.h
index fb22fc45f3..2f048c0198 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-def.h
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-def.h
@@ -239,12 +239,14 @@ enum {
         /* Added in 252 */                              \
         le32_t tail_entry_array_offset;                 \
         le32_t tail_entry_array_n_entries;              \
+        /* Added in 254 */                              \
+        le64_t tail_entry_offset;                       \
         }
 
 struct Header struct_Header__contents;
 struct Header__packed struct_Header__contents _packed_;
 assert_cc(sizeof(struct Header) == sizeof(struct Header__packed));
-assert_cc(sizeof(struct Header) == 264);
+assert_cc(sizeof(struct Header) == 272);
 
 #define FSS_HEADER_SIGNATURE                                            \
         ((const char[]) { 'K', 'S', 'H', 'H', 'R', 'H', 'L', 'P' })
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c
index e6b31d4e7c..e92e351809 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c
@@ -505,6 +505,11 @@ static int journal_file_verify_header(JournalFile *f) {
             !VALID64(le64toh(f->header->entry_array_offset)))
                 return -ENODATA;
 
+        if (JOURNAL_HEADER_CONTAINS(f->header, tail_entry_offset) &&
+            le64toh(f->header->tail_entry_offset) != 0 &&
+            !VALID64(le64toh(f->header->tail_entry_offset)))
+                return -ENODATA;
+
         if (journal_file_writable(f)) {
                 sd_id128_t machine_id;
                 uint8_t state;
@@ -2053,6 +2058,7 @@ static int journal_file_link_entry(
 
         f->header->tail_entry_realtime = o->entry.realtime;
         f->header->tail_entry_monotonic = o->entry.monotonic;
+        f->header->tail_entry_offset = offset;
 
         /* Link up the items */
         for (uint64_t i = 0; i < n_items; i++) {