diff --git a/pkg/acquisition/modules/file/file.go b/pkg/acquisition/modules/file/file.go
index 0c92de7f5..b11687d8f 100644
--- a/pkg/acquisition/modules/file/file.go
+++ b/pkg/acquisition/modules/file/file.go
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
-	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
 	"gopkg.in/tomb.v2"
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
 )
@@ -230,11 +229,18 @@ func (f *FileSource) StreamingAcquisition(out chan types.Event, t *tomb.Tomb) er
 		return f.monitorNewFiles(out, t)
 	})
 	for _, file := range f.files {
-		err := unix.Access(file, unix.R_OK)
+		//cf. https://github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/issues/1168
+		//do not rely on stat, reclose file immediately as it's opened by Tail
+		fd, err := os.Open(file)
 		if err != nil {
 			f.logger.Errorf("unable to read %s : %s", file, err)
 			continue
 		}
+		if err := fd.Close(); err != nil {
+			f.logger.Errorf("unable to close %s : %s", file, err)
+			continue
+		}
+
 		fi, err := os.Stat(file)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("could not stat file %s : %w", file, err)
@@ -300,9 +306,15 @@ func (f *FileSource) monitorNewFiles(out chan types.Event, t *tomb.Tomb) error {
 					logger.Debugf("Already tailing file %s, not creating a new tail", event.Name)
 					break
 				}
-				err = unix.Access(event.Name, unix.R_OK)
+				//cf. https://github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/issues/1168
+				//do not rely on stat, reclose file immediately as it's opened by Tail
+				fd, err := os.Open(event.Name)
 				if err != nil {
-					logger.Errorf("unable to read %s : %s", event.Name, err)
+					f.logger.Errorf("unable to read %s : %s", event.Name, err)
+					continue
+				}
+				if err := fd.Close(); err != nil {
+					f.logger.Errorf("unable to close %s : %s", event.Name, err)
 					continue
 				}
 				//Slightly different parameters for Location, as we want to read the first lines of the newly created file
diff --git a/pkg/acquisition/modules/file/file_test.go b/pkg/acquisition/modules/file/file_test.go
index d176c154b..ddba16240 100644
--- a/pkg/acquisition/modules/file/file_test.go
+++ b/pkg/acquisition/modules/file/file_test.go
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ func TestLiveAcquisition(t *testing.T) {
 mode: tail
 filename: /etc/shadow`,
 			expectedErr:    "",
-			expectedOutput: "unable to read /etc/shadow : permission denied",
+			expectedOutput: "unable to read /etc/shadow : open /etc/shadow: permission denied",
 			logLevel:       log.InfoLevel,
 			expectedLines:  0,
 		},