diff --git a/daemon/logger/loggerutils/follow.go b/daemon/logger/loggerutils/follow.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..755a483d7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/daemon/logger/loggerutils/follow.go
@@ -0,0 +1,211 @@
+package loggerutils // import "github.com/docker/docker/daemon/logger/loggerutils"
+
+import (
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/docker/docker/daemon/logger"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/filenotify"
+	"github.com/fsnotify/fsnotify"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+)
+
+var errRetry = errors.New("retry")
+var errDone = errors.New("done")
+
+type follow struct {
+	file                      *os.File
+	dec                       Decoder
+	fileWatcher               filenotify.FileWatcher
+	logWatcher                *logger.LogWatcher
+	notifyRotate, notifyEvict chan interface{}
+	oldSize                   int64
+	retries                   int
+}
+
+func (fl *follow) handleRotate() error {
+	name := fl.file.Name()
+
+	fl.file.Close()
+	fl.fileWatcher.Remove(name)
+
+	// retry when the file doesn't exist
+	var err error
+	for retries := 0; retries <= 5; retries++ {
+		f, err := open(name)
+		if err == nil || !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			fl.file = f
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := fl.fileWatcher.Add(name); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	fl.dec.Reset(fl.file)
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (fl *follow) handleMustClose(evictErr error) {
+	fl.file.Close()
+	fl.dec.Close()
+	fl.logWatcher.Err <- errors.Wrap(evictErr, "log reader evicted due to errors")
+	logrus.WithField("file", fl.file.Name()).Error("Log reader notified that it must re-open log file, some log data may not be streamed to the client.")
+}
+
+func (fl *follow) waitRead() error {
+	select {
+	case e := <-fl.notifyEvict:
+		if e != nil {
+			err := e.(error)
+			fl.handleMustClose(err)
+		}
+		return errDone
+	case e := <-fl.fileWatcher.Events():
+		switch e.Op {
+		case fsnotify.Write:
+			fl.dec.Reset(fl.file)
+			return nil
+		case fsnotify.Rename, fsnotify.Remove:
+			select {
+			case <-fl.notifyRotate:
+			case <-fl.logWatcher.WatchProducerGone():
+				return errDone
+			case <-fl.logWatcher.WatchConsumerGone():
+				return errDone
+			}
+			if err := fl.handleRotate(); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			return nil
+		}
+		return errRetry
+	case err := <-fl.fileWatcher.Errors():
+		logrus.Debugf("logger got error watching file: %v", err)
+		// Something happened, let's try and stay alive and create a new watcher
+		if fl.retries <= 5 {
+			fl.fileWatcher.Close()
+			fl.fileWatcher, err = watchFile(fl.file.Name())
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			fl.retries++
+			return errRetry
+		}
+		return err
+	case <-fl.logWatcher.WatchProducerGone():
+		return errDone
+	case <-fl.logWatcher.WatchConsumerGone():
+		return errDone
+	}
+}
+
+func (fl *follow) handleDecodeErr(err error) error {
+	if !errors.Is(err, io.EOF) {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// Handle special case (#39235): max-file=1 and file was truncated
+	st, stErr := fl.file.Stat()
+	if stErr == nil {
+		size := st.Size()
+		defer func() { fl.oldSize = size }()
+		if size < fl.oldSize { // truncated
+			fl.file.Seek(0, 0)
+			fl.dec.Reset(fl.file)
+			return nil
+		}
+	} else {
+		logrus.WithError(stErr).Warn("logger: stat error")
+	}
+
+	for {
+		err := fl.waitRead()
+		if err == nil {
+			break
+		}
+		if err == errRetry {
+			continue
+		}
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (fl *follow) mainLoop(since, until time.Time) {
+	for {
+		select {
+		case err := <-fl.notifyEvict:
+			if err != nil {
+				fl.handleMustClose(err.(error))
+			}
+			return
+		default:
+		}
+		msg, err := fl.dec.Decode()
+		if err != nil {
+			if err := fl.handleDecodeErr(err); err != nil {
+				if err == errDone {
+					return
+				}
+				// we got an unrecoverable error, so return
+				fl.logWatcher.Err <- err
+				return
+			}
+			// ready to try again
+			continue
+		}
+
+		fl.retries = 0 // reset retries since we've succeeded
+		if !since.IsZero() && msg.Timestamp.Before(since) {
+			continue
+		}
+		if !until.IsZero() && msg.Timestamp.After(until) {
+			return
+		}
+		// send the message, unless the consumer is gone
+		select {
+		case e := <-fl.notifyEvict:
+			if e != nil {
+				err := e.(error)
+				logrus.WithError(err).Debug("Reader evicted while sending log message")
+				fl.logWatcher.Err <- err
+			}
+			return
+		case fl.logWatcher.Msg <- msg:
+		case <-fl.logWatcher.WatchConsumerGone():
+			return
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func followLogs(f *os.File, logWatcher *logger.LogWatcher, notifyRotate, notifyEvict chan interface{}, dec Decoder, since, until time.Time) {
+	dec.Reset(f)
+
+	name := f.Name()
+	fileWatcher, err := watchFile(name)
+	if err != nil {
+		logWatcher.Err <- err
+		return
+	}
+	defer func() {
+		f.Close()
+		dec.Close()
+		fileWatcher.Close()
+	}()
+
+	fl := &follow{
+		file:         f,
+		oldSize:      -1,
+		logWatcher:   logWatcher,
+		fileWatcher:  fileWatcher,
+		notifyRotate: notifyRotate,
+		notifyEvict:  notifyEvict,
+		dec:          dec,
+	}
+	fl.mainLoop(since, until)
+}
diff --git a/daemon/logger/loggerutils/logfile.go b/daemon/logger/loggerutils/logfile.go
index 8817934946..d4f3f5e149 100644
--- a/daemon/logger/loggerutils/logfile.go
+++ b/daemon/logger/loggerutils/logfile.go
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/filenotify"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/pools"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/pubsub"
-	"github.com/fsnotify/fsnotify"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
@@ -608,180 +607,6 @@ func tailFiles(files []SizeReaderAt, watcher *logger.LogWatcher, dec Decoder, ge
 	}
 }
 
-func followLogs(f *os.File, logWatcher *logger.LogWatcher, notifyRotate, notifyEvict chan interface{}, dec Decoder, since, until time.Time) {
-	dec.Reset(f)
-
-	name := f.Name()
-	fileWatcher, err := watchFile(name)
-	if err != nil {
-		logWatcher.Err <- err
-		return
-	}
-	defer func() {
-		f.Close()
-		dec.Close()
-		fileWatcher.Close()
-	}()
-
-	var retries int
-	handleRotate := func() error {
-		f.Close()
-		fileWatcher.Remove(name)
-
-		// retry when the file doesn't exist
-		for retries := 0; retries <= 5; retries++ {
-			f, err = open(name)
-			if err == nil || !os.IsNotExist(err) {
-				break
-			}
-		}
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		if err := fileWatcher.Add(name); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		dec.Reset(f)
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	errRetry := errors.New("retry")
-	errDone := errors.New("done")
-
-	handleMustClose := func(evictErr error) {
-		f.Close()
-		dec.Close()
-		logWatcher.Err <- errors.Wrap(err, "log reader evicted due to errors")
-		logrus.WithField("file", f.Name()).Error("Log reader notified that it must re-open log file, some log data may not be streamed to the client.")
-	}
-
-	waitRead := func() error {
-		select {
-		case e := <-notifyEvict:
-			if e != nil {
-				err := e.(error)
-				handleMustClose(err)
-			}
-			return errDone
-		case e := <-fileWatcher.Events():
-			switch e.Op {
-			case fsnotify.Write:
-				dec.Reset(f)
-				return nil
-			case fsnotify.Rename, fsnotify.Remove:
-				select {
-				case <-notifyRotate:
-				case <-logWatcher.WatchProducerGone():
-					return errDone
-				case <-logWatcher.WatchConsumerGone():
-					return errDone
-				}
-				if err := handleRotate(); err != nil {
-					return err
-				}
-				return nil
-			}
-			return errRetry
-		case err := <-fileWatcher.Errors():
-			logrus.Debugf("logger got error watching file: %v", err)
-			// Something happened, let's try and stay alive and create a new watcher
-			if retries <= 5 {
-				fileWatcher.Close()
-				fileWatcher, err = watchFile(name)
-				if err != nil {
-					return err
-				}
-				retries++
-				return errRetry
-			}
-			return err
-		case <-logWatcher.WatchProducerGone():
-			return errDone
-		case <-logWatcher.WatchConsumerGone():
-			return errDone
-		}
-	}
-
-	oldSize := int64(-1)
-	handleDecodeErr := func(err error) error {
-		if !errors.Is(err, io.EOF) {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		// Handle special case (#39235): max-file=1 and file was truncated
-		st, stErr := f.Stat()
-		if stErr == nil {
-			size := st.Size()
-			defer func() { oldSize = size }()
-			if size < oldSize { // truncated
-				f.Seek(0, 0)
-				dec.Reset(f)
-				return nil
-			}
-		} else {
-			logrus.WithError(stErr).Warn("logger: stat error")
-		}
-
-		for {
-			err := waitRead()
-			if err == nil {
-				break
-			}
-			if err == errRetry {
-				continue
-			}
-			return err
-		}
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	// main loop
-	for {
-		select {
-		case err := <-notifyEvict:
-			if err != nil {
-				handleMustClose(err.(error))
-			}
-			return
-		default:
-		}
-		msg, err := dec.Decode()
-		if err != nil {
-			if err := handleDecodeErr(err); err != nil {
-				if err == errDone {
-					return
-				}
-				// we got an unrecoverable error, so return
-				logWatcher.Err <- err
-				return
-			}
-			// ready to try again
-			continue
-		}
-
-		retries = 0 // reset retries since we've succeeded
-		if !since.IsZero() && msg.Timestamp.Before(since) {
-			continue
-		}
-		if !until.IsZero() && msg.Timestamp.After(until) {
-			return
-		}
-		// send the message, unless the consumer is gone
-		select {
-		case e := <-notifyEvict:
-			if e != nil {
-				err := e.(error)
-				logrus.WithError(err).Debug("Reader evicted while sending log message")
-				logWatcher.Err <- err
-			}
-			return
-		case logWatcher.Msg <- msg:
-		case <-logWatcher.WatchConsumerGone():
-			return
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 func watchFile(name string) (filenotify.FileWatcher, error) {
 	var fileWatcher filenotify.FileWatcher