diff --git a/src/journal/test-journal-interleaving.c b/src/journal/test-journal-interleaving.c
index f7293ef4b4..21c5bdddae 100644
--- a/src/journal/test-journal-interleaving.c
+++ b/src/journal/test-journal-interleaving.c
@@ -173,126 +173,132 @@ static void test_skip_one(void (*setup)(void)) {
         /* Seek to head, iterate down. */
         assert_ret(sd_journal_open_directory(&j, t, 0));
         assert_ret(sd_journal_seek_head(j));
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_next(j));     /* pointing the first entry */
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next(j) == 1);     /* pointing to the first entry */
         test_check_numbers_down(j, 9);
         sd_journal_close(j);
 
         /* Seek to head, iterate down. */
         assert_ret(sd_journal_open_directory(&j, t, 0));
         assert_ret(sd_journal_seek_head(j));
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_next(j));     /* pointing the first entry */
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_previous(j)); /* no-op */
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next(j) == 1);     /* pointing to the first entry */
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous(j) == 0); /* no-op */
+        test_check_numbers_down(j, 9);
+        sd_journal_close(j);
+
+        /* Seek to head twice, iterate down. */
+        assert_ret(sd_journal_open_directory(&j, t, 0));
+        assert_ret(sd_journal_seek_head(j));
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next(j) == 1);     /* pointing to the first entry */
+        assert_ret(sd_journal_seek_head(j));
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next(j) == 1);     /* pointing to the first entry */
         test_check_numbers_down(j, 9);
         sd_journal_close(j);
 
         /* Seek to head, move to previous, then iterate down. */
         assert_ret(sd_journal_open_directory(&j, t, 0));
         assert_ret(sd_journal_seek_head(j));
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_previous(j)); /* no-op */
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_next(j)); /* pointing the first entry */
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous(j) == 0); /* no-op */
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next(j) == 1);     /* pointing to the first entry */
         test_check_numbers_down(j, 9);
         sd_journal_close(j);
 
         /* Seek to head, walk several steps, then iterate down. */
         assert_ret(sd_journal_open_directory(&j, t, 0));
         assert_ret(sd_journal_seek_head(j));
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_previous(j)); /* no-op */
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_previous(j)); /* no-op */
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_previous(j)); /* no-op */
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_next(j));     /* pointing the first entry */
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_previous(j)); /* no-op */
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_previous(j)); /* no-op */
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous(j) == 0); /* no-op */
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous(j) == 0); /* no-op */
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous(j) == 0); /* no-op */
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next(j) == 1);     /* pointing to the first entry */
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous(j) == 0); /* no-op */
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous(j) == 0); /* no-op */
         test_check_numbers_down(j, 9);
         sd_journal_close(j);
 
         /* Seek to tail, iterate up. */
         assert_ret(sd_journal_open_directory(&j, t, 0));
         assert_ret(sd_journal_seek_tail(j));
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_previous(j));
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous(j) == 1); /* pointing to the last entry */
+        test_check_numbers_up(j, 9);
+        sd_journal_close(j);
+
+        /* Seek to tail twice, iterate up. */
+        assert_ret(sd_journal_open_directory(&j, t, 0));
+        assert_ret(sd_journal_seek_tail(j));
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous(j) == 1); /* pointing to the last entry */
+        assert_ret(sd_journal_seek_tail(j));
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous(j) == 1); /* pointing to the last entry */
         test_check_numbers_up(j, 9);
         sd_journal_close(j);
 
         /* Seek to tail, move to next, then iterate up. */
         assert_ret(sd_journal_open_directory(&j, t, 0));
         assert_ret(sd_journal_seek_tail(j));
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_next(j));     /* no-op */
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_previous(j)); /* pointing the first entry */
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next(j) == 0);     /* no-op */
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous(j) == 1); /* pointing to the last entry */
         test_check_numbers_up(j, 9);
         sd_journal_close(j);
 
         /* Seek to tail, walk several steps, then iterate up. */
         assert_ret(sd_journal_open_directory(&j, t, 0));
         assert_ret(sd_journal_seek_tail(j));
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_next(j));     /* no-op */
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_next(j));     /* no-op */
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_next(j));     /* no-op */
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_previous(j)); /* pointing the last entry. */
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_next(j));     /* no-op */
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_next(j));     /* no-op */
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next(j) == 0);     /* no-op */
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next(j) == 0);     /* no-op */
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next(j) == 0);     /* no-op */
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous(j) == 1); /* pointing to the last entry. */
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next(j) == 0);     /* no-op */
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next(j) == 0);     /* no-op */
         test_check_numbers_up(j, 9);
         sd_journal_close(j);
 
         /* Seek to tail, skip to head, iterate down. */
         assert_ret(sd_journal_open_directory(&j, t, 0));
         assert_ret(sd_journal_seek_tail(j));
-        assert_ret(r = sd_journal_previous_skip(j, 9));
-        assert_se(r == 9);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous_skip(j, 9) == 9); /* pointing to the first entry. */
         test_check_numbers_down(j, 9);
         sd_journal_close(j);
 
         /* Seek to tail, skip to head in a more complex way, then iterate down. */
         assert_ret(sd_journal_open_directory(&j, t, 0));
         assert_ret(sd_journal_seek_tail(j));
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_next(j));    /* no-op */
-        assert_ret(r = sd_journal_previous_skip(j, 4));
-        assert_se(r == 4);
-        assert_ret(r = sd_journal_previous_skip(j, 5));
-        assert_se(r == 5);
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_previous(j)); /* no-op */
-        assert_ret(r = sd_journal_previous_skip(j, 5));
-        assert_se(r == 0);
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_next(j));
-        assert_ret(r = sd_journal_previous_skip(j, 5));
-        assert_se(r == 1);
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_next(j));
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_next(j));
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_previous(j));
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_next(j));
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_next(j));
-        assert_ret(r = sd_journal_previous_skip(j, 5));
-        assert_se(r == 3);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next(j) == 0);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous_skip(j, 4) == 4);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous_skip(j, 5) == 5);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous(j) == 0);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous_skip(j, 5) == 0);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next(j) == 1);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous_skip(j, 5) == 1);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next(j) == 1);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next(j) == 1);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous(j) == 1);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next(j) == 1);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next(j) == 1);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous_skip(j, 5) == 3);
         test_check_numbers_down(j, 9);
         sd_journal_close(j);
 
         /* Seek to head, skip to tail, iterate up. */
         assert_ret(sd_journal_open_directory(&j, t, 0));
         assert_ret(sd_journal_seek_head(j));
-        assert_ret(r = sd_journal_next_skip(j, 9));
-        assert_se(r == 9);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next_skip(j, 9) == 9);
         test_check_numbers_up(j, 9);
         sd_journal_close(j);
 
         /* Seek to head, skip to tail in a more complex way, then iterate up. */
         assert_ret(sd_journal_open_directory(&j, t, 0));
         assert_ret(sd_journal_seek_head(j));
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_previous(j)); /* no-op */
-        assert_ret(r = sd_journal_next_skip(j, 4));
-        assert_se(r == 4);
-        assert_ret(r = sd_journal_next_skip(j, 5));
-        assert_se(r == 5);
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_next(j));     /* no-op */
-        assert_ret(r = sd_journal_next_skip(j, 5));
-        assert_se(r == 0);
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_previous(j));
-        assert_ret(r = sd_journal_next_skip(j, 5));
-        assert_se(r == 1);
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_previous(j));
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_previous(j));
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_next(j));
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_previous(j));
-        assert_ret(sd_journal_previous(j));
-        assert_ret(r = sd_journal_next_skip(j, 5));
-        assert_se(r == 3);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous(j) == 0);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next_skip(j, 4) == 4);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next_skip(j, 5) == 5);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next(j) == 0);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next_skip(j, 5) == 0);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous(j) == 1);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next_skip(j, 5) == 1);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous(j) == 1);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous(j) == 1);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_next(j) == 1);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous(j) == 1);
+        assert_se(sd_journal_previous(j) == 1);
+        assert_se(r = sd_journal_next_skip(j, 5) == 3);
         test_check_numbers_up(j, 9);
         sd_journal_close(j);
 
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c
index 3aa6985b37..0447bcde57 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c
@@ -3343,6 +3343,10 @@ void journal_file_reset_location(JournalFile *f) {
         f->current_monotonic = 0;
         zero(f->current_boot_id);
         f->current_xor_hash = 0;
+
+        /* Also reset the previous reading direction. Otherwise, next_beyond_location() may wrongly handle we
+         * already hit EOF. See issue #29216. */
+        f->last_direction = _DIRECTION_INVALID;
 }
 
 void journal_file_save_location(JournalFile *f, Object *o, uint64_t offset) {
@@ -3939,6 +3943,7 @@ int journal_file_open(
                                             MAX(MIN_COMPRESS_THRESHOLD, compress_threshold_bytes),
                 .strict_order = FLAGS_SET(file_flags, JOURNAL_STRICT_ORDER),
                 .newest_boot_id_prioq_idx = PRIOQ_IDX_NULL,
+                .last_direction = _DIRECTION_INVALID,
         };
 
         if (fname) {
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.h b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.h
index a4d8912aa8..b018fd8788 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.h
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.h
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ typedef struct JournalMetrics {
 
 typedef enum direction {
         DIRECTION_UP,
-        DIRECTION_DOWN
+        DIRECTION_DOWN,
+        _DIRECTION_INVALID = -EINVAL,
 } direction_t;
 
 typedef enum LocationType {