diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c
index 24a02c74c2..64bf8ef9af 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c
@@ -3539,7 +3539,8 @@ int journal_file_next_entry(
                                  p,
                                  test_object_offset,
                                  direction,
-                                 ret_object ? &o : NULL, &q, &i);
+                                 NULL, &q, &i); /* Here, do not read entry object, as the result object
+                                                 * may not be the one we want, and it may be broken. */
         if (r <= 0)
                 return r;
 
@@ -3549,12 +3550,11 @@ int journal_file_next_entry(
          * the same offset, and the index needs to be shifted. Otherwise, use the found object as is,
          * as it is the nearest entry object from the input offset 'p'. */
 
-        if (p != q)
-                goto found;
-
-        r = bump_array_index(&i, direction, n);
-        if (r <= 0)
-                return r;
+        if (p == q) {
+                r = bump_array_index(&i, direction, n);
+                if (r <= 0)
+                        return r;
+        }
 
         /* And jump to it */
         r = generic_array_get(f, le64toh(f->header->entry_array_offset), i, direction, ret_object ? &o : NULL, &q);
@@ -3566,7 +3566,7 @@ int journal_file_next_entry(
                 return log_debug_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EBADMSG),
                                        "%s: entry array not properly ordered at entry index %" PRIu64,
                                        f->path, i);
-found:
+
         if (ret_object)
                 *ret_object = o;
         if (ret_offset)