diff --git a/lib/vector-buffers/src/variants/disk_v2/reader.rs b/lib/vector-buffers/src/variants/disk_v2/reader.rs
index 2587160f3becab..7d4da1faafa1e9 100644
--- a/lib/vector-buffers/src/variants/disk_v2/reader.rs
+++ b/lib/vector-buffers/src/variants/disk_v2/reader.rs
@@ -901,12 +901,8 @@ where
         while self.last_reader_record_id < ledger_last {
             match self.next().await {
                 Ok(maybe_record) => {
-                    if maybe_record.is_none() && self.last_reader_record_id == 0 {
-                        // We've hit a point where there's no more data to read.  If our "last reader record
-                        // ID" hasn't moved at all, that means the buffer was already empty and we're caught
-                        // up, so we just pin ourselves to where the ledger says we left off, and we're good
-                        // to go.
-                        self.last_reader_record_id = ledger_last;
+                    if maybe_record.is_none() {
+                        // We've hit the end of the current data file so we've gone as far as we can.
                         break;
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/lib/vector-buffers/src/variants/disk_v2/tests/initialization.rs b/lib/vector-buffers/src/variants/disk_v2/tests/initialization.rs
index 8c44937563170f..217057d3e0c7ec 100644
--- a/lib/vector-buffers/src/variants/disk_v2/tests/initialization.rs
+++ b/lib/vector-buffers/src/variants/disk_v2/tests/initialization.rs
@@ -87,3 +87,98 @@ async fn reader_doesnt_block_from_partial_write_on_last_record() {
     let parent = trace_span!("reader_doesnt_block_from_partial_write_on_last_record");
     fut.instrument(parent.or_current()).await;
 }
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn reader_doesnt_block_when_ahead_of_last_record_in_current_data_file() {
+    // When initializing, the reader will be catching up to the last record it read, which involves
+    // reading individual records in the current reader data file until a record is returned whose
+    // record ID matches the "last record ID read" field from the ledger.
+    //
+    // If the current data file contains a valid last record when we initialize, but that last
+    // record is _behind_ the last record read as tracked by the ledger, then we need to ensure we
+    // can break out of the catch-up loop when we get to the end of the current data file.
+    //
+    // Our existing logic for corrupted event detection, and the writer's own initialization logic,
+    // will emit an error message when we realize that data is missing based on record ID gaps.
+    let _a = install_tracing_helpers();
+
+    let fut = with_temp_dir(|dir| {
+        let data_dir = dir.to_path_buf();
+
+        async move {
+            // Create a regular buffer, no customizations required.
+            let (mut writer, mut reader, ledger) = create_default_buffer_v2(data_dir.clone()).await;
+
+            // Write two records, and then read and acknowledge both.
+            //
+            // This puts the buffer into a state where there's data in the current data file, and
+            // the ledger has a non-zero record ID for where it thinks the reader needs to be. This
+            // ensures that the reader actually does at least two calls to `Reader::next` during
+            // `Reader::seek_to_next_record`, which is necessary to ensure that the reader leaves
+            // the default state of `self.last_reader_record_id == 0`.
+            let first_bytes_written = writer
+                .write_record(SizedRecord::new(64))
+                .await
+                .expect("should not fail to write");
+            writer.flush().await.expect("flush should not fail");
+
+            let second_bytes_written = writer
+                .write_record(SizedRecord::new(68))
+                .await
+                .expect("should not fail to write");
+            writer.flush().await.expect("flush should not fail");
+
+            writer.close();
+
+            let first_read = reader
+                .next()
+                .await
+                .expect("should not fail to read record")
+                .expect("should contain first record");
+            assert_eq!(SizedRecord::new(64), first_read);
+            acknowledge(first_read).await;
+
+            let second_read = reader
+                .next()
+                .await
+                .expect("should not fail to read record")
+                .expect("should contain first record");
+            assert_eq!(SizedRecord::new(68), second_read);
+            acknowledge(second_read).await;
+
+            let third_read = reader.next().await.expect("should not fail to read record");
+            assert!(third_read.is_none());
+
+            ledger.flush().expect("should not fail to flush ledger");
+
+            // Grab the current writer data file path before dropping the buffer.
+            let data_file_path = ledger.get_current_writer_data_file_path();
+            drop(reader);
+            drop(writer);
+            drop(ledger);
+
+            // Open the data file and truncate the second record. This will ensure that the reader
+            // hits EOF after the first read, which we need to do in order to exercise the logic
+            // that breaks out of the loop.
+            let initial_len = first_bytes_written as u64 + second_bytes_written as u64;
+            let target_len = first_bytes_written as u64;
+            set_file_length(&data_file_path, initial_len, target_len)
+                .await
+                .expect("should not fail to truncate data file");
+
+            // Now reopen the buffer, which should complete in a timely fashion without an immediate error.
+            let reopen = timeout(
+                Duration::from_millis(500),
+                create_default_buffer_v2::<_, SizedRecord>(data_dir),
+            )
+            .await;
+            assert!(
+                reopen.is_ok(),
+                "failed to reopen buffer in a timely fashion; likely deadlock"
+            );
+        }
+    });
+
+    let parent = trace_span!("reader_doesnt_block_when_ahead_of_last_record_in_current_data_file");
+    fut.instrument(parent.or_current()).await;
+}
diff --git a/lib/vector-buffers/src/variants/disk_v2/tests/invariants.rs b/lib/vector-buffers/src/variants/disk_v2/tests/invariants.rs
index ef56bb19d3f4e1..6e0c7a251e5469 100644
--- a/lib/vector-buffers/src/variants/disk_v2/tests/invariants.rs
+++ b/lib/vector-buffers/src/variants/disk_v2/tests/invariants.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ use tracing::Instrument;
 use super::{create_buffer_v2_with_max_data_file_size, read_next, read_next_some};
 use crate::{
     assert_buffer_is_empty, assert_buffer_records, assert_buffer_size, assert_enough_bytes_written,
-    assert_reader_writer_v2_file_positions, await_timeout, set_data_file_length,
+    assert_reader_last_writer_next_positions, assert_reader_writer_v2_file_positions,
+    await_timeout, set_data_file_length,
     test::{acknowledge, install_tracing_helpers, with_temp_dir, MultiEventRecord, SizedRecord},
     variants::disk_v2::{
         common::{DEFAULT_FLUSH_INTERVAL, MAX_FILE_ID},
@@ -820,3 +821,107 @@ async fn writer_updates_ledger_when_buffered_writer_reports_implicit_flush() {
     })
     .await;
 }
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn reader_writer_positions_aligned_through_multiple_files_and_records() {
+    // This test ensures that the reader/writer position stay aligned through multiple records and
+    // data files. This is to say, that, if we write 5 records, each with 10 events, and then read
+    // and acknowledge all of those events... the writer's next record ID should be 51 (the 50th
+    // event would correspond to ID 50, so next ID would be 51) and the reader's last read record ID
+    // should be 50.
+    //
+    // Testing this across multiple data files isn't super germane to the position logic, but it
+    // just ensures we're also testing that aspect.
+
+    let _a = install_tracing_helpers();
+    let fut = with_temp_dir(|dir| {
+        let data_dir = dir.to_path_buf();
+
+        async move {
+            // Create our buffer with an arbitrarily low maximum data file size. We'll use this to
+            // cntrol how many records make it into a given data file. Just another way to ernsure
+            // we're testing the position logic with multiple writes to one data file, one write to
+            // a data file, etc.
+            let (mut writer, mut reader, ledger) =
+                create_buffer_v2_with_max_data_file_size(data_dir, 256).await;
+
+            // We'll write multi-event records with N events based on these sizes, and as we do so,
+            // we'll assert that our writer position moves as expected after the write, and that
+            // after reading and acknowledging, the reader position also moves as expected.
+            let record_sizes = &[176, 52, 91, 137, 54, 87];
+
+            let mut expected_writer_position = ledger.state().get_next_writer_record_id();
+            let mut expected_reader_position = ledger.state().get_last_reader_record_id();
+            let mut trailing_reader_position_delta = 0;
+
+            for record_size in record_sizes {
+                // Initial check before writing/reading the next record.
+                assert_reader_last_writer_next_positions!(
+                    ledger,
+                    expected_reader_position,
+                    expected_writer_position
+                );
+
+                let record = MultiEventRecord::new(*record_size);
+                assert_eq!(record.event_count() as u32, *record_size);
+
+                writer
+                    .write_record(record)
+                    .await
+                    .expect("write should not fail");
+                writer.flush().await.expect("flush should not fail");
+
+                expected_writer_position += u64::from(*record_size);
+
+                // Make sure the writer position advanced after flushing.
+                assert_reader_last_writer_next_positions!(
+                    ledger,
+                    expected_reader_position,
+                    expected_writer_position
+                );
+
+                let record_via_read = read_next_some(&mut reader).await;
+                assert_eq!(record_via_read, MultiEventRecord::new(*record_size));
+                acknowledge(record_via_read).await;
+
+                // Increment the expected reader position by the trailing reader position delta, and
+                // then now that we've done a read, we should be able to have seen actually move
+                // forward.
+                expected_reader_position += trailing_reader_position_delta;
+                assert_reader_last_writer_next_positions!(
+                    ledger,
+                    expected_reader_position,
+                    expected_writer_position
+                );
+
+                // Set the trailing reader position delta to the record we just read.
+                //
+                // We do it this way because reads themselves have to drive acknowledgement logic to
+                // then drive updates to the ledger, so we will only see the change in the reader's
+                // position the _next_ time we do a read.
+                trailing_reader_position_delta = u64::from(*record_size);
+            }
+
+            // Close the writer and do a final read, thus driving the acknowledgement logic, and
+            // position update logic, before we do our final position check.
+            writer.close();
+            assert_eq!(reader.next().await, Ok(None));
+
+            // Calculate the absolute reader/writer positions we would expect based on all of the
+            // records/events written and read. This is to double check our work and make sure that
+            // the "expected" positions didn't hide any bugs from us.
+            let expected_final_reader_position =
+                record_sizes.iter().copied().map(u64::from).sum::<u64>();
+            let expected_final_writer_position = expected_final_reader_position + 1;
+
+            assert_reader_last_writer_next_positions!(
+                ledger,
+                expected_final_reader_position,
+                expected_final_writer_position
+            );
+        }
+    });
+
+    let parent = trace_span!("reader_writer_positions_aligned_through_multiple_files_and_records");
+    fut.instrument(parent.or_current()).await;
+}
diff --git a/lib/vector-buffers/src/variants/disk_v2/tests/mod.rs b/lib/vector-buffers/src/variants/disk_v2/tests/mod.rs
index e123a39c228d63..8c479827355fd2 100644
--- a/lib/vector-buffers/src/variants/disk_v2/tests/mod.rs
+++ b/lib/vector-buffers/src/variants/disk_v2/tests/mod.rs
@@ -134,6 +134,24 @@ macro_rules! assert_reader_writer_v2_file_positions {
     }};
 }
 
+#[macro_export]
+macro_rules! assert_reader_last_writer_next_positions {
+    ($ledger:expr, $reader_expected:expr, $writer_expected:expr) => {{
+        let reader_actual = $ledger.state().get_last_reader_record_id();
+        let writer_actual = $ledger.state().get_next_writer_record_id();
+        assert_eq!(
+            $reader_expected, reader_actual,
+            "expected reader last read record ID of {}, got {} instead",
+            $reader_expected, reader_actual,
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            $writer_expected, writer_actual,
+            "expected writer next record ID of {}, got {} instead",
+            $writer_expected, writer_actual,
+        );
+    }};
+}
+
 #[macro_export]
 macro_rules! assert_enough_bytes_written {
     ($written:expr, $record_type:ty, $record_payload_size:expr) => {