diff --git a/src/ingest.rs b/src/ingest.rs
index 385d004..bdd461f 100644
--- a/src/ingest.rs
+++ b/src/ingest.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,14 @@
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+use std::time::Duration;
+
 use crate::engine::{EngineMessage, IngestedLine};
 use crate::timestamp::Timestamp;
+use tokio::fs::File;
 use tokio::io::{AsyncBufReadExt, BufReader};
 use tokio::sync::mpsc;
 
+const POLL_INTERVAL: Duration = Duration::from_millis(200);
+
 /// Reads stdin line by line, sequences and timestamps each line, and forwards it
 /// to the engine task.
 pub async fn run(engine: mpsc::Sender<EngineMessage>) {
@@ -23,3 +29,207 @@ pub async fn run(engine: mpsc::Sender<EngineMessage>) {
         }
     }
 }
+
+/// Identifies a specific file instance on disk, so a recreated path (e.g. a
+/// tailed process restarting and reopening its log file) can be told apart from
+/// the same file simply growing.
+#[derive(PartialEq, Eq, Clone, Copy)]
+struct FileId(#[cfg(unix)] u64, #[cfg(not(unix))] ());
+
+fn file_id(meta: &std::fs::Metadata) -> FileId {
+    #[cfg(unix)]
+    {
+        use std::os::unix::fs::MetadataExt;
+        FileId(meta.ino())
+    }
+    #[cfg(not(unix))]
+    {
+        let _ = meta;
+        FileId(())
+    }
+}
+
+async fn open(path: &Path) -> Option<(File, FileId)> {
+    let file = File::open(path).await.ok()?;
+    let meta = file.metadata().await.ok()?;
+    Some((file, file_id(&meta)))
+}
+
+/// Tails `path` like `tail -f`: reads existing content, then keeps reading as
+/// new lines are appended. If the file is deleted and recreated at the same
+/// path (or truncated in place) — e.g. the tailed process restarted and
+/// reopened its log — tailing resumes against the new file from its start,
+/// rather than exiting or getting stuck. `sequence` keeps incrementing across
+/// a recreation event; it's ottyl's own line counter, not tied to the source
+/// file.
+pub async fn run_file(engine: mpsc::Sender<EngineMessage>, path: PathBuf) {
+    let mut sequence: u64 = 0;
+
+    'reopen: loop {
+        let (file, mut id) = loop {
+            if let Some(opened) = open(&path).await {
+                break opened;
+            }
+            tokio::time::sleep(POLL_INTERVAL).await;
+        };
+
+        let mut reader = BufReader::new(file);
+        let mut offset: u64 = 0;
+        let mut pending = String::new();
+
+        loop {
+            let mut chunk = String::new();
+            match reader.read_line(&mut chunk).await {
+                Ok(0) => {
+                    // EOF: decide whether the file was truncated/recreated
+                    // (tail the new instance from scratch) or just hasn't
+                    // grown yet (keep polling).
+                    match tokio::fs::metadata(&path).await {
+                        Ok(meta) => {
+                            let new_id = file_id(&meta);
+                            if new_id != id || meta.len() < offset {
+                                continue 'reopen;
+                            }
+                            id = new_id;
+                        }
+                        Err(_) => {
+                            // Path gone (mid-recreation); wait for it to
+                            // reappear and reopen fresh.
+                        }
+                    }
+                    tokio::time::sleep(POLL_INTERVAL).await;
+                }
+                Ok(n) => {
+                    offset += n as u64;
+                    pending.push_str(&chunk);
+                    if pending.ends_with('\n') {
+                        let text = pending
+                            .trim_end_matches(['\n', '\r'])
+                            .to_string();
+                        pending.clear();
+
+                        let line = IngestedLine {
+                            sequence,
+                            timestamp: Timestamp::now(),
+                            text,
+                        };
+                        sequence += 1;
+
+                        if engine.send(EngineMessage::Ingest(line)).await.is_err() {
+                            return;
+                        }
+                    }
+                    // else: partial line at EOF (write in progress) — keep
+                    // buffering and read again without treating it as final.
+                }
+                Err(_) => continue 'reopen,
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use std::io::Write;
+    use tokio::sync::mpsc;
+
+    async fn recv_text(rx: &mut mpsc::Receiver<EngineMessage>) -> String {
+        match tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(2), rx.recv())
+            .await
+            .expect("timed out waiting for ingested line")
+            .expect("engine channel closed")
+        {
+            EngineMessage::Ingest(line) => line.text,
+            _ => panic!("expected Ingest"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn tails_existing_and_appended_lines() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let path = dir.path().join("app.log");
+        std::fs::write(&path, "first\n").unwrap();
+
+        let (tx, mut rx) = mpsc::channel(16);
+        tokio::spawn(run_file(tx, path.clone()));
+
+        assert_eq!(recv_text(&mut rx).await, "first");
+
+        let mut f = std::fs::OpenOptions::new().append(true).open(&path).unwrap();
+        writeln!(f, "second").unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(recv_text(&mut rx).await, "second");
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn resumes_after_delete_and_recreate() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let path = dir.path().join("app.log");
+        std::fs::write(&path, "before-restart\n").unwrap();
+
+        let (tx, mut rx) = mpsc::channel(16);
+        tokio::spawn(run_file(tx, path.clone()));
+
+        assert_eq!(recv_text(&mut rx).await, "before-restart");
+
+        std::fs::remove_file(&path).unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(&path, "after-restart\n").unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(recv_text(&mut rx).await, "after-restart");
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn resumes_after_truncation_in_place() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let path = dir.path().join("app.log");
+        std::fs::write(&path, "long line before truncation\n").unwrap();
+
+        let (tx, mut rx) = mpsc::channel(16);
+        tokio::spawn(run_file(tx, path.clone()));
+
+        assert_eq!(recv_text(&mut rx).await, "long line before truncation");
+
+        // Truncate in place (same inode, shorter content) then write new data.
+        let mut f = std::fs::OpenOptions::new()
+            .write(true)
+            .truncate(true)
+            .open(&path)
+            .unwrap();
+        writeln!(f, "new").unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(recv_text(&mut rx).await, "new");
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn sequence_keeps_incrementing_across_recreation() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let path = dir.path().join("app.log");
+        std::fs::write(&path, "one\n").unwrap();
+
+        let (tx, mut rx) = mpsc::channel(16);
+        tokio::spawn(run_file(tx, path.clone()));
+
+        let first = match tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(2), rx.recv())
+            .await
+            .unwrap()
+            .unwrap()
+        {
+            EngineMessage::Ingest(line) => line.sequence,
+            _ => panic!("expected Ingest"),
+        };
+        assert_eq!(first, 0);
+
+        std::fs::remove_file(&path).unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(&path, "two\n").unwrap();
+
+        let second = match tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(2), rx.recv())
+            .await
+            .unwrap()
+            .unwrap()
+        {
+            EngineMessage::Ingest(line) => line.sequence,
+            _ => panic!("expected Ingest"),
+        };
+        assert_eq!(second, 1);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 8650b71..4399c27 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -38,6 +38,12 @@ struct Args {
     /// (e.g. `~/.config/ottyl/settings.json` on Linux).
     #[arg(long)]
     settings_path: Option<PathBuf>,
+
+    /// File to tail for log lines, instead of reading from stdin. Behaves like
+    /// `tail -f`: reads existing content then keeps following appended lines,
+    /// and keeps tailing if the file is deleted/recreated at the same path.
+    #[arg(long)]
+    file: Option<PathBuf>,
 }
 
 #[tokio::main]
@@ -86,7 +92,14 @@ async fn main() {
         }
     }
 
-    tokio::spawn(ingest::run(engine_tx.clone()));
+    match args.file.clone() {
+        Some(path) => {
+            tokio::spawn(ingest::run_file(engine_tx.clone(), path));
+        }
+        None => {
+            tokio::spawn(ingest::run(engine_tx.clone()));
+        }
+    }
 
     let app = api::router(engine_tx, &args.static_dir, settings, settings_path);
     let listener = TcpListener::bind(("0.0.0.0", args.port))
@@ -97,9 +110,13 @@ async fn main() {
         .expect("failed to read back bound address")
         .port();
 
+    let source = match &args.file {
+        Some(path) => format!("tailing {}", path.display()),
+        None => "reading logs from stdin".to_string(),
+    };
     eprintln!(
-        "ottyl serving on http://localhost:{} (reading logs from stdin)",
-        bound_port
+        "ottyl serving on http://localhost:{} ({})",
+        bound_port, source
     );
 
     axum::serve(listener, app)