diff --git a/pkg/systemlogmonitor/logwatchers/kmsg/log_watcher_linux.go b/pkg/systemlogmonitor/logwatchers/kmsg/log_watcher_linux.go
index 04d03940..db34efa6 100644
--- a/pkg/systemlogmonitor/logwatchers/kmsg/log_watcher_linux.go
+++ b/pkg/systemlogmonitor/logwatchers/kmsg/log_watcher_linux.go
@@ -110,7 +110,8 @@ func (k *kernelLogWatcher) watchLoop() {
 					klog.Errorf("Failed to close kmsg parser: %v", err)
 				}
 
-				// Try to restart
+				// Try to restart immediately. retryCreateParser() applies backoff only
+				// after a failed NewParser() or SeekEnd() attempt.
 				var restarted bool
 				kmsgs, restarted = k.retryCreateParser()
 				if !restarted {
@@ -140,18 +141,29 @@ func (k *kernelLogWatcher) watchLoop() {
 
 // retryCreateParser attempts to create a new kmsg parser.
 // It tries immediately first, then waits retryDelay between subsequent failures.
+// On success, it seeks the new parser to the end of the kmsg ring buffer to
+// avoid replaying messages that were already processed before the restart.
+// Any messages written to kmsg between the old parser closing and the new
+// parser being seeked are not delivered; this is preferable to replaying an
+// entire ring buffer the watcher has already processed, especially when the
+// restart was triggered by a kmsg flood.
 // It returns the new message channel and true on success, or nil and false if stopping was signaled.
 func (k *kernelLogWatcher) retryCreateParser() (<-chan kmsgparser.Message, bool) {
 	for {
 		parser, err := kmsgparser.NewParser()
-		if err == nil {
+		if err != nil {
+			klog.Errorf("Failed to create new kmsg parser, retrying in %v: %v", retryDelay, err)
+		} else if seekErr := parser.SeekEnd(); seekErr != nil {
+			klog.Errorf("Failed to seek new kmsg parser to end, retrying in %v: %v", retryDelay, seekErr)
+			if closeErr := parser.Close(); closeErr != nil {
+				klog.Errorf("Failed to close kmsg parser after seek failure: %v", closeErr)
+			}
+		} else {
 			k.kmsgParser = parser
 			klog.Infof("Successfully restarted kmsg parser")
 			return parser.Parse(), true
 		}
 
-		klog.Errorf("Failed to create new kmsg parser, retrying in %v: %v", retryDelay, err)
-
 		select {
 		case <-k.tomb.Stopping():
 			klog.Infof("Stop watching kernel log during restart attempt")