diff --git a/src/input/readers/ascii/Ascii.cc b/src/input/readers/ascii/Ascii.cc
index d9120b91ae..30eff2669d 100644
--- a/src/input/readers/ascii/Ascii.cc
+++ b/src/input/readers/ascii/Ascii.cc
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ FieldMapping FieldMapping::subType()
 Ascii::Ascii(ReaderFrontend *frontend) : ReaderBackend(frontend)
 	{
 	mtime = 0;
+	ino = 0;
 	suppress_warnings = false;
 	fail_on_file_problem = false;
 	fail_on_invalid_lines = false;
@@ -281,10 +282,12 @@ bool Ascii::DoUpdate()
 				return ! fail_on_file_problem;
 				}
 
-			if ( sb.st_mtime <= mtime ) // no change
+			if ( sb.st_ino == ino && sb.st_mtime == mtime )
+				// no change
 				return true;
 
 			mtime = sb.st_mtime;
+			ino = sb.st_ino;
 			// file changed. reread.
 
 			// fallthrough
diff --git a/src/input/readers/ascii/Ascii.h b/src/input/readers/ascii/Ascii.h
index 130fc25075..4fd236761e 100644
--- a/src/input/readers/ascii/Ascii.h
+++ b/src/input/readers/ascii/Ascii.h
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <vector>
 #include <fstream>
 #include <memory>
+#include <sys/types.h>
 
 #include "input/ReaderBackend.h"
 #include "threading/formatters/Ascii.h"
@@ -63,6 +64,7 @@ private:
 
 	ifstream file;
 	time_t mtime;
+	ino_t ino;
 
 	// map columns in the file to columns to send back to the manager
 	vector<FieldMapping> columnMap;
diff --git a/src/input/readers/binary/Binary.cc b/src/input/readers/binary/Binary.cc
index 560a80f9a0..5ae3cc7c15 100644
--- a/src/input/readers/binary/Binary.cc
+++ b/src/input/readers/binary/Binary.cc
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ using threading::Field;
 streamsize Binary::chunk_size = 0;
 
 Binary::Binary(ReaderFrontend *frontend)
-	: ReaderBackend(frontend), in(0), mtime(0), firstrun(true)
+	: ReaderBackend(frontend), in(0), mtime(0), ino(0), firstrun(true)
 	{
 	if ( ! chunk_size )
 		{
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ bool Binary::DoInit(const ReaderInfo& info, int num_fields,
 	{
 	in = 0;
 	mtime = 0;
+	ino = 0;
 	firstrun = true;
 
 	if ( ! info.source || strlen(info.source) == 0 )
@@ -160,11 +161,12 @@ int Binary::UpdateModificationTime()
 		return -1;
 		}
 
-	if ( sb.st_mtime <= mtime )
+	if ( sb.st_ino == ino && sb.st_mtime == mtime )
 		// no change
 		return 0;
 
 	mtime = sb.st_mtime;
+	ino = sb.st_ino;
 	return 1;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/input/readers/binary/Binary.h b/src/input/readers/binary/Binary.h
index 6fd5a3b001..796640bfb4 100644
--- a/src/input/readers/binary/Binary.h
+++ b/src/input/readers/binary/Binary.h
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #define INPUT_READERS_BINARY_H
 
 #include <fstream>
+#include <sys/types.h>
 
 #include "input/ReaderBackend.h"
 
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ private:
 	string fname;
 	ifstream* in;
 	time_t mtime;
+	ino_t ino;
 	bool firstrun;
 
 	// options set from the script-level.
diff --git a/src/input/readers/config/Config.cc b/src/input/readers/config/Config.cc
index e50b468a36..eca276281c 100644
--- a/src/input/readers/config/Config.cc
+++ b/src/input/readers/config/Config.cc
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ using threading::Field;
 Config::Config(ReaderFrontend *frontend) : ReaderBackend(frontend)
 	{
 	mtime = 0;
+	ino = 0;
 	suppress_warnings = false;
 	fail_on_file_problem = false;
 
@@ -146,10 +147,12 @@ bool Config::DoUpdate()
 				return ! fail_on_file_problem;
 				}
 
-			if ( sb.st_mtime <= mtime ) // no change
+			if ( sb.st_ino == ino && sb.st_mtime == mtime )
+				// no change
 				return true;
 
 			mtime = sb.st_mtime;
+			ino = sb.st_ino;
 			// file changed. reread.
 
 			// fallthrough
diff --git a/src/input/readers/config/Config.h b/src/input/readers/config/Config.h
index b0dc83f725..336d72a989 100644
--- a/src/input/readers/config/Config.h
+++ b/src/input/readers/config/Config.h
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include <fstream>
 #include <memory>
 #include <unordered_map>
+#include <sys/types.h>
 
 #include "input/ReaderBackend.h"
 #include "threading/formatters/Ascii.h"
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ private:
 
 	ifstream file;
 	time_t mtime;
+	ino_t ino;
 
 	bool fail_on_file_problem;
 	// this is an internal indicator in case the read is currently in a failed state
diff --git a/src/input/readers/raw/Raw.cc b/src/input/readers/raw/Raw.cc
index 27d8b0c685..e41e4e77ac 100644
--- a/src/input/readers/raw/Raw.cc
+++ b/src/input/readers/raw/Raw.cc
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ Raw::Raw(ReaderFrontend *frontend) : ReaderBackend(frontend), file(nullptr, fclo
 	execute = false;
 	firstrun = true;
 	mtime = 0;
+	ino = 0;
 	forcekill = false;
 	offset = 0;
 	separator.assign( (const char*) BifConst::InputRaw::record_separator->Bytes(),
@@ -341,6 +342,7 @@ bool Raw::DoInit(const ReaderInfo& info, int num_fields, const Field* const* fie
 
 	fname = info.source;
 	mtime = 0;
+	ino = 0;
 	execute = false;
 	firstrun = true;
 	int want_fields = 1;
@@ -553,11 +555,12 @@ bool Raw::DoUpdate()
 				return false;
 				}
 
-			if ( sb.st_mtime <= mtime )
+			if ( sb.st_ino == ino && sb.st_mtime == mtime )
 				// no change
 				return true;
 
 			mtime = sb.st_mtime;
+			ino = sb.st_ino;
 			// file changed. reread.
 			//
 			// fallthrough
diff --git a/src/input/readers/raw/Raw.h b/src/input/readers/raw/Raw.h
index c6075cbe70..2b9d4edcb4 100644
--- a/src/input/readers/raw/Raw.h
+++ b/src/input/readers/raw/Raw.h
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include <vector>
 #include <memory>
 #include <mutex>
+#include <sys/types.h>
 
 #include "input/ReaderBackend.h"
 
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ private:
 	bool execute;
 	bool firstrun;
 	time_t mtime;
+	ino_t ino;
 
 	// options set from the script-level.
 	string separator;
diff --git a/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/input/empty-values-hashing.bro b/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/input/empty-values-hashing.bro
index f25c9bc3f6..b46c299c2c 100644
--- a/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/input/empty-values-hashing.bro
+++ b/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/input/empty-values-hashing.bro
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-# @TEST-EXEC: cp input1.log input.log
+# @TEST-EXEC: mv input1.log input.log
 # @TEST-EXEC: btest-bg-run bro bro -b %INPUT
 # @TEST-EXEC: $SCRIPTS/wait-for-file bro/got1 5 || (btest-bg-wait -k 1 && false)
-# @TEST-EXEC: cp input2.log input.log
+# @TEST-EXEC: mv input2.log input.log
 # @TEST-EXEC: btest-bg-wait 10
 # @TEST-EXEC: btest-diff out
 
diff --git a/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/input/predicatemodifyandreread.bro b/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/input/predicatemodifyandreread.bro
index 0ac5f104d0..2c6b58ff2d 100644
--- a/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/input/predicatemodifyandreread.bro
+++ b/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/input/predicatemodifyandreread.bro
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
-# @TEST-EXEC: cp input1.log input.log
+# @TEST-EXEC: mv input1.log input.log
 # @TEST-EXEC: btest-bg-run bro bro -b %INPUT
 # @TEST-EXEC: $SCRIPTS/wait-for-file bro/got1 5 || (btest-bg-wait -k 1 && false)
-# @TEST-EXEC: cp input2.log input.log
+# @TEST-EXEC: mv input2.log input.log
 # @TEST-EXEC: $SCRIPTS/wait-for-file bro/got2 5 || (btest-bg-wait -k 1 && false)
-# @TEST-EXEC: cp input3.log input.log
+# @TEST-EXEC: mv input3.log input.log
 # @TEST-EXEC: $SCRIPTS/wait-for-file bro/got3 5 || (btest-bg-wait -k 1 && false)
-# @TEST-EXEC: cp input4.log input.log
+# @TEST-EXEC: mv input4.log input.log
 # @TEST-EXEC: $SCRIPTS/wait-for-file bro/got4 5 || (btest-bg-wait -k 1 && false)
-# @TEST-EXEC: cp input5.log input.log
+# @TEST-EXEC: mv input5.log input.log
 # @TEST-EXEC: btest-bg-wait 10
 # @TEST-EXEC: btest-diff out
 #
diff --git a/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/input/reread.bro b/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/input/reread.bro
index e4bb09df39..53cb2a91a8 100644
--- a/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/input/reread.bro
+++ b/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/input/reread.bro
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
-# @TEST-EXEC: cp input1.log input.log
+# @TEST-EXEC: mv input1.log input.log
 # @TEST-EXEC: btest-bg-run bro bro -b %INPUT
 # @TEST-EXEC: $SCRIPTS/wait-for-file bro/got1 5 || (btest-bg-wait -k 1 && false)
-# @TEST-EXEC: cp input2.log input.log
+# @TEST-EXEC: mv input2.log input.log
 # @TEST-EXEC: $SCRIPTS/wait-for-file bro/got2 5 || (btest-bg-wait -k 1 && false)
-# @TEST-EXEC: cp input3.log input.log
+# @TEST-EXEC: mv input3.log input.log
 # @TEST-EXEC: $SCRIPTS/wait-for-file bro/got3 5 || (btest-bg-wait -k 1 && false)
-# @TEST-EXEC: cp input4.log input.log
+# @TEST-EXEC: mv input4.log input.log
 # @TEST-EXEC: $SCRIPTS/wait-for-file bro/got4 5 || (btest-bg-wait -k 1 && false)
-# @TEST-EXEC: cp input5.log input.log
+# @TEST-EXEC: mv input5.log input.log
 # @TEST-EXEC: btest-bg-wait 10
 # @TEST-EXEC: btest-diff out
 
diff --git a/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/input/twotables.bro b/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/input/twotables.bro
index 6f127ac4c2..5b6d833da3 100644
--- a/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/input/twotables.bro
+++ b/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/input/twotables.bro
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-# @TEST-EXEC: cp input1.log input.log
+# @TEST-EXEC: mv input1.log input.log
 # @TEST-EXEC: btest-bg-run bro bro -b %INPUT
 # @TEST-EXEC: $SCRIPTS/wait-for-file bro/got2 5 || (btest-bg-wait -k 1 && false)
-# @TEST-EXEC: cp input3.log input.log
+# @TEST-EXEC: mv input3.log input.log
 # @TEST-EXEC: btest-bg-wait 10
 # @TEST-EXEC: btest-diff event.out
 # @TEST-EXEC: btest-diff pred1.out