diff --git a/plugins/in_tail/tail_file.c b/plugins/in_tail/tail_file.c
index 13127b7e2b8..4ac39b3ee8b 100644
--- a/plugins/in_tail/tail_file.c
+++ b/plugins/in_tail/tail_file.c
@@ -819,7 +819,7 @@ void flb_tail_file_remove(struct flb_tail_file *file)
 
     flb_free(file->buf_data);
     flb_free(file->name);
-#if !defined(__linux__)
+#if !defined(__linux__) || !defined(FLB_HAVE_INOTIFY)
     flb_free(file->real_name);
 #endif
 
@@ -1121,7 +1121,7 @@ int flb_tail_file_name_dup(char *path, struct flb_tail_file *file)
     }
     file->name_len = strlen(file->name);
 
-#if !defined(__linux__)
+#if !defined(__linux__) || !defined(FLB_HAVE_INOTIFY)
     if (file->real_name) {
         flb_free(file->real_name);
     }
diff --git a/plugins/in_tail/tail_file.h b/plugins/in_tail/tail_file.h
index 5fa80fc25d0..a935fc0e13b 100644
--- a/plugins/in_tail/tail_file.h
+++ b/plugins/in_tail/tail_file.h
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ static inline int flb_tail_file_name_cmp(char *name,
 static inline int flb_tail_target_file_name_cmp(char *name,
                                                 struct flb_tail_file *file)
 {
-#if defined(__linux__)
+#if defined(__linux__) && defined(FLB_HAVE_INOTIFY)
     return strcmp(name, file->name);
 #elif defined(FLB_SYSTEM_WINDOWS)
     return _stricmp(name, file->real_name);
diff --git a/plugins/in_tail/tail_file_internal.h b/plugins/in_tail/tail_file_internal.h
index c59c297864e..9baa8e3cad4 100644
--- a/plugins/in_tail/tail_file_internal.h
+++ b/plugins/in_tail/tail_file_internal.h
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ struct flb_tail_file {
     ino_t inode;
 #endif
     char *name;                 /* target file name given by scan routine */
-#if !defined(__linux)
+#if !defined(__linux) || !defined(FLB_HAVE_INOTIFY)
     char *real_name;            /* real file name in the file system */
 #endif
     size_t name_len;